Am a lifelong fan of animation and one of my favourite animation studios for over a decade has been Soyuzmultfilm. When it comes to Russian/Soviet animation, it doesn't get much better than Soyuzmultfilm, a studio that quickly became a personal favourite for nearly a decade. Their best work is visually stunning and have stories that are charming, imaginative and full of atmosphere with some memorable characters and when adapted enhanced by the visuals and often the music as well.

My first experience of Vladimir Polkovnikov was with the wonderful 'The Enchanted Boy' (or 'The Bewitched Boy'). Have actually not seen enough of his work to judge him properly, but what has been seen of his has been interesting. Decided to see 'The Fisherman Cat' stumbling across his name when deciding what Soyuzmultfilm projects to see next, having in the past couple of years or so decided to see even more of the work not yet seen. Which did include 'The Fisherman Cat', something that to me was good if not great.

Great things are many. The animation can't be faulted and is by far the best thing about 'The Fisherman Cat'. It is rich in colour and is filled with atmosphere and the drawing and designs are expressive, but it is the landscapes that are the star with the colour and attention to detail rich and meticulous throughout. Also found the music beautifully done. The lushness of the orchestration and atmosphere created is so unmistakably Russian in the best of ways.

'The Fisherman Cat's' insights into national fishing peculiarities were fun and thought provoking, generally not feeling overdone. It has a lot of charm, the story warms the heart and the characters do endear.

It does feel on the slight and not always securely paced side, it is my opinion that this could have been 5 or 6 minutes in length easily with nothing being compromised.

Also that it was on occasions a little overdone on the cutesiness and what is shown here intrigues and charm but doesn't have an awful lot of depth.

Good and interesting if not great. 7/10.

Russian cinema is distinguished by its epic scale, philosophical depth, and innovative visual language. It often explores history, ideology, and the human psyche, with a tradition of psychological realism and artistic experimentation. Russian cinema contributed revolutionary theories of editing and later a spiritual approach to film language. It remains known for combining formal experimentation with profound explorations of endurance and belief.

Nikolay Grinko, Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, and Anatoliy Solonitsyn in Stalker (1979)

Animation is a form of visual storytelling that involves creating visual art and motion through the use of various techniques and technologies. In animation, images are manipulated to create the illusion of movement, bringing characters, objects, and environments to life. Animation can encompass a wide range of styles, themes, and intended audiences, making it a diverse and versatile form of storytelling.

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The family genre features stories specifically created to be suitable for a wide range of age groups within a family. Family-oriented content is designed to be enjoyed by both children and adults, often providing entertainment that is wholesome, relatable, and appropriate for all members of a family to watch or experience together.

Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

The story is about peculiarities of the national fishing.

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The Fisherman Cat

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