This FBI agent is putting his life on the line. Fortunately, he's got nine.
A witty remake of Disney's famous film classic, That darn cat puts a fresh new spin on a timeless tale that families have enjoyed for years. 16-year-old Patti Randall (Christina Ricci) finds life in her sleepy home town dull until her cat DC finds an important clue to a mysterious kidnapping! With the help of a bungling FBI Agent (Doug E Doug), this teenage sleuth and her pet detective lead a hilarious investigation filled with zany mishaps and misunderstandings before finally cracking the case.
Special Agent Matti
The production values suffer from that hideous all-American 50s blandness that still afflicts their entire culture: lots of surface, not much depth. Christina Ricci walks through the film without raising a sweat, while Doug E Doug goes so over the top that you have to wonder what he's on. The gags are indeed zany, but that tells you a whole lot that you didn't want to know. Jim Carrey's less-successful films are full of zany mishaps, too.
I note with concern that Disney are doing a lot of remaking of famous film classics (of which most he hasn't heard). The problem is that the original films are products of a time that has very little to do with our own and the values and social hierarchies have very little relevance to ours. But given the target demographic (of which I am definitely not a member), this film is entertaining enough, if they are all gathered for a sleepover. With lots of popcorn and diet coke.
PG (Adult themes, low level violence)
86 minutes (1:26 hours)
VHS rental: 5 July 2000
DVD retail: 25 June 2003