The Cat: Limited Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1992
Director: Lam Ngai-Choi
Writers: Chan Hing-ka, Gordon Chan
Cast: Waise Lee, Christine Ng, Gloria Yip, Lau Siu-ming, Lawrence Lau, Philip Kwok, Ni Kuang, Chua Lam

Release Date: September 1st, 2025 (UK), September 2nd, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 89 Minutes 20 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £25.00 (UK), OOP (USA)

"An evil blob-like extraterrestrial has come to earth with nefarious intentions. Luckily some good aliens are on its trail: a man, a woman, and—of course—their fluffy black cat." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Brand new 2K restoration from the original negative."

The Cat comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.3 GB

Feature: 25.2 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, and image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. Dialogue comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise this audio track sounds excellent.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Gordon Chan (21 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese and English with removable English subtitles), a Japanese cut of The Cat, in standard definition (97 minutes, letterboxed widescreen, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), reversible cover art, a premium artcard, a slipcover, a rigid slipcase, and a 40-page perfect-bound book with cast & crew information, an essay titled “That Cat is Dangerous” A Retrospective Look at the Filmography of Lam Nai-Choi written by Paul Bramhall, an essay titled Body Horror The Warped Cinema of Lam Nai-Choi written by Mathew Edwards and archival images.

Summary:

The Cat was directed by Lam Ngai Choi, whose other notable films include The Seventh Curse, Her Vengeance, Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, and Erotic Ghost Story. The Cat is Lam Ngai-Choi's second of his two film adaptations of Ni Kuang's Wisely Series; the other was The Seventh Curse.

Wisley, an author of fantastic fiction, looks into a trio of benevolent aliens trapped on Earth looking for a way home. Although the story he’s been told by his friend sounds like the fiction he writes, he investigates further. His investigation uncovers and puts him in the crosshairs of an evil entity that absorbs its victims and, in some instances, becomes them.

Lam Ngai-Choi, more than any other director working in 1980s and early 1990s Hong Kong cinema, excelled at making weird horror/fantasy that had elaborate mechanical and optical effects. Another thing that his films are known for is gruesome moments of carnage. With his final film, The Cat, he takes all of these elements that are synonymous with his films and pushes them to their extremes.

The Cat is a wild ride with things you've never seen before. The opening setup not only does an excellent job establishing key characters, but it is also very effective in setting an ominous tone that pervades throughout. That said, The Cat is a melting pot of fantasy, action, and humor whose narrative moves at a breakneck momentum.

All around, the cast are excellent in their roles, especially Gloria Yip (The Blue Jean Monster), who portrays a mysterious woman who's actually an alien from another planet with a cat companion. Another standout performance is by Waise Lee (A Better Tomorrow), who plays the protagonist, a renowned author named Wisely. The presence of the cat, or possibly multiple cats, deserves an honorable mention. Additionally, notable cast members include Philip Kwok (Five Deadly Venoms) as a police inspector and Christine Ng (Crime Story) as Wisely’s girlfriend.

Besides exemplary mechanical and optical effects, another area where The Cat exceeds expectations is its stuntwork, especially moments with animals. The most memorable action sequence is a fight between a cat and a dog in a junkyard. The scene must be witnessed to be believed, as the cat and the dog perform actions that defy gravity. Nonetheless, The Cat is a special effects-heavy fantasy/horror film, and its stuntwork rivals anything released in Hong Kong during the early 1990s.

From a production standpoint, The Cat is a film that supersedes the sum of its parts. Its batshit crazy premise is superbly realized, and its narrative does a phenomenal job building momentum to an ending featuring a giant blob that absorbs everything in its path. Other noteworthy aspects include the stylish visuals that enhance the atmosphere, as well as an exceptional score that amplifies the overall mood. Ultimately, The Cat serves as a fitting swan song for Lam Ngai-Choi, a filmmaker whose distinctive use of body horror and grotesque realism sets him apart from his contemporaries.

The Cat gets an exceptional release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer