Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to come up with their favorite answer to a movie-related prompt tied to a recent release. This week, with the release of The Garfield Movie, we’re discussing some of our favorite movie cats! Let us know your favorites @SiftPop!
We don’t meet O’Malley until he crosses paths with the main characters in The Aristocats, so we can only guess what he was like before that, but I like to think he considered himself a bit of a lady’s man; he saw a female he liked the look of, spent a bit of time with them, and then quickly left the next day to find more female company. When he first meets the Duchess, he tries to charm her, but when he finds out she has kids, he becomes less interested. Due to unfortunate circumstances, he is forced to spend time with the kids, but over time, he grows quite fond of them. When one falls into a river, he doesn’t hesitate for a second to jump in after them. At the end of the story, he has a difficult choice of giving up a carefree life where he only has himself to worry about or becoming part of the Duchess’ life with humans, a group he has never got along with. I found his arc fascinating, and for a while, I’ve wanted to see Disney revisit this kind of arc where a character grows over time to be more accepting of a life where they have a lot of friends or family. (John Tillyard)
Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Lady Tremaine, Dr. Claw, Dolores Umbridge, Gargamel, Selina Kyle, Cardinal Richelieu, Vito Corleone… all villainous, differing in their deviant ways, and yet they share a curious commonality in their fondness for the company of felines. Following in that tradition, Ratigan (Vincent Price), the pint-sized protagonist plaguing London streets (or rather gutters and crawl spaces) in The Great Mouse Detective, also shares an affinity for the companionship of his criminal cat counterpart, Felicia (voice acting legend, Frank Welker). Though an unlikely partnership given he’s a raaa… I mean mouse, Ratigan uses Felicia to keep his crew in line as well as rain terror down on those who oppose his wicked ways. Don’t let her dainty paws and prissy purple bow fool you, Felicia is as cold-blooded as they come and will pounce at the opportunity to bare her sharpened claws and bite down those shiny bicuspids on any of Ratigan’s enemies. (Patrice Downing)
The ever-present Mrs. Norris, the adorable feline side kick to the grumpiest, snitchiest, and most paranoid school caretaker there ever was in the Harry Potter world. Putting herself in constant harm’s way from the growing dangers of Voldemort’s return, even getting herself petrified in the name of plot device. Among a franchise with many adorable creatures, and many dangerous ones, Mrs. Norris manages to be both. Acting as proxy for Mr. Filch as he roams the Hogwarts halls looking to entrap and snare the slightest mischievous act from his least favourite Gryffindor students, Mrs. Norris also manages to remain adorable amid the ever-growing and enveloping darkness creeping upon them all. (Adam Ritchie)
Who doesn’t love a good pet movie? Homeward Bound just might be every pet owner’s worst nightmare, as the animals get lost. Luckily, these pets have a plan to get back to their family. Two dogs and one cat make an incredible journey through the wilderness to find home once again. This film is only as engaging as the voice actors who bring these wonderful pets to life. Homeward Bound certainly has plenty of thrilling moments, but it is Sally Field, Michael J. Fox, and Don Ameche who get your empathy. Sassy (our main cat protagonist) is an adorable Himalayan voiced with so much empathy and charm by Field. She brings a wiseness and strong presence to this feline character in the most impactful ways. This is a journey full of adventure, thrills, and scares. You want nothing to happen to either of these good boys or this adorable cat. Homeward Bound will tug at your heartstrings. (Shane Conto)
