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(Cat's Eye) is one of the most predictable, idiotic, and poorly scripted movies ever to come out of Japan.

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Cat's Eye

Review by Matthew Anderson

Live Action Film

Company: Fuji TV

Running Time: 92 Minutes

Region: 2

Rating: PG (Violence)

EXTERNAL EXAM

In Japan, a trio of thieves called Cat's Eye has been steeling priceless works of art. Detective Hoshio is on a mission to capture these three women, but he has been ineffective to stop them.

Little does he relies that his girlfriend, Hitomi, is a member of Cat's Eye as are her sisters Rui and Ai. He is also unaware that the coffee house they own is their base of operations. He doesn’t even know that the paintings were done by their father, who was abducted by Chinese Tong members. It seems like Hoshio has a long way to go before he catches them. Problem is, he won't marry Hitomi until he does.

At the same time, the Chinese Mafia arrive in Japan, looking to get revent on whom ever has been stealing the art work from their associates. Their leader, Miss Wong, is a psycho with the ability to change her form at will. She knows who Cat's Eye really is, and she has a clever trap for them.

With the help of Interpol detective Mitsuko, Cat's Eye is closer to finding out about the truth about their fathers disappearance. Who is the mysterous leader of the Tong, and what is the real secret behind Miss Wong's power. Will Cat's Eye prevail?

DVD VISION TEST

VIDEO: The quality is quite good, much better than the original VHS version. With this movie taking place mostly at night, there is the worry of pixels and artifacing to worry about. There is none as far as we can tell. The image is sharper, and their is more detail than before.

AUDIO: The Dolby 2.0 is pretty good, with dialogue from the front speakers, and music and sfx from the back. It sounds a lot better than the VHS. Sharper and clearer.

EDITS: This DVD is the same as the theatrical version. No edits have been made.

EXTRAS: A 30 minute making of which concentrates on the action segments, and some of the movie trailers.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: Overall, the story is horrible. This is one of the most predictable, idiotic, and poorly scripted movies ever to come out of Japan. The dialogue is silly, the situations are laughable, and the male cast are written as total idiots. Writer and Director Kaizo Hiyashi should have one of Cat's Eye shurikens buried into his head.

ACTING: Despite a cast of good actors, it is obvious that Kaizo Hiyashi didn't know what to do with them. The female actors come off as boring and totally uninterested in the events surrounding them, while the men are over the top, almost cartoonish.

FAN SERVICE: Well, for you action fans, you have three ass-kicking babes in black leather for about 80% of the movie. You also have a way cool animated opening. No manga in jokes however.

FINAL EXAM

What do you have when you put an A-list cast with a Z-list director and writer? You have Cat's Eye, and uneven and ludicrous action film that barely qualifies for a B-movie title. This is a shame, since it is an A looking film.

As with most adaptations, you loose something in the translation from comic to film, or anime to film. For the most part, the heart and soul of the source material is still there. Not with Cat's Eye. Fans of the manga or the anime will sit there and wonder what the hell happened to the cute and charming trio of thieves. Why do they look like extras in a Michael Ninn adult film? When did they start using shiuriken instead of cards to announce their crimes. What is up with the excessive violence?

This is not one of the worse films ever to be churned out by the Japanese movie factory, but it comes close. The blame is pointed directly at Kaizo Hiyashi. His script makes for a great anime, but a lousy live action film. If Cat's Eye had kept it's animated opening, and be voiced by his A-List cast, it would have been successful. However, there is justice in this world, and now he wound up directing episodes of "Power Rangers" instead of real movies.

So, why would anyone want to watch this film? Well, there are three reasons. Norika Fujiwara, Izumi Inamori, and Yuki Uchida. These three women are prime examples of what super star power looks like. They are beautiful, smart, and very physical. Despite poor direction, you can't help but be in awe of their on screen presence.

Visually, this film has a retro-future look which works well. Reminiscent of the worlds of "Max Headroom" and "The Heroic Trio", these three leather wearing babes fit right in.

If you want a film that is well done yet hip, get "Red Shadow". If you want to watch a silly but great looking film, Cat's Eye is it.

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