blizshadow1

But by NO MEANS the best cartoon to have ever been created storywise. It's POPULAR, but what popular things are really THAT good when you think about it? Let me explain in more detail.

To me, DBZ was a fad that got WAY out of control. It was fun when it first started rolling. We loved the battles, we loved the fast-paced action, we loved Goku whining for food every five minutes or straying from needles, but it gets old fast because it relies too heavily on the same formulaic plot: Bad guy is introduced, good guys fight, part of the good side is eliminated, good guys wonder about what to do, someone fights the bad guy again, then Goku (or in one case, Gohan) comes in and succeeds in beating the foe. Even Akira, the show and manga's creator, knew the outcome of the show's downfall I'm describing. He actually wanted the show to stop being aired after the Freeza saga. He knew what would come, and that's anime that would soon outdo it in ALL aspects (YYH or Naruto anyone?)

Now that seems to be every superhero show's plot, DBZ fans will argue. For example, even the popular YYH, or Yu Yu Hakusho (which is being revived in its homeland and getting another manga series produced RIGHT NOW. Where's DBZs?) relies on this type of plot. But it's the WAY it is carried out that separates these two shows. DBZ relies more on the battles and predictable suspense to keep you entertained. You know every bad guy's motive in DBZ: to destroy the world or Goku. In YYH, each villain has secret incentives and motives you would not be able to predict, and that's where YYH's charm comes from. Besides (in my opinion) the fighters in YYH are far more smarter than the ones from DBZ.

There is a lot of better anime rolling around out there somewhere, and it's being given an undeserving rap of being absolute garbage from prior fans who got over DBZ after noticing the show was the same roller-coaster ride time and time again. True, it has its funny moments and great battles, but when the thought wears on you that you KNOW the villain's motives and you can EASILY predict every single battle that you come across, it just ruins the fun, no matter what battle you watch. DBZ may have gotten so big that it's described as being, heh heh, the "best anime/animated show of all time" but like all fads, DBZ has had its go and has long worn out its welcome. I know very well because sadly...

I used to be nuts for it also.

I was quite small when I saw this movie inside of the local Blockbuster. Naturally, being the animal/animation lover that I am, I immediately picked it up. Watched it, loved it. Then it quickly disappeared from my memory and everyone else's since all of its hype burned out; however, it suddenly started popping up on television a few years later, and I must say, it's as good a watch as the first.

The plot: We find our hero, Danny the Cat, heading out to Hollywood in pursuit of his dreams: to become a star. The cat is bursting with musical talent, as well as his other animal friends, like Tillie, Frances, and especially Sawyer. However, the business only has its eye on musically talented humans and our friends are left out of the spotlight. Can Danny overcome firmly established prejudiced ways and the fake child star Darla Dimple, and make it to the big time, or will he and his friends be stuck with the two-bit roles?

The first thing that sticks out about this movie is the animation. Wonderful, bright,zany, and fast-paced: a very different take on the more, slower moving animated movies. From the memorable ark ride to simply the characters being themselves, the animation was simply fantastic. It dared to be different, and not only did it pay off well with the lasting appeal of the movie itself, but it greatly helped the musical numbers, which were just wonderful.

Of course, with this being a musical, you're going to be like "not another Disney-wannabe. Their songs are already bad enough...." CDD pleasantly surprised me. The songs were very enjoyable. Witty lyrics coupled with good music actually made me feel the writer's took time to develop these songs and the score. Songs ranging from the all-around fun "I've Got Rhythm" to the soulful tune of "Tell Me Lies" greatly moved the story to the wonderful finale that had me with my eyes glued to the screen.

All in all, this movie is a nice little break from many of the overworked Disney movies of today. Good plot, wonderful, colorful animation, and actually GOOD songs make this a feature that is not to be missed. And as a little token to this wonderful movie: "See you in the movies!"