When you get a cat, you expect to find the occasional scratches on your furniture, or that a random drinking glass or knick knack will get knocked on the floor every once in a while. Even if you add a second feline friend into the mix, a lifetime of kneading on sofa arms and pawing at the drapes doesn’t even come close to the extensive amount destruction the deviant Devon Rex siblings are able to pull off within just two minutes and 29 seconds of entering Lady’s (Tessa Thompson) home in Disney’s 2019 remake of Lady and the Tramp. Devon (Nate Wonder) and Rex (Roman GianArthur) literally jump onto the scene and get to work devilishly devastating the decor from ceiling to floor all the while taunting poor Lady as she desperately tries to stop the twin tabby terrors. Devon and Rex embody all the least desirable qualities of the popular house pets, just dialed up to eleven. They taunt, claw, shred, jump, bite, and worst of all are clever enough to exploit their human owner into thinking poor innocent Lady is responsible for the deluge of destruction they rained down on the extravagant furnishings of their hosts’ home. These calamitous cats will certainly make you think twice before saying yes the next time a potential houseguest asks if it’s okay to bring their fuzzy feline friend (more like fiend) along for a visit. (Patrice Downing)
Is it possible for a cat character in a movie to not steal said movie? I submit that it is not. Case in point: Machiavelli from Pixar’s Luca. The film is about two boys, Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), enjoying an Italian summer while hiding their true selves. Complications arise when they befriend Giula (Emma Berman), with her fisherman father (Marco Barricelli) and the aforementioned cat. Whether it’s under the umbrella of Disney Animation or Pixar, the House of Mouse knows how to make great, memorable animal companions. Here, it’s the fact that Machiavelli is more expressive than his human owner that really sells the top-notch humor and helps this feline steal every scene he’s in. (Jake Bourgeois)
One of my absolute favorite movies as a kid was Oliver & Company. Oliver (Joey Lawrence), the kitten, and his antics were always funny and charming. The animation in this little film is phenomenal. Oliver traveling around learning how to be a dog in New York City, and his relationship with Dodger (Billy Joel), makes this movie that much special. Getting to watch a retelling of a classic Charles Dickens novel shows how stories can live on. From the music to the story, there’s no doubt as to why I loved this movie and these characters. (Austen Terry)
Ever since he was first introduced in Shrek 2, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) has been one of the best characters in the whole franchise. A suave orange tabby cat wielding a rapier and donning a cape, hat, and, of course, boots, Puss brings a lot of charm and heart to the world of Shrek. His first attempt at a standalone film, released in 2011, was met with a lukewarm reception, but against all odds, Puss was given a second chance at stardom over a decade later with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Puss, using his sword and weaponized adorableness, has survived countless battles, fighting henchmen, knights, and even obesity over the course of the franchise, but in The Last Wish he finds himself going toe-to-toe with death himself (Wagner Moura). Confronted with his own mortality, Puss must go on a gorgeously animated journey to learn how to face and overcome his fears instead of succumbing to anxiety and running away with his tail tucked between his legs. Even as a pretty big fan of the first two films, I can confidently say that The Last Wish is my favorite entry in the franchise, with more heart and soul in one film than the other five combined, and this is in no small part due to Puss’s strong characterization and arc. (Jake Hjort)
Never have so many factions fought so fiercely to cast off a cuddly kitten than those attempting to do so in Thunder and the House of Magic. Thunder (Murray Blue), despite being the most adorable, playful, orange striped tuxedo cat imaginable, starts off his young life being tossed out of a car, into the Boston streets in what’s easily the meanest dump and run a pet owner has ever pulled on a puzzled pet. Left, quite literally, in the middle of a busy road, the befuddled feline is chased, pushed, scared, and run ragged around the active city streets until he stumbles through the gates of a seemingly haunted house. Once inside, Thunder attempts to befriend a mouse when he encounters an assortment of lively gadgets and automatons. Wandering and wondering at the sites in the fantastical home, the curious kitten is then forced out of the magical mansion by an ornery white rabbit (you know, the kind you pull out of a top hat) and told never to return. Thunder eventually manages to wangle his way back inside and make the acquaintance of the kindly retired magician who resides there. At this point, Thunder is still in no way welcomed as an addition to the magical menagerie but through a series of increasingly ridiculous events is able to prove his value, build friendships within the eclectic troupe, and finally find a permanent place to call home. (Patrice Downing)