Cats: In Search of Kattopia – Cats and Peachtopia (2018)

Directed by: Gary Wang | 87 minutes | animation, adventure, family | Dutch voice cast: Erik van der Horst, Matheu Hinzen, Peggy Vrijens

‘Cats: in search of Kattopia’ is an animation film made in China about Raf, a young, enterprising and inventive kitten who, at odds with the wishes of his fat, always-staying home father Banjer, wants to go out into the wide world. The goal of his voyage of discovery is Kattopia, which his father told him about. That’s where Raf’s mother would stay on that mountain, across the river, Banjer once lied to his son. When their owner, living in an already cramped Chinese apartment, one day brings another pet – a macaw that has already had ten households and has seen everything in the world – Raf becomes even more captivated by Kattopia. His decision is made: he must and will travel! When one of Raf’s brave attempts to cross the river against all odds succeeds, Banjer does not hesitate and – with Ar in his wake – goes in search of his son. So far, so ‘Finding Nemo’.

Because yes, the story of ‘Cats: In Search of Kattopia’ is quite similar to that Pixar hit. We follow both Raf and Banjer and when they have finally found each other, it is far from all-good. We also find elements from many other animated films, ‘Johan and the Feather King’, ‘Over the Hedge’, ‘Rio’ and even ‘The Aristocats’. That is not very disturbing, because there is enough visual splendor to keep you refreshed. Technically, ‘Cats: in search of Kattopia’ is well put together: the details in the environment are very beautiful, which is especially apparent in Raf’s flight over the Chinese metropolis. The environment feels very authentic, which – fortunately – you can’t say about the characters. Banjer is almost a caricature of a fat domestic cat and the stray cat who used to be his best friend looks more like a panther than a cat. Numerous other animals make an appearance in this animated adventure, each with their own peculiarities. Cuddly is often hard to find, because most of them are annoying or downright hostile. Only Raf actually evokes cuddle desires, but his character is too busy to make people run to the pet store en masse (which is of course a blessing).

Unfortunately, the story itself isn’t that exciting. There’s something about a glass-sculpture designer, a mysterious necklace (that’s much less mysterious than it seems), and animals used for inspiration or sacrifice, but there’s something wrong with the film’s structure. It’s too full of ideas that are neatly worked out, but don’t feel like a whole. It makes it all too complicated. And at the end, the film goes completely off the rails, with a message that doesn’t really want to land. Director Gary Wang, who also wrote the screenplay, wanted to give the importance of the role of fathers in the lives of children in China the necessary attention, but that does not really come out in this film. ‘Cats – in search of Kattopia’ isn’t exactly the best choice to watch, but for kids who like a ‘Finding Nemo’-like story with lots of animals and parents who don’t value a coherent story too much, the movie quite entertaining throughout the running time. However, don’t expect a memorable viewing experience.