Best Animated Movie – Felix The Cat
I never knew much about the Felix the Cat character. He was a classic, silent era cartoon character and sometimes you would see his name mentioned in the context of these golden-oldies. My only real introduction to this 80 year old feline was through the 1988 film ‘Felix The Cat – The Movie.’ I caught it a few times on Direct TV over the years and always found it an unsettling but satisfying experience.
It starts out as a cute little romp, but Felix ends up getting sucked into another dimension while a pair of evil scientists chase after him. He finds himself in a terrible dystopia where he’s sold into slavery to work as a performer in a circus. It turns out, he’s been summoned by a beautiful princess to help her free the world from her cruel uncle who has usurped the throne.
A startlingly grim film, Felix the Cat recalls the works of Ralph Bakshi. It tries to lighten the mood through comic pratfalls and musical interludes, but it does nothing to hide the unseemly underbelly of the film.
It sounds like this film isn’t very good, but I’ve never been able to get it out of my head. Felix the Cat introduced me to the world of dark fantasy and provided a new perspective on the medium of animation. Most kids will enjoy the film, although younger tots might be upset by a few violent scenes.