CAT CITY (MACSKAFOGÓ), 1986, Hungary, 96 min. Unflappable and unstoppable mouse secret agent Nick Grabovsky (László Sinkó) with his deadpan voice, baggy pants, and a big “G” on his shirt, goes up against the criminal cat gang run by the sinister, metal-pawed Mr. Teufel (Miklós Benedek), in Hungarian director Béla Ternovszky’s surreal, animated sci-fi treasure. Set in the year 80 AMM (“After Mickey Mouse”) on Planet X where cats and rats have banded together to eliminate mice, the film features a show-stopping series of musical numbers including a deranged Euro-disco song (“Just purr with me / Touch me with tender paws”) and a bizarre chorus of Mexican vampire bats named Los Vampiros who inhabit an ancient Mayan temple. A cross between 1980s Don Bluth-style animation (THE SECRET OF NIMH) and the British TV series “Danger Mouse” (clearly an inspiration here), CAT CITY has long been a beloved cult favorite in Eastern Europe – recently restored by the National Film Institute in Hungary from the original 35mm camera negative. In Hungarian with English subtitles.

CATCHER: CAT CITY 2 (MACSKAFOGÓ 2 – A SÁTÁN MACSKÁJA) – 2007, Hungary, 90 min. It’s 20 years after the epochal battle between cats, rats and mice in the beloved original CAT CITY. Planet X is now peacefully run by rodents, and former secret agent Nick Grabovsky has an organic spinach farm – until an African explorer discovers the last untamed tribe of cats in the jungle, who call up the ancient feline demon Moloch to help reclaim their place atop the food chain. Hungarian director Béla Ternovszky’s delightfully quirky sequel brings back familiar characters from the first film (yes, iron-pawed Mr. Teufel returns!) with the same mix of bizarre sight gags, political satire and “Danger Mouse”-style animated fantasy / sci-fi. And the Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla-like battle between Moloch and the giant Robot Dog is something to see … In Hungarian with English subtitles.

For previous thoughts on Cat City, please check out my review of the original Blu-Ray here.

For additional thoughts on The Cat City Collection, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Cat City returns Blu-Ray in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a restoration of the 35mm Original Camera Negative by the National Film Institute in Hungary. If you are an animation fan, this release is going to blow you away. The colors present in this transfer are magnificent with these bright hues complementing each other while maintaining crisp delineation. Black levels are grand with no serious issue of banding or compression issues. The textures of the various environments look naturally filmic and give the journey the appropriate amount of depth. One of the areas where the film dazzles is the realization of the unique character designs, and every distinct facet is preserved on this newest release. This Blu-Ray provides a near-perfect presentation for your new favorite animated discovery.

Catcher: Cat City 2 debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master that allows the film to look simply incredible. This HD transfer is free from artifacts and other potential instances of damage. Every flourish within the various styles of animation is left intact with no egregious digital manipulation to ruin the intended look. The lush hues are dialed in perfectly with every shade holding firm. Black levels are impressive with no serious issue of banding or compression issues. The unique character designs and the textures of the jungle environments are rendered with depth and clarity. This Blu-Ray is another winner from Deaf Crocodile. The label continues to lead the way when it comes to preserving and distributing international animation.

Audio Quality

This new Blu-Ray of Cat City comes with the original DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track in the original Hungarian (with optional English subtitles). As a point of interest, while you may expect this 2026 disc to be a carbon copy of the original 2023 Blu-Ray release from Deaf Crocodile, this new disc has been reauthored with a new menu and removes the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix created for that release. While the original track is the most important piece of the puzzle, it is a bit odd to take something away for those who missed the first release or would like to be able to sell their original copy without a second thought. Catcher: Cat City 2 does come with its original DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track, which is as bold and full of life as you would expect from a movie from this century. Both discs are a winner.

The music is one of the most distinct elements of this series, and it adds a dynamic touch to the proceedings which is conveyed flawlessly here. This is the area where you feel the most expansion with the 5.1 track of the sequel, as the music saturates the room with crystal clear sound. Dialogue sounds crisp without sound effects or the score trouncing on vital information. The films employ some whimsical sound effects in the form of gadgets and explosions that are given the appropriate presence within the mix. The tracks handle atmospheric effects well all around. These presentations keep things moving and shaking without a single hiccup, and that is all you can really ask.

Special Features

Cat City

Audio Commentary: Film historian Samm Deighan delivers an informative commentary track in which she discusses the background of the project, the style of the animation, the Western influences on the narrative, the deeper thematic content of the narrative, and much more. This is a great addition that fans of the film should definitely check out.

Béla Ternovszky Animated Shorts: A trio of newly restored shorts from the director is provided which shows off some of his sly sense of humor and boundary-pushing tendencies of the form.

- Modern Training Methods – 1970 (6:24)

- Let Us Keep A Dog – 1974 (6:00)

- Where Is The Limit? – 1975 (7:03)

Ahead Of Its Time: A 27-minute video essay is provided featuring film historian Zoltán Varga discussing the innovative nature of Cat City, the history of Hungarian animation, the work of director Béla Ternovszky, the way the film uses multiple genres, the motifs throughout the narrative, and much more that draws a lot of connections that you will not want to miss.

We Just Made It For The Fun Of It: A 31-minute interview with director Béla Ternovszky who discusses his career from his earliest days, his work at Pannonia Studio, the state of animation in Hungary, the creation of Cat City, the most difficult shots to animate, and much more.

The Director Answers – Béla Ternovszky: Another 23-minute piece with director Béla Ternovszky in which he discusses his early life, his early career in animation, the creatives who helped guide him, the critical response and legacy of Cat City, and more.

Interview with György Ráduly: A 47-minute interview with Deaf Crocodile’s Dennis Bartok and György Ráduly who discusses the place of Cat City in Hungarian cinema, the legacy of animation from Hungary, the career of Béla Ternovszky, the western influences on the film and more. The only drawback to this piece is that there are no subtitles provided for those who may need them.

Catcher: Cat City 2

Audio Commentary: Filmmaker & animator Dorian Saisse delivers an informative commentary track in which he discusses the background of the project, how it follows the original film, the style of the animation, the impact of digital techniques, the deeper thematic content of the narrative, and much more.

The Satirical, Postmodern World of Cat City: A 16-minute video essay is provided featuring film historian Evan Chester discussing the satirical nature of Cat City, influences on the story, references to other works, historical aspects that may be unfamiliar to international audiences, the trajectory of the sequel, and more.

Interview with Director: A new 46-minute interview with director Béla Ternovszky who further discusses his career, his friendship with other animators, his interest in animation, compromises that needed to be made during the production of the Cat City movies, and more.

Booklet: A multi-page booklet is included in this release which features essays by film critics Dan Schindel and Walter Chaw, which give a great amount of context to the state of international animation of the time along with details about Béla Ternovszky and the creation of this project. There are additional essays by Anna Ida Orosz and character sketches provided.

Final Thoughts

The Cat City films are a terrific discovery for animation fans who long to find the perfect intersection of artistic boundary-pushing and strong storytelling. The “cats vs. mice” setup is an easy way to frame the story, but each narrative goes so much deeper than you would imagine at first glance. There are so many fun references and allusions to Western content that make this one especially approachable to an American audience looking to expand their horizons. These movies are hilarious and the animation will leave you smiling from ear to ear. Deaf Crocodile has released a fetching Blu-Ray collection which sports a top-tier A/V presentation and an invaluable assortment of special features. If you appreciate your animation with a bit of grit to it, this is an easy recommendation. Highly Recommended

The Cat City Collection is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Deaf Crocodile.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the reactions of the author.