Banjo the Woodpile Cat (NR, 1982)

Young cat Banjo, living on a country farm with his mother, father and two sisters, has a knack for getting into trouble. When Banjo's father threatens punishment, Banjo, feeling misunderstood and unloved, runs away. He hops onto a delivery truck and heads toward the bright lights of Salt Lake City. City life is exciting at first, but soon becomes more frightening than expected, and Banjo longs to return home. He befriends a streetwise alley cat named Crazy Legs (voiced by Scatman Crothers) who vows to help get him back home. Numerous obstacles need to be overcome before Banjo can return to his comfortable lair.

After leaving Disney, animator Don Bluth set out to create his own animated films equal in quality to the Disney classics he helped create. To an extent, he succeeded. BANJO THE WOODPILE CAT is Bluth's first attempt and it has the look of a classic Disney feature of the 1940s. In the scene in which Banjo tries to find shelter during a rainstorm, the animation is tour de force. The animators depict not only the falling rain, but also the raindrop splashes on the ground and the ripples they create in puddles of water.

Where the film falters is in its by-the-numbers story. Banjo runs away, discovers the outside world isn't as wonderful as he thought, and returns home. The filmmakers fail to include the drama and humor necessary to bring Banjo's plight to life. Still, younger viewers should enjoy the cute characters, while not encountering anything too threatening. And parents can heartily approve of the film's "There's no place like home" moral.

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
Director: Don Bluth
Cast: Beah Richards, Scatman Crothers, Sparky Marcus
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 28 minutes
Theatrical release: January 1, 1982
DVD release: May 5, 1998
MPAA Rating: NR
MPAA explanation: not rated