Mad Cats is a 2023 film directed by Reiki Tsuno and staring Hikari Aiko, Asachill and Amanda B. the film follows the story of Taka an unemployed young man that sets off on a quest to find his missing brother. After teaming up with a mysterious girl they find themselves taking on a group evil ninja cat women who want to kill unscrupulous pet shop owners to save his bother. Mad Cats is a fun entailing film that acts as a good throwback to the 80s Japanese punk films of old.
The direction in the film is good. All the actors have good chemistry with each other and play off each other very well. the main character girl and the homeless man are the three main characters in the film that team up to fight the cat women and they to a good job in having an interesting and enjoyable dynamic with each other. There is also the through line of the main character looking for his brother that gives the film a dramatic weight. The main character and the female character have a will they won’t they situation with them, but it doesn’t really lead anywhere and is a bit underdeveloped. The mood of the film is an overall fun one. Although the film does have serious and dramatic elements it never takes itself to serious with the absurd nature of the film. There is a lot of fun comedy with the story and a lot of the film is seeing the crazy situations the characters find themselves in. the style of the film is crazy and over the top. The film is stylistic reminiscent of the 80s Japanese punk films and feels like a nature fit to the genre with a crazy over the top nature to it that really works for the film.
The acting in the film is good. Sho Mineo does a good job as Taka the main character of the film a somewhat useless and loser of a protagonist that comes into his own by the end of the film. Yuya Matsuura does a good job as Takezo a homeless man that joins them to get revenge on the cat girls. So Yamanaka does a good Mune Takas brother. Ayane does a good job as Mysterious Young Girl who helps them throughout the story to kill the cat women.
The writing in the film is good. The film is a fun crazy over the top action-packed thrill ride. The is crazy really helps the film and the zany plot that Mad Cats has is only exemplified as the film goes on and more insanity begins piling up for the characters. The characters in the film are all funny and likable witch really helps with a film like this. The dynamic that the three main characters have with each other really works and is the main driving force of the film. The film also has a good sense of goals to it and gives the characters enough emotional weight to them so that you both like them and feel for them.
The cinematography in the film is good. Allot of the camera work isn’t anything overly special put it all works well within the film. There is some good camera within the if with the use of camera spins as well when the camera is attached to certain people or objects adding to the craziness of the film.
The special effects in the film are good. The practical blood effects in the film look good and really help in the films action scenes. There is also a good use of gun effects int film that help sell the action. Some of the digital effects in the film whist not terrible don’t look as good compared to the piratical effects.
Mad Cats is a fun entertaining film that any fan of crazy Japanese cinema would love.
