Most of us love cats and have them as our pets and why not, they are really the cute animals out there that can act as the best companions. Not only in real life but cats have got fame in Hollywood as well. Several movies have been released which had the story of a cat as the main theme. Many of these have become global hits on the box office as well as kept the audience engaged throughout.
Top Cat Movies of All Times
Garfield: The Movie
Without an argument, the most famous cat of Hollywood that was a major influence to pop culture as well is Garfield. What started off as a comic collection by Cartoonist Jim Davis became one of the widely known computer-animated movies. The film was released in 2004 and was directed by Peter Hewitt. The voice of Garfield has been done by Bill Murray while other stars of this film include Breckin Meyer and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
The movie couldn’t impress the critics but surely the audience loved it which is why the film earned a big sum of $200 million on a budget of $50 million. A sequel of this movie was also released two years later named Garfield : A Tale of Two Kitties. The storyline is about the big grumpy cat who undergoes several adventures with her friends. It is a great movie to watch with the entire family.
Puss in Boots
Another renowned film in Hollywood that grossed over $554 million was Puss in Boots. It was released in 2011 and was yet another computer-animated adventure film. The story is about a cat that teams up with his friends to defeat the criminals and retrieve the magic beans. With an excellent direction by Chris Miller, the film was not only a wide success for the audience but it also got a positive response from the critics as well.
Stars of the film include Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, and Billy Bob Thornton as well. A great thing about this film was that it was released in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D format as well. It has also been nominated for the Best Animated Feature Film at the 84th Academy Awards. As the movie had gained attention from the audience, a television series was then released on Netflix while another sequel is expected to come in 2022.
Nine Lives
The famous saying goes that a cat has nine lives of which three is when he plays, three for when he is stray, and the last three when he stays. The movie Nine Lives was somehow related to this famous saying in which a workaholic found himself trapped inside the daughter’s new cat. The film poster said, “His Life Just Got Put on Paws”. The director, Barry Sonnenfeld, did a great job with this film which is why it grossed over $57 million in 2016.
However, when it comes to the critical evaluation, there was not much excitement as critics declared it as a film that was unoriginal and unfunny. The film was an international co-production between France and China with stars including Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner, Robbie Amell, and Malina Weissman. It is a great film to watch with the entire family.
Cats & Dogs
Cats & Dogs is one of the famous films in the comedy genre starring Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Perkins, and Alexander Pollock. The director of this film was Lawrence Guterman and was considered successful to an extent by both critics and the audience. It was one of the most grossing films of the year 2001 as it earned over $200 million with a budget of $60 million only.
The synopsis of this movie is the story between cats and dogs where both of them are rivals. The two organizations use different types of tactics along with humans to prove their worth. Most critics said that the film was an entertaining one but at few points there was a lack of development towards the characters and some jokes aren’t that interesting either. The movie is also famous for the numerous soundtracks. There were two sequels to this film and none of them were as successful as the first part.
Before getting a cat as a pet, here are few important drawbacks you should consider – Drawbacks of Having a Cat.
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
If you are done watching the first part, then this should be on your list next. This was a sequel released in 2010 which belonged to the spy comedy genre and directed by Brad Peyton. One could assume that this film would have been better than the first one but this movie did not perform as well as the first part. With a budget of $85 million, this film earned over $112 million.
Although the film incorporates the critical response from the first part regarding the development of the characters, the critics said that it appeared dull and unfunny. On the other hand, the audience really loved it which is one reason why we suggest every cat fan watches it soon.
Catwoman
Catwoman was released in 2004 and was among the first films to feature a female superhero. The film was based on the character of DC Comics by the same name. The Filmstar was Halle Berry as Catwoman while the other supporting roles were played by Benjamin Bratt, Lambert Wilson, and Frances Conroy. Despite being a unique idea that was expected to bring great income for Warner Bros, the film was considered a commercial failure as it earned $82 million on a budget of $100 million.
However, if you believe yourself to be the ultimate cat lady, this film should be the next on your list. The story is about a woman who is murdered as she highlights the potential risks and dangers of a cosmetic product. The woman is then revived by Egyptian cats that allow her to become a superwoman with cat-like abilities. It does sound unrealistic and critics also disregarded this film but it still stands among the famous cat films as it was the highest-grossing one for about 13 years.
Pet Sematary
Up until now, we didn’t mention any horror movie including cats but this one is truly a unique one that came out in 2019 and was directed by Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer. The film is adapted from the 1983 novel of the same name which was written by Stephen King. Film stars include Jason Clarke, Amy Seimets, and John Lithgow. The film is about a story of a family which discovers a mysterious graveyard in the woods behind their new home.
It does appear difficult to have cute pets like cats and dogs depict horror but this film surely did it. Many critics praised this film for showing the dark tone and maintaining a suitable setting of the film throughout. However, there was negative feedback for the slow pacing and jump scares as well. Nonetheless, the film was a commercial success because it had earnings over $113 million worldwide on a budget of $21 million only. Watch the spooky stuff about cats as well as other pets in this movie.
Marmaduke
Last but not least we have Marmaduke as the live cat and dog action film. Although many books are adapted from previous movies or novels, this one has been adapted from a comic strip with the same name. The film highlights the story of a rural family and their pets which includes a cat and a dog. Although met with negative reviews, some audiences still loved the concept of the entire film
The storyline is about problems that the family along with the cat and dog faces after relocating to a new area. Despite criticism, it earned over $83 million with a budget of $50 million. The film was released on June 4, 2010, and had an income of $3.4 million on the same day. The film stars include Owen Wilson, Lee Pace, Judy Greer, and William H. Macy as well.
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Conclusion
From the above list, we can conclude that cat movies are not always fun, cute, or comedy rather they have been released in other genres too including action and horror. These movies should be the ones for all cat fans in fact an even better idea is to watch them with your pets. Remember that horror movies like Pet Semetary might be too much for some to handle and some might even stop keeping pets with them. Have fun!