 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
A Cat in Paris
- Review Date: June 28, 2012
- PG
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2012
Common Sense Media says
Animated thriller's action makes it best for older kids.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that A Cat in Paris is a French animated drama that was nominated for an Academy Award in 2012 and was subsequently dubbed in English. With its cops vs. robbers plot and several gripping action sequences -- not to mention a story that touches on grief, loneliness, moral ambiguity, betrayal, and revenge -- it's not ideal for preschoolers used to lighter cartoon fare. The violence includes gunfire, hallucinations, a man plunging to his death, and a woman who betrays a little girl's trust and then places her in harm's way. Some children will also be disturbed by the fact that Dino (the titular cat) routinely hunts and kills lizards. With a couple of exceptions, the characters are all flawed, and since the story is set in Paris, adults smoke and drink wine and Champagne.
What's the story?
Zoe (voiced by Lauren Weintraub) hasn't spoken since her father, a police officer, was killed. Her mother, Jeanne (Marcia Gay Harden), is an overworked Paris police detective who's determined to arrest her husband's murderer, organized crime boss Costa (JB Blanc), whom she suspects is planning a major art heist. Zoe is watched by her uptight nanny, Claudine (Anjelica Huston), and her only friend is her pet cat, Dino. At night, however, Dino leaves Zoe's bedroom and prances to the side of an unorthodox jewel thief, Nico (Steve Blum). As Jeanne makes plans to catch Costa before he steals the Colossus of Nairobi (an ancient totem being delivered to Paris for an exhibit), Dino eventually leads his two "owners" to meet, and Zoe bonds with Nico. A twist brings all the players together in a dangerous chase across Paris.
Is it any good?
There's a sophisticated simplicity to Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol's elegantly crafted caper. Meticulously hand drawn, the animators depict a highly stylized, vibrant Paris (is there any other kind?) that's full of colorful rooftops, restaurants, and statues that will make any viewer want to book a flight to the City of Lights. The plot (despite the one little twist) is easy to follow, and it captures some surprisingly hefty themes for such a short (64 minutes) film: grief, loneliness, moral ambiguity, betrayal, and revenge are all touched upon with a delicacy that's accompanied by an evocative jazzy score. They obviously didn't make this movie just for kids (if they had, Dino would talk), but also for adults who love animation.
It's obvious why the Academy chose to honor A CAT IN PARIS alongside Hollywood offerings such as Rango (which won), Kung Fu Panda 2, and Puss in Boots. While Puss is a cat of loud and flashy action (and lots of sarcastic quips), Dino is simply always there, knowing when to comfort, push, and prod. Even without words, Dino speaks to the characters (especially Zoe and Nico) and the audience in an authentic and often hilarious way. If you have older kids willing to read subtitles, give the French original a chance, but even the English-dubbed version is a wonderful reminder to children that animation is more than singing and talking animals or flashy 3-D sequences.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about how Paris is used as another character in the film. What are the landmarks that serve as a backdrop? Kids: Would you like to research more about Parisian architecture and culture, particularly Notre Dame? Where would you start?
How is A Cat in Paris different from most American animated films? How do you think the movie would have been different had it been made in Hollywood?
Is the violence in the story realistic or cartoonish? Discuss the way the violence has consequences.
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- Teens & kids
Parent of 5 and 9 year old
August 20, 2012
AGE
Beautiful and interesting movie.
Took my just-turned-6 & just-turned-9-year old boys to see this. Thought-provoking story and beautifully done cartoon. We have a cat; they love cats; they loved this story because the cat is one of its heroes. To me, even though the conflict scenario here (kidnapping) was more realistic than the one in Paranorman (zombies), the violence in this movie was more cartoonish than not. We just returned from seeing Paranorman, which was very scary for my 6-year-old. He wasn't frightened at all during this movie. It was wonderful also to have the boys experience something obviously not made in the US - made as almost a love story to the city of Paris - so many architectural landmarks in the film.
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Kid, 11 years old
July 18, 2012
AGE
A Cat in Paris Review
I thought the movie was superb but not aimed at younger veiwers. When I watched the film there was a girl who was about five years old sitting next to me and I noticed that some of the scenes seemed a little bit too emotional and strong for her age. I recomend that kids be about seven or eight and older to see the movie. The "fighting scenes" were not that bad, there was only one part that had blood, and there was only one time where a group of villians had champagne. Overall it was a very good movie and I highly recomend it to the right age. I am eleven, and I was right not to take my 4 year old little brother.
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Parent of 6 and 9 year old
October 9, 2012
AGE
Oscar-worthy? Eh. Worth watching? Definitely.
The hand-drawn animation is the first thing that sets A Cat in Paris apart from other recent animated films. It’s an abstract, art deco style, full of shadows and vibrant colors, that makes it feel like a classic children’s storybook come to life. *** Once Dino’s two worlds cross paths, A Cat in Paris really picks up – taking us from foot and car pursuits, to a chase across the rooftops of Paris, to a final showdown atop the Notre Dame cathedral. *** At a trim 62 minutes, A Cat in Paris is a welcome detour from what we encounter (and expect) from the big animation studios. Oscar-worthy? That’s debatable. What’s not debatable is that it’s definitely worth watching. *** A Cat in Paris is rated PG for “mild violence and action, and some thematic material.” THEMATIC MATERIAL: Zoe and her mom are sometimes sad over her dad’s death; Nico steals valuable items and money from homes and museums (he is a cat burglar, after all). There's champagne and wine at a dinner scene, and one character smokes a cigarette. LANGUAGE: Costa says he scared one of his cronies so much, “you nearly wet your undies!” He also calls one of his thugs an “idiot.” A minor character says, “You sneaky son of a -” (not finishing the phrase)
VIOLENCE/SCARINESS: Costa slaps one of his men, fires warning shots at another, kidnaps Zoe, chokes Jeanne, and fights Nico, knocking out one of his teeth. (He’s also depicted in a dream sequence as a large, creepy octopus, which may scare young children.) Elsewhere, Dino scratches a person's leg, which briefly bleeds; Nico takes a policeman's gun and holds it on him and Jeanne; detectives shoot guns at a firing range; Dino bloodlessly kills a lizard; and a major character falls to their death. *** READ MY FULL REVIEW: filmfather (dot) blogspot (dot) com.
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Parent of 10, 13, and 17 year old
November 17, 2012
AGE
Good to watch together
Watch it together. My 8-year-old loved it, though he cuddled close during the intense parts.
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Teen, 16 years old
January 19, 2013
AGE
Excellent Animation
Beautifully and uniquely animated. I enjoyed it; not your typical kid's animated movie, there were more "adult" emotions. Loved the idea of a cat that's literally a cat burglar.
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Parent of 6 year old
May 7, 2013
AGE
Edward Hopper light and shadow
Visually appealing, interesting plot, and it kept my 7 yo. daughter's attention. Positive role models? None really. Some cartoon violence.
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Kid, 5 years old
May 4, 2013
AGE
The thief, cat and girl become friends
I liked the movie but didn't like the boogie man / scary man in the movie. My favorite part was at the end when the thief stops stealing and is with the family.
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| Topics: | cats, dogs, and mice |
| Studio: | GKIDS |
| Directors: | Alain Gagnol, Jean-Loup Felicioli |
| Cast: | Anjelica Huston, Marcia Gay Harden, Matthew Modine |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 64 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 1, 2012 |
| DVD release date: | October 9, 2012 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | mild violence and action, and some thematic material |
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