Streaming on Apple TV PlusI’m glad the wait was not long to bring 10 Lives to North America. I knew about its UK debut and knew this was a movie I had to watch! This movie features a cat needing to learn how not to be selfish. Beckett (voiced by Mo Gilligan) has a lot to learn, and I’m glad he has a forever hope on Apple’s streaming service. I recommend it for all cat lovers and fans of Doctor Who too! He’s a cat who has more lives than he should, so I’m guessing he’s been granted an all new cycle like that Time Lord! And just like that BBC series, this kitty can keep his memories of everything that he experienced from his past “regenerations.”
At first, this street cat didn’t have any care for life, and just wanted to survive. But when, after nearly getting smashed by a car, Rose (Simone Ashley) was driving, her guilt would soon morph into pampering the kitty, and over time, the luxury she offered gets taken for granted. He loves his lifestyle until the ex-boyfriend arrives and upends his world. The result is funny at one level but dark when considering how many times this cat burns through life in a brief span of time.
While audiences know each animal he reincarnates into, it seems his caretaker can’t see the obvious signs. He has mismatched eyes. The pupil of his right eye is yellow, and the other is blue.
Another plot concerns Rose’s attempt to save the honeybee population. Humanity’s future is at stake because this species is on the decline, and she has a competitor on the global scale. Only the cat seems to understand the situation, and seeing Beckett alert the scientist presents the simplest problem—communication. These scenes make for the funniest moment, but ultimately the grander message comes into focus about why humanity must connect with nature more so than anything else.
10 Lives is a very entertaining film because Gilligan’s exceptional performance just works. Although he may have borrowed a bit from Donkey from the Shrek movies, that’s all okay! I can’t even rate him against other kitties as the handful of famous animated cats are too US-centric. If I had to say which fat cat I like more, my money is on this newest star. After the latest Garfield film, there’s a new cat on the hill! As for whether there will be more films featuring felines, there’s Flow, which is getting limited release, and from prior years, The Amazing Maurice. Let’s hope there’ll be more!
4 Stars out of 5
10 Lives Trailer
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