That Darn Cat (1997)

Get ready for a purrr-fectly hilarious comedy adventure starring Christina Ricci (THE ADDAMS FAMILY) and Doug E. Doug (OPERATION DUMBO DROP). When her faithful tomcat D.C. (aka "Darn Cat") brings home an important clue to a mysterious kidnapping, 16-year-old Patti Randall finds her ho-hum hometown suddenly turned into a hotbed of criminal excitement! And when she teams up with rookie FBI Agent Kelso to try to solve the baffling crime ... these would-be detectives follow THAT DARN CAT into some unexpected surprises! Outrageous double identities and sidesplitting misadventures abound in this hit remake of the comedy classic that's motion picture fun for everyone!

Forensic Buff

Love that darn cat. I wish my cat did that. Kids would just love it.
I know there was an earlier version with Haley Miles but this is the best. January 24, 2008

If it's not broke . . .

"That Darn Cat" was a comedy that came out in 1965. So it needed to be remade 38 years later for a new audience, right? Wrong.

Actually, is it really a remake? It takes the basic theme of a woman held hostage putting a watch on a cat, and the cat's owner, with an FBI agent, solve the case. They could have taken the remake route, or they could have made a completely original story. The filmmakers took the second route, though there is enough of the original that it really didn't seem to know what it was doing.

If that's not bad enough, this movie has elements of other live Disney comedies. There is the car chase of "The Fifth Avenue Irregulars", the surprise twist of "Trenchcoat", and the atmosphere of an Ernest movie.

Instead of a cute and likeable young adult (Haley Mills) and a frustrated but competent F.B.I. agent (Dean Jones), this one has an obnoxious and bored teenager (Christiana Ricci) and an inept agent (Doug E. Doug). This movie does not have the realism or the suspense the original. The original introduced the villains early on, while this one has more of a mystery . . . but if you read the credits, it is easy to figure out who one of the bad guys is.

Some of the elements of the original are here as well, though done better. These include an F.B.I agent allergic to cats, one person looking at the watch on the cat, and making a comment about the time rather than ask why the cat is wearing a watch (both males), an encounter with a neighbor's dog in a fenced in yard, and agents trailing the cat that . . . I'll stop; this would spoil what should have been a surprise to some of you. All of the above were done better the first time around.

There were some good things, though. Several of my favorite actors/actresses ended up in this, such as Michael McKean (Lenny from "Laverne And Shirley", Bess Armstrong, Peter Boyle, and Megan Cavanagh. In fact, Dean Jones, the original F.B.I agent shows up, as the broke-millionaire whose servant was kidnapped, though I think it would have been funnier having him as the F.B.I. chief.

This is a fun movie, but it does not live up to the original. December 19, 2006

Delightful Movie And A Must For Christina Ricci Fans

A cat (in the literal sense of the word) "witnesses" a kidnapping, and one of his owners' (Christina Ricci) heads to FBI HQ to file a report. Naturally,(at least behind her back) they laugh at her information, but soon appoint one of their own to head the investigation. Kitty had some clues on him (literally), and the team decides to tail him (pardon the pun), hoping he would lead them to where the clues came from, which proves easier said than done. He ends up making the agents look like a bunch of bafoons. Will the agents catch the kidnappers? Will they even figure out there was a kidnapping? Will I ever get to arm wrestle Brooke Shields? To get the first two answered, you'll need to see the movie. The latter will depend on if her agent will let Brooke accept the challenge. If you want a movie the whole family can get a good laugh in, you will want to order this one. The film is a comedy and has good action with a brush of suspense. One of the cutest scenes is when the butcher and the security guard "run across the field" so to speak and kiss. If you're a Ricci fan, you'll see plenty of her charming self throughout the movie. Would make an ideal Birthday/Christmas gift for anyone especially a Christina Ricci fan. February 18, 2005

MY SON LOVED IT!!!

We originally rented this movie from Netflix and my 4 year old son loved it so much that he did not want to return it. I searched every store to purchase this movie and finally came to Amazon to purchase it for him. I have not seen the original movie but I too liked this movie. The charaters are entertaining and all the little plots keep you interested. I think that it is a must purchase for any cat lover. October 6, 2004

Fun Movie!

Though some parts were predictable and the plot a little weak, it was all in all a fun remake. Besides, I'd watch anything with Christina Ricci. She's great. ;) November 29, 2003

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