Obviously the original movie "The Cat People" must have had enough commercial success to warrant a sequel (I've reviewed the original movie at this site). If you are expecting "more of the same" you will be bitterly disappointed. However, this continuation of the original is, in its own way, just as interesting.
To recap, in the original, strange immigrant Irena Dubrovna (played by Simone Simon) married all-American Oliver Reed (played by Kent Smith). Irena, raised in a country where superstition was rife, believed herself to be capable of turning into a big cat and devouring any man who showed affection towards her. Well (look away if this news to you), she died at the end of the movie.
"Curse of the Cat People" starts a few years after Irena's death. Oliver has settled down and married his co-worker from the first movie, Alice Reed (played by Jane Randolph). Alice was more vivacious in the first movie though]. They have a six year old daughter, Amy Reed (played by Ann Carter).
Whereas the first movie very much toyed with your perceptions and used what I assume would be "classical" framing devices for characters, this sequel is a different beast. I would view it as a fairytale. In fact, even though I don't have kids, I think that this movie MAY appeal to children around Amy Reed's age, because of its themes of a child's loneliness, not fitting in, not being believed and fantasy vs truth. There's nothing REALLY disturbing in this movie for kids, by today's standards, at least.
The 'fairytale' aspect to this movie is that Amy has a very active imagination and her parents worry that she doesn't spend time with real people...children her own age. As a viewer, there is much weirdness in this film, such that you wonder where truth ends and fantasy begins. Irena does return for the sequel...but, is she real or imagined? Hmmm (arches eyebrows).
There is also an intriguing side-story concerning another mother daughter relationship.
To recap, in the original, strange immigrant Irena Dubrovna (played by Simone Simon) married all-American Oliver Reed (played by Kent Smith). Irena, raised in a country where superstition was rife, believed herself to be capable of turning into a big cat and devouring any man who showed affection towards her. Well (look away if this news to you), she died at the end of the movie.
"Curse of the Cat People" starts a few years after Irena's death. Oliver has settled down and married his co-worker from the first movie, Alice Reed (played by Jane Randolph). Alice was more vivacious in the first movie though]. They have a six year old daughter, Amy Reed (played by Ann Carter).
Whereas the first movie very much toyed with your perceptions and used what I assume would be "classical" framing devices for characters, this sequel is a different beast. I would view it as a fairytale. In fact, even though I don't have kids, I think that this movie MAY appeal to children around Amy Reed's age, because of its themes of a child's loneliness, not fitting in, not being believed and fantasy vs truth. There's nothing REALLY disturbing in this movie for kids, by today's standards, at least.
The 'fairytale' aspect to this movie is that Amy has a very active imagination and her parents worry that she doesn't spend time with real people...children her own age. As a viewer, there is much weirdness in this film, such that you wonder where truth ends and fantasy begins. Irena does return for the sequel...but, is she real or imagined? Hmmm (arches eyebrows).
There is also an intriguing side-story concerning another mother daughter relationship.