Actually, there have been real-life feline spies. In the 60s, the CIA wired up cats with microphones and trained them to eavesdrop on its cold-war enemies. The programme, codenamed Acoustic Kitty, had to be abandoned after the first cat on a mission was run over by a taxi and killed. Not a suitable story for family comedy, so we must make do with this energetic, undemanding animation from Germany about a pampered house puss who turns crimefighter.
The film wins no prizes for rethinking gender stereotypes. It begins with crazy cat-lady Rosalind mollycoddling and baby-talking her mog Marnie, who is hooked on cop shows. Rosalind’s two previous cats are stuffed and mounted on the wall. (If you’ve ever looked into this, you’ll know that taxidermists advise against stuffing cats. The facial expressions are tricky to get right). When a criminal gang hits town, Marnie investigates. What the poor gullible puss doesn’t realise is that the detective shows she watches on TV are fake. Being one of the good guys isn’t enough:she must find grit and savvy to solve the burglaries. Along the way she picks up a flamboyant zebra, cowardly guard dog and a turkey as her forgettable sidekicks.
It’s hard to get your claws out for Spy Cat. There are some decent gags and funny scenes, although I’m not sure the film-makers bothered studying cats before creating their bland feline heroine. Where’s the disdain? The attention seeking? The torture of smaller animals for fun? It’s pleasant enough and entertaining for little kids. (The icky portrayal of sexually frustrated chickens shouting, “Bunga bunga” will go over their heads.)
