Banjo the Woodpile Cat

"Banjo the Woodpile Cat" is a 1979 animated short directed by Don Bluth. I, like most, got drawn to this because of the importance this has to Don Bluth and animation history. Don Bluth is an absolute animation legend; I am a huge fan of his. Knowing this, you can see the evolution of an artist. There are many Don Bluth tropes introduced in this story that go on to be staples in his future projects.

The movie follows the titular Banjo, a cat who could not behave, who seldom does what he should. He lives in a woodpile in Payson, UT with his Mom, Dad and 2 sisters.

The short teaches simple lessons about being good and being grateful. It is nicely animated, has catchy songs and Banjo is one of the cutest animated cats. The short does its job. I feel bad for the characters when I should, I root for them to succeed and cheer for them when they do.

On the negative side, there are some characters added in around the third act that I don't feel were good additions. With how simple the story is, it could have been trimmed down to 20 minutes. After the story has its low point, I think they spend too much time trying to cheer our main character up.

Not a perfect short, but an important step on the road to animation greatness. It's not that Banjo was second rate; it's just it couldn't be great.