previously published on Asian Movie Pulse
Animation might be tougher and costlier to produce than live-action, but it is usually easier to distribute around the globe. The language of imagery is universal and it crosses the linguistic and cultural borders with more ease. It can be dialogue-free or the dialogue can be synchronized in any language. And, if it aims for children’s audiences, as it usually does, it automatically attracts the adults, either parents or educators, who accompany the children to screenings. And, if a particular film plays its cards right, it can serve as a powerful tool in projecting soft power in the ongoing cultural and propaganda wars.
Regarding the latter, Cao Liang’s “The Royal Cat” seemingly does everything right, especially having in mind that more discreet approach is usually better than more blatant. Therefore one has to wonder how come that the nicely done animation for gradeschoolers as the primary audience did not play around the globe a year and half after its premiere at last year’s Shanghai International Film Festival.
The plot is centred around a talking cat named Zhan Ao. He used to fight alongside the legendary general Kou, but after the general’s defeat and death, the cat lives as a bottom-feeding tailless stray. With his knack for making havoc and his deftness to escape the immediate consequences, Zhan Ao is dubbed “the demon cat” for interrupting the ceremony in an ancient city already full of magic and mystery and wanted by the authorities.
His path crosses the one of a rookie investigator from the prefect’s office, Bao Zheng who is on a mission to solve the mystery of certain people disappearing or turning into animals. The disappearance of the crown prince is another mystery that catches his attention and he thinks that Zhan Ao might be one of the keys for solving it. The cat and the investigator have to join forces with an illusionist black fox, a masked mouse named Jinmaoshu and the general’s daughter Kou Zhu in order to solve the mysteries, clear their names, save the prince and unveil a couple of conspiracies.
The smooth-running computer animation is probably one of the highest points of the film. Its design is also slick and colourful, especially regarding the setting of an ancient Chinese city. The music on the traditional instruments that accompanies it is also a nice touch, while the soundscape is filled with adequate sound design to captivate the attention of younger audiences.
However, the mechanics of one action sequence after another and one set piece scene after another can only do so much with a plot written by Luo Yue that is both convoluted to the point of being nonsensical on one side and quite predictable on the other. The scriptwriter clearly has a lot of ideas, but not enough patience to compose a compelling puzzle, while the director better works on the storyboard-based tasks than on making the big picture clearer. It shows that both of them are newcomers that lack experience necessary for such an ambitious project.
Nevertheless, “The Royal Cat” is a satisfying watch for one viewing and it markets the Chinese mysticism in a discreet and nice enough fashion. Still, it is not enough to make this “animated wuxia” for kids a must-see masterpiece of the genre.
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