SHORT: Cat Shit One (2010)

                        “Cat Shit One” is a war short.  It is animated using CGI.  The film is based on a manga comic set in the Vietnam War.  There it followed a recon unit.  For some reason, the film has been moved to Afghanistan.  It is a sequel to the comics.  The main characters are Packy and Botasky.  They are private contractors.  (I had to read this because it is unclear in the film.)  Their mission is to rescue a hostage and a local asset from the clutches of some jihadis.

                        The film opens with Packy and Botasky observing a village where the jihadis are holding the hostage and collaborator.  Botasky is a sniper and Packy is his observer.  But he’s more than just an observer, he’s a killing machine.  He’s a rabbit Rambo without all the emotional baggage.  This bunny is a cool customer.  That’s right, he and Botarsky are bunnies.  The jihadis are camels (with towels on their heads).  Packy goes into the ville and Botarsky does his thing from a hill.

                        This is a fun little movie.  It’s combat porn with rabbits and camels.  There is a high body count and the violence is graphic.  Blood spurts.  There are RPGs for explosions.  But it’s bunnies doing it so you can watch this with your kids (or grandkids).  Just kidding, don’t do that.  The plot plays out like a SEAL movie done in animation.  And what animation.  It is amazingly crisp.  You see the tiniest details in the terrain.  The rabbits have distinct facial expressions.  When they talk, it’s not distracting.  And there are no poorly rendered humans.  The action is non-stop.  RPG rounds come flying at you and there is slo-mo of the shells ejecting ilk.  It’s a thrill ride for 21 minutes.  This does not leave a lot of time for exposition.  But the two rabbits have personalities.  Packy is a veteran and imperturbable.  He moves like an operative would.  (All of the characters are bipedal.)  Packy uses an SR-47 (an AR-15 adapted to take AK-47 magazines).  Botasky is greener and a bit panicky at first.  This sets up his redemption arc. 

                        The movie is one action set piece.  The jihadis are simply there to be killed.  One nice touch is they speak their own language and there are no subtitles.  Not that you need to know what they are saying.  I’m guessing it is some variation of:  “Death to American bunnies!”   The soundtrack is a blend of pulse-pounding action music and there is some Middle Eastern thrown in.  Overall, the production is outstanding.  The only thing that is disappointing is if it is one of a kind.  It was released in 2010 and there has been no sequel.  Pity.

You can watch it here:  Cat Shit One

GRADE =  A