That Darn Cat

Disney just doesn't get it. They toy around with classics, expecting to improve them, but consistently fall short. We fondly remember That Darn Cat as squeaky clean, with a chipper young detective trying to determine who placed a watch, with a plea for help scratched onto it, on her Siamese sidekick. The 1997 update has turned bitterly sarcastic — maybe an attempt to reflect the mood of today's youth. D(arn) C(at)'s owner, Patti (Ricci), has shed her perkiness for a sour puss and D.C. has gone domestic. When her parents scoff at her kidnapping theory, Patti doctors the evidence a bit and turns to the F.B.I. They assign the office doofus (Doug) to the case and the cat-and-mouse antics begin.