Long after I enjoyed "The Adventures Of Milo & Otis" as a child, I was surprised to learn that this cat-and-dog comedy-adventure film is actually Japanese. Directed by zoologist Masanori Hata, the picture originally came out in Japan in 1986. Not until 1989 did Columbia Pictures adjust it for an English re-release, featuring a new script from "Sesame Street" veteran Mark Saltzman and a familiar narration from Dudley Moore.
"Milo & Otis'" Japanese origins surprised me so because the movie feels very Western. The episodic journey of "a curious cat and a pug-nosed pup" who flea from their farm to face the woes of winters and bears whilst mingling with foxes, deer, turtles, owls, and pigs, "Milo & Otis" could be a Disney movie, or something based off of a European children's book. Even the look of it - from its deciduous scenery to its multi-species cast - gives the impression that we are in pastoral areas of Britain or the Eastern United States rather than Asia... That is, based off of my American-bred schemas of how these places should appear.
Visually, the movie is humble. There are a couple game-winning wide shots, but most of the aesthetic appeal comes from close-ups of animals interacting with each other. Not a single human appears in the entire film, and Moore provides voices for all anthropomorphic characters. Because of this, we feel truly immersed in Milo and Otis' world, where small creatures' perspectives render the ordinary dangerous and wonderful.
That being said, something uncanny simultaneously lurks beneath the film's surface. As wondrous as the human-less atmosphere can be, it also takes away opportunities for identification. "Milo & Otis" can thus feel a little distant, as every character is just another iteration of Moore's voice. After a while, it becomes borderline surreal.
The surrealism only expands in the third act when the titular characters meet their mates, and Moore lends his voice to a white female cat named Joyce and a French female pug named Sandra. He continues voicing them as they bare Milo's kittens and Otis' puppies. The camera spares no images as these animals give birth onscreen. It's a tough sequence to watch as an adult. For the film's young target audience, it might be confusing, if not terrifying.
On the topic of terror, one cannot reflect on "Milo & Otis" without bringing up the allegations of animal abuse on set. The American Humane Society along with similar groups in Europe and Australia all accused the production of mistreating, intentionally wounding, and even killing members of its animal cast. A shot of Milo falling off a cliff and a scene of Otis tussling with a humungous black bear make it easy to believe that a few animals were definitely harmed in the making of this film.
Still, there is undeniable charm in the final product. Perhaps because of increased animal rights protections, we no longer see many movies featuring real animals as the main characters. Over the course of four years, Hata allegedly shot over seventy hours of footage, which he then edited down to the film we have. That is a degree of passion that few filmmakers have. If "Milo & Otis" were made today, it would certainly be an animated feature, and not have nearly the same effect.
"The Adventures Of Milo & Otis" might have a dark past, and a couple disturbing moments within the film, but we cannot deny that it is cinematically impressive and a relic of something bygone. For kids blind to the abuse claims and able block out the birth scene, it remains funny, cute, and (in a campy, subdued sort of way) jovially exciting!
"Milo & Otis'" Japanese origins surprised me so because the movie feels very Western. The episodic journey of "a curious cat and a pug-nosed pup" who flea from their farm to face the woes of winters and bears whilst mingling with foxes, deer, turtles, owls, and pigs, "Milo & Otis" could be a Disney movie, or something based off of a European children's book. Even the look of it - from its deciduous scenery to its multi-species cast - gives the impression that we are in pastoral areas of Britain or the Eastern United States rather than Asia... That is, based off of my American-bred schemas of how these places should appear.
Visually, the movie is humble. There are a couple game-winning wide shots, but most of the aesthetic appeal comes from close-ups of animals interacting with each other. Not a single human appears in the entire film, and Moore provides voices for all anthropomorphic characters. Because of this, we feel truly immersed in Milo and Otis' world, where small creatures' perspectives render the ordinary dangerous and wonderful.
That being said, something uncanny simultaneously lurks beneath the film's surface. As wondrous as the human-less atmosphere can be, it also takes away opportunities for identification. "Milo & Otis" can thus feel a little distant, as every character is just another iteration of Moore's voice. After a while, it becomes borderline surreal.
The surrealism only expands in the third act when the titular characters meet their mates, and Moore lends his voice to a white female cat named Joyce and a French female pug named Sandra. He continues voicing them as they bare Milo's kittens and Otis' puppies. The camera spares no images as these animals give birth onscreen. It's a tough sequence to watch as an adult. For the film's young target audience, it might be confusing, if not terrifying.
On the topic of terror, one cannot reflect on "Milo & Otis" without bringing up the allegations of animal abuse on set. The American Humane Society along with similar groups in Europe and Australia all accused the production of mistreating, intentionally wounding, and even killing members of its animal cast. A shot of Milo falling off a cliff and a scene of Otis tussling with a humungous black bear make it easy to believe that a few animals were definitely harmed in the making of this film.
Still, there is undeniable charm in the final product. Perhaps because of increased animal rights protections, we no longer see many movies featuring real animals as the main characters. Over the course of four years, Hata allegedly shot over seventy hours of footage, which he then edited down to the film we have. That is a degree of passion that few filmmakers have. If "Milo & Otis" were made today, it would certainly be an animated feature, and not have nearly the same effect.
"The Adventures Of Milo & Otis" might have a dark past, and a couple disturbing moments within the film, but we cannot deny that it is cinematically impressive and a relic of something bygone. For kids blind to the abuse claims and able block out the birth scene, it remains funny, cute, and (in a campy, subdued sort of way) jovially exciting!