The 6 best movie cats on the big screen
Be it animation or live-action, cats have been an enduring species in the illustrious history of Hollywood cinema. They can be cute and adorable, oh, and they can be mean and nasty as well!
As if that's not enough, a cat can be a real Kevin Spacey. Yes, you read that right. Kevin Spacey plays a cat in "Nine Lives". No, not as in playing a role in a cat's suit, but as a talking cat where he voices Mr. Fuzzypants.
To coincide with the upcoming release of the family-oriented "Nine Lives" next week, let's take a step back to the past and find out which are the best movie cats that have managed to make it onto our list.
1. Jones, "Alien" and "Aliens"
So, you think Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley is the only survivor in the first two "Alien" movies? Well, guess again. Apparently, Ripley's orange pet cat Jones happens to be a survivor as well. Jones, who is part of the USCSS Nostromo crew members, is originally brought aboard the spaceship to take care of the aliens rodents. Jones, or "Jonesy" appears in both "Alien" and its 1986 sequel, "Aliens".
2. Blofeld's Cat, James Bond movies
When you talk about James Bond movies, these are among the three must-have criterias: the suave 007 himself, the Bond girl(s) and the ambitious villain. But during the Blofeld-era Bond movies, this megalomaniacal antagonist wouldn't be complete without his beloved white cat. This particular cat is often seen getting petted in the arms of a seated Blofeld. The cat has no name and this feline can be seen in "From Russia With Love", "Thunderball", "You Only Live Twice", "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", "Diamonds Are Forever", "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Never Say Never Again". And yes, that same cat was recently seen in "Spectre" as well.
3. Mr. Bigglesworth, "Austin Powers" trilogy
Once upon a time, Mr. Bigglesworth was a fat and fluffy white cat owned by Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) in the first "Austin Powers" movie. That spy movie is of course, a parody of the Bond movies and Dr. Evil is basically a sendup of Ernst Stavro Blofeld. If you've seen the movie before (and we're sure most of you have), you might remember Dr. Evil's famous quote; "That makes me angry. And when Dr. Evil gets angry, Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset. And when Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset... people DIE!" But too bad for the cat, though. What used to be a fluffy white Persian soon turned into a hairless Sphynx in the movie after being cryogenically frozen.
4. Snowbell, "Stuart Little"
The talking orphaned white rodent (voiced by Michael J. Fox) may have been the major highlight of Rob Minkoff's beloved "Stuart Little", but let's not forget the other one as well. Who's the other, you ask? Why, Snowbell, of course! Voiced by comedian Nathan Lane, Snowbell is a fluffy white cat who loves to wisecrack and isn't too happy when his owners (Hugh Laurie and Geena Davis) bring Stuart home to become part of their family. Nathan Lane's Snowbell can also be seen in the 2002 sequel.
5. Puss In Boots, "Shrek II" and "Puss In Boots"
He's suave, he's flamboyant, he can fight with his fencing sword and yes... he's in boots. Now, this is one orange cat you don't want to mess with. First appearing in the highly-successful "Shrek II", Antonio Banderas' Zorro-like Puss in Boots became so popular that he even earned a well-deserved spinoff in 2011. As if that's not enough, he can also be seen heavily meme-d with his trademark googly-eyed expression.
6. Mr. Jinx, "Meet The Parents"
In "Meet The Parents", family patriarch Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) is not the only in-law needed to be dealt and tolerated with. Well, at least for Ben Stiller's Greg Focker. Apparently, Greg has to put up with Jack's beloved pet cat Mr. Jinx or "Jinxy" as well. True to his name, this Himalayan cat is prone to disaster. Sure, he knows how to use a toilet like a proper human being. But he can be a total pain-in-the-a** . Need proof? Here's one: there is a scene in "Meet The Parents" where he accidentally lets the cat roam out of the house. What follows next is a series of disaster after Mr. Jinx ends up on the roof.
"Nine Lives" opens in cinemas nationwide on 18 August 2016.
