Croquette le chat merveilleux

Didn't really know what to expect coming into this film and I must say I'm so glad I seen this. From the voice acting, to the cuteness of characters, and the overall message, this one was truly special. I really don't remember an animated film that brought tears to my eyes like this did in quite a long time, but it was so worth it. Lots of laughs and fun moments throughout. Perfect for the family and kids. Wish they made more of these, hope to see more from the filmmakers. Everyone needs a Breckett! Highly recommend to anyone who wants a feel good movie and a good time. Go in without any expectations and I assure you will enjoy.

Bee scientist Rose adopts kitten Beckett after almost hitting him with her car. He grows up to be a fat pampered cat. Rose and fellow scientist Larry come up with an idea to save the bees. Their benefactor Professor Craven seems excited, but he secretly holds a grudge against bees and intends to replace them with robot bees. Beckett accidentally kills himself and it's the last of his nine lives. In cat heaven, DMV agent Grace generously gives Beckett nine more lives but in other animal forms.

This is fine and sweet and cute. The animation is second tier level. It's not the best but it looks generally cute. I like most of the animation designs. Who doesn't love heaven-glasses? The characters look good. The general story concept is good. There is a villain and he's plenty evil. I would make Grace's motivation to send Beckett back clearer and more connected to the need to defeat Professor Craven. The movie should make Beckett an instrument of God in his grand plan. Generally, this is a perfectly cute cartoon.

Beckett is a cat who gets a second chance with 9 more lives and will try to get back to the woman who rescued him, his beloved Rose. The concept of coming back to life resembles A Dog's Purpose (2017), only this time Beckett comes back as a different animal each time. It's an interesting idea that can ignite ruminations about the meaning of life and death, like in Soul (2020) and, more recently, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022). However, 10 Lives is more about reuniting with your loved one than an existential exploration.

The character development is good because, like Bailey in W. Bruce Cameron's bestseller, the different-colored-eyes cat will learn different things in each life. The animation is good, but the humor could've been better. There were wasted opportunities considering the transformations Becket went through; just think about how funny it was when Donkey and Puss switched bodies in Shrek the Third (2007). The villain is definitely not good, and the movie could've been better without this unnecessary character and focusing solely on Beckett and Rose. The same can be said about Rose's boyfriend, Larry, whose purpose as a comic relief is completely ineffective and doesn't add anything to the story.

The movie's greatest asset is when it gets emotive, since the bond between Beckett and Rose is beautiful to see, and the movie succeeds in evoking those emotions. It would have been nice to have more of that. 10 Lives is not a bad movie, It has good and beautiful moments, but the same ideas were better executed before.

This movie is about as generic as a CGI animated film can be (the poster is highly misleading by the way, since it's in 2D). The main character self-narrates, sometimes as a voice and sometimes as the character himself in the story, which is a choice I guess. Overall, Beckett is fairly unlikeable, being that kind of protagonist that has to go through a lesson.

On the plus side, it truly shows the wonders in cat ownership, and the bee preservation plot is fairly original and commendable since this is a serious issue. On the other hand, it leads to a rather predictable plot twist villain.

Overall, decent.

The animation was visually impressive, with high quality graphics and a strong sense of detail that brought the story's world to life. While the plot had potential, it struggled to shine through due to the lackluster voice acting. Many of the actors sounded flat and unenthusiastic, which created a disconnect between the dynamic visuals and the voices bringing them to life. This was especially noticeable in the introductory scenes, where an energetic start was needed but instead felt lifeless.

I was really excited about the concept and had high hopes for this film, but unfortunately, the voice performances held it back more than the story itself. With more passionate and engaged voice actors, I think this film could have delivered an entirely different and much more captivating experience.