Cat Burglar

6/10

In this interactive short Netflix cartoon, Rowdy (voiced by James Adomian), a burglar who is also a cat, tries to steal a painting from a museum protected by guard dog, as in a guard who is also a dog, Peanut (Alan Lee).

To it's credit, Cat Burglar really does serve as a tribute to classic Warner Bros./Tom and Jerry slapstick. I especially like the background work and the addition of slight film defects to enhance the old school feeling. There is some pretty solid physical and visual humor. But as a whole, Cat Burglar really doesn't leave that much of an impression or maintain much interest. Doesn't help that due to the interactive portion, you help the bad guy. Peanut is likable, and I feel bad acting against him the way this cartoon does.

Also, not sure of who the audience is supposed to be. This is technically TV-14, but the traditional cartoon violence doesn't feel that objectionable. 

But, I guessing you're curious about the interactive part, so without further ado let's get to that. This isn't a choose-your-own adventure style interactive show where you choose the characters' actions. Rather, when Rowdy attempts an action, you have to answer three either-or-questions. You get a single one wrong, then Rowdy dies. Frustratingly, you still have to answer the second or third questions even though you've already failed. Rowdy only gets three lives, then you have to start over. However, starting over isn't as bad as it sounds. You don't have to rewatch the intro, and segments are shortened. Plus, you're just not going through the same bits every time. There are multiple scenarios that could pop up, keeping things fresh. Still, the new content doesn't completely validate the trivia sections. They are just too quick. Admittedly, a lot of the trivia isn't too hard, so