Banjo, o Gato Travesso

Even if I didn't know this was Don Bluth, this animation short is truly a classic. When I first heard of this feature, I had to get it. Only, I wish it were a full length movie. Banjo is a loveable character. Don Bluth sets the tone in great looking animation the way it used to be.

"Banjo the Woodpile Cat" is a 1979 animated short directed by Don Bluth. I, like most, got drawn to this because of the importance this has to Don Bluth and animation history. Don Bluth is an absolute animation legend; I am a huge fan of his. Knowing this, you can see the evolution of an artist. There are many Don Bluth tropes introduced in this story that go on to be staples in his future projects.

The movie follows the titular Banjo, a cat who could not behave, who seldom does what he should. He lives in a woodpile in Payson, UT with his Mom, Dad and 2 sisters.

The short teaches simple lessons about being good and being grateful. It is nicely animated, has catchy songs and Banjo is one of the cutest animated cats. The short does its job. I feel bad for the characters when I should, I root for them to succeed and cheer for them when they do.

On the negative side, there are some characters added in around the third act that I don't feel were good additions. With how simple the story is, it could have been trimmed down to 20 minutes. After the story has its low point, I think they spend too much time trying to cheer our main character up.

Not a perfect short, but an important step on the road to animation greatness. It's not that Banjo was second rate; it's just it couldn't be great.

With good fortune, I managed to find this (in three parts) on YouTube recently. Along with a few films, this is one I saw a lot as a young child, until today I had not seen it for years.

In one sentence: A beautiful, classic Don Bluth short film. In a few sentences: This animated short captures the beauty of Bluth's unique animation and the beauty of the story. The story is very sweet and many children will be able to relate to it and almost all adults will as well. There is a not-that-subtle moral in this story as well which is a very good moral, another highlight to the film. All in all, a very cute animated film well worth watching!

This film is about a kitten called Banjo who is very naughty, somehow he is always doing something bad. (He is very adorable though - and very likable. :-) ). One day, he falls off the chicken coop (on his feet) and his father orders him to fetch a switch so he can be beaten. Very harsh punishment! Not all that surprisingly, Banjo decides to run away to find new opportunities and ends up in Salt Lake city. Unfortunately, he finds he would rather be with his family...

I recommend this to all young children who like cartoons and to all adults who like cartoons and who like Don Bluth. Enjoy "Banjo the Woodpile Cat"! :-)

Banjo the woodpile cat begins the story with a cat named Banjo who lives with his family, he loves doing stuff that's very dangerous he got scolded by his father until one day he decides to run away from home and ends up in a city all alone until he meets Crazy Legs and they become friends, then we meet Zazu, Cleo and Marina, they sing a song, but then Banjo realizes that he must catch the truck to his house, then we he got into the truck he says goodbye to his friends and arrives at home while his family was worried, everything ends fine and that's how the story ends while the credits roll while he goes to sleep.

I am a fan of Don Bluth, and while The Secret of NIMH is the movie I consider his magnum opus, this animated short Banjo the Woodpile Cat is a perfect example of Don Bluth in his prime. The animation is very nice, with luscious colours with some essence of darkness, fluid backgrounds and some of the better character designs in any of Bluth's work. The music is memorable, with some great jazzy undertones, while the songs are not too obvious either. The characters are immensely lovable, particularly Banjo who is also quite cute and charming, the dialogue is snappy, cute and funny and the storytelling is heart-warming and very sweet and well-meaning with an effective enough moral that doesn't hit too hard. The voice acting is very good, especially Scatman Crothers, Banjo the Woodpile Cat is well-paced and while it is very short at just half-an-hour or so there is not a dull or wasted moment. Overall, a classic and among Bluth's best. 10/10 Bethany Cox