Quite a contrived nature documentary but definitely works wonderfully as a tourism yarn that's very much even-handed in showcasing the glory of the city of Amsterdam, its surface, and its underbelly. A delightful splurge of the one-and-a-half-hour running time in watching this one. The central character is (Abatutu), a tabby who would never be mistaken for an alley cat whenever seen strolling through the streets and cityscape amongst the human populace (Perhaps this is the character's attempt to get back to tip-top shape). And just like a seasoned amateur naturalist, the cat's observations about the different endemic and invasive species sprawling around him and virtually unharmed by the city dwellers are presented throughout.
Given the Internet has been fueled since its inception with cat videos and memes, surely, this film, though having a tone that caters more to a younger demographic, adults would find will find joy in it still. But for those in search of a light-hearted documentary about urbanized cats that has a more subdued tone, the Turkish film
Kedi - La città dei gatti (2016) might be the one for you.
Kudos to the director and the cat trainer that managed to capture well the appropriate action/demeanor that the narrative needs of the lead cat and the supporting animals. For a very talented
Abatutu, any more films with the same themes and conceits, perhaps traveling to other parts of Holland with his owner to showcase more storylines would be a splendid streaming gem to look forward to in the future. And also not forgetting the labors of the animal handlers and the videographers who painstakingly planned how to capture those spectacular shots that end up in the final edit.
A well-written story whose main animal character in English dialogue with an unmistakable Dutch accent was spoken by
Martijn Fischer held up to make it an engaging and pleasant viewing as well. A bit of a caveat, though, this "documentary" has a few unavoidable upsetting scenes but was done in with utmost prudence.
My rating: B-flat.
