The Cat

From the team that brought us the outrageous prison drama STORY OF RICKY comes an equally bizarre science-fiction movie. It isn't ashamed to "borrow" ideas from sources as diverse as CALTIKI, THE TERMINATOR, THE BLOB and THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT. The result is certainly lively and - if you're in the right frame of mind - quite entertaining.

The story concerns three visitors from another solar system whose mission on earth is to destroy "the star-killer", an amorphous Lovecraftian creature that absorbs and can re-animate its human victims. The trio is seeking two relics displayed in terrestrial museums. When joined together, the relics create an amplification device for a ray beamed from their home planet. Bathed in the amplified ray, one of the visitors - a black cat called The General - will be powerful enough to vanquish the monster.

The film's main attractions are its comely female cast members and some over-the-top action sequences. These include a junk yard battle between The General and a huge black mastiff that must be seen to be believed. There are also some quite graphic horror scenes, but the poor quality of the make-up effects mutes their impact.

Although it never attains the quality of the films it emulates, THE CAT is sufficiently fast-paced to hold our attention even while we laugh at its absurdities.

This movie has one of the best plots I've ever witnessed especially since its a low budget film. Incredible character development despite not knowing anyone's name besides Mr. Wang. The peak of the movie is during the fight scene between the dog and cat which puts shame to any marvel movie ever made. The plot is extremely unpredictable which keeps you at the edge of your seat throughout the entire movie. The whole movie is just incredible. A must see for all movie buffs. Special effects are insane for 1991. Just a phenomenal movie I wish the director made more films honestly. Just pure brilliance in a VHS. Loved it.

From the team who made "Ricky-O" comes...well i don't know what this is, to tell you the truth. The closest thing i can relate this film to is "the Hidden"... for cats!! If that sounds bizarre, that's because it IS. In the right frame of mind (ie. drunk), it's not half bad. The problem is, with the caliber of acting & special effects, it's not half good either.

My grade: C-

I've had The Cat on my to-see list for some time now, and I finally sat my fat ass down to watch it. Story revolves around the spacemen (dude, chick and a cat) who left their planet because of, I think they said, "Evil Influence". Well, they're now here on Earth and that evil has followed them. And it's their goal to destroy this evil or what they call it, "The Enemy". Do the spacemen stop the Enemy? Does the Cat save the day? Or does it run out of lives? Find out in The Cat.

When the picture has anything related to the enemy going on or if the Cat is on screen the movie does well for itself. Because you know some crazy creature effects and gore will happen, some funny cat antics or just some cute, snuggly and cozy shots of our beloved feline are on the screen. But with a pretty lackluster side-story involving a writer and his girlfriend trying to solve the mystery of The Cat, the movie drags. So with a mix of the two the movie is kind of a mixed bag. But with such crazy scenes involving the Cat and the enemy, the movie makes you forget about any other lulls.

I've got to mention that the special effects which are very Asian in a 80's slimy, neon glow type way, are awesome. They're just simply very fun. And with the Enemy being just a weird take on The Blob, it's just a total joy to watch whenever it's on screen. And if there are any regular character or standins in the same scene you know some nice deaths are gonna happen.

And lastly I do have to mention that the Dog vs. Cat fight scene is probably the best in all of cinematic history. Ever see a cat set up a dog so it runs into an electrified shed? Oh? In a cartoon? Eh, well it's just as awesome in this movie. Maybe even more awesome.

So, if you're like me and enjoy whacko-Asian-weirdo-beardo type movies you should definitely enjoy at least enough of this movie to make it seem my review is worth something. Phew! Like magic cats? Like evil villains? Enjoy the cheese? Then the Cat's for you.

Not sure what to say about this one, I'd advise you keep walking if you see it in the $1 bin at Wal-Mart. For those that are fans of Riki-Oh, you won't find the same humor and ultra-violence here. I understand that Wisely is a popular character that has been in other movies, watching this The Cat doesn't inspire confidence. I will say the fight between the cat and the dog was mildly amusing. I can only imagine what it was like on set when they were doing that scene, must have been a load of fun. I am all for B-rated classics but this one was just too slow and incoherent. I think the movie was around an hour and a half and it couldn't end soon enough for me.