Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: MAD CATS [Fantasia Film Festival 2023 - Montreal, Canada - Remote]

Finding an angle of genre and comedy is always a mixed bag. It depends how far the comedy can go while there is still heart in the play of it. With "Mad Cats" [Selection 23], there is a little bit of both with a tinge of weirdness to boot. In making his film, director/writer Reiki Tsuno both goes too far and not far enough. The movie makes sense and impacts it own sense of purpose but many times it is just for the reasoning of showing the men as snivelers that can't get the job done against the cunning and smarts of the cats (the ladies) that surround them (who also have nine lives). The progression is not much more than that but takes on an almost "Delicatessen" approach with some vaudeville beats. Taka (Sho Mineo) is a man boy who lost his way in his life but is recruited by unknown forces to rescue his brother from a cabal of criminal women who seem intent on finding ancient forbidden catnip.

Taka's brother had found said catnip in Egypt and it makes these certain women violent. It is an interesting set up and journey with a bit of "Drunken Master" to it (if only Taka knew how to fight). Somehow Taka ends up teaming up with a homeless man who likes cat food and seemingly has lost his family along the way. The underlying sadness of his story never quite comes through (maybe partially at a campfire scene). Rounding out the trinity is a female assassin that wants to defend them and save the catnip. But she has a secret identity too. She tries to train them but the meaning of why they are destined to take on this voyage is a little lost (plus they are untrainable). It is fun to watch for the most part but it meanders off its path before it returns for a final showdown. The projected backdrops and other stylistic touches do give it a slightly abstract feel with a tinge of Adult Swim madness without getting too gross and over-the-top, which seriously is an accomplishment in itself. C

By Tim Wassberg