Cats: My 5 Favourite In Film

16th August 2019

Cats In Film: My Favourites. By Laurie Wood.

Who doesn’t love a cat’s softness, happy vibrating purr, and those twinkling eyes? Did you know, there is a complex mathematical formula for cats and humans, it goes something like this… Cats + humans = happiness. Who can argue with that? Well, probably dog lovers, however, a cat’s ability to just make your head tilt and go aww is a drop in the ocean to how much power they actually have over us, humans.

The above is why we love them so much, so it makes sense that cinema would adopt cats as new rising Hollywood stars. Cats are easily profitable, and if you’re like me, you can’t get enough of seeing their cute, fluffy, tuffy, smoodgey faces.

In no particular order and in honour, of their fluffiness (or not fluffy if they’re short hair, i’m not prejudiced against any felines), I’m going to name my top 5 favourite cats in film. There are more than this, obviously, but I can’t name them all, so here’s a few.

Mr Tinkles

Film: Cats & Dogs (2001)
Favourite Quote:When I rule the world, you, will be the first, on my list…

Mr.Tinkles is majestic, long-haired cat. He is the main antagonist for the film Cats & Dogs and his aim is to take over the world, humans and dogs alike! His menacing plans and evil tone of voice makes him the perfect cliche of a villain, but, what makes him also lovable at the same time is he is just so cute! His white furr idealises innocence and purity, and throughout the film his owner treats him like a baby and dresses him up in funny little outfits. Mr Tinkles is the villain you hate to love but love to hate.

Sassy

Film: Homeward Bound (1993)
Favourite Quote:No, dummy, dummy, dummy, dummy…

Sassy, is a Himalayan cat and just like her name, has a sassy edge about her with witty comebacks and one-liners. She is a high maintenance kitty, who likes the good things in life, such as warmth, cuddles, and delicious meals ready twice a day without fail. Sassy resonates with audiences because she is arguably, one of the most realistic cats on screen and I don’t mean in the lack of CGI sense. If cats could talk, they probably would be high-maintenance and would expect cuddles and attention and us humans are saps who just give-in to any cats want and need….(I do, but, I mean, cats need to know I love them). Audiences love Sassy’s edgy attitude and endearing humour – she’s a kitty I think even dog lovers could get behind.

Garfield

Film: Garfield: The Movie (2004)
Favourite Quote:Love me, feed me, never leave me…

Everyone knows Garfield. He is the ginger, short haired kitty with a lazy attitude towards life. He expects his owner to wait on him hand and foot and gets jealous of any attention this housemate, the dog, gets. I remember watching the film as a kid and finding Garfield amusing, especially with Bill Murray voicing him. Murray is what makes Garfield such a character, his sarcastic tone of voice fits Garfield’s persona and his somewhat tiredness to his voice emphasises Garfield’s pure lack of motivation. If we had to be a cartoon cat, many people would choose Garfield, he gets pretty much everything he wants, he eats loads, doesn’t care about his weight and he’s happy. Many, including myself, envy him and the life we wish we could live.

The Cat

Film: Coraline (2009)
Favourite Quote:I don’t like rats at the best of times, but this one was sounding an alarm…

Efficiently named, The Cat, is a black, short-haired cat, who aims to help Coraline through her adventures… if you haven’t seen Coraline yet, you should, it’s fab. Although The Cat doesn’t have much screentime, he is an important cog in the whole story, without The Cat, it’s unlikely Coraline would have survived the whole ordeal, in which case, may have rated the film an 18 instead of a PG. He appears intelligent but we’re not sure whether to like his character or not as he presents himself as more of an ominous being on screen. Though gradually we realise this fits the story atmosphere and his character as well. He is a smart kitty with an added charm which I personally find insightful.

Puss in Boots

Film: Shrek 2 (2004)
Favourite Quote:Pray for mercy from Puss… in boots…

A notably badass of a cat, Puss in Boots. The ginger, short haired kitty with a bad attitude. Not many film sequels are just as good or better than the first film, but Shrek 2 really takes the cake and that is partly in thanks to Puss in Boots. We loved the Shrek and Donkey relationship, but now with Puss in Boots involved, the bants have changed between Donkey and Puss in Boots while Shrek is now the father figure, trying to keep the children out of harm’s way.

What makes Puss in Boots so charming is his fighting personality inside such a small, kitten-like body. It almost mocks the traditional sense of a cat being selfish, lazy and high-maintenance and turns it on his head by making him a little fighter. And if that doesn’t work, Puss in Boots has another power, the power of cuteness. My most memorable scene from that film was watching the big eyes scene for the first time in cinema, I was in hysterics because not only was it genuinely funny, but relatable as well. You can’t stay mad a cat very long, especially when they stare at you with those doe eyes. Puss in Boots is confident, loyal and wouldn’t take any crap from no-one. He is the leader all cats need to get behind.

Follow me @LaurieWoodUK for film, cats and social media!

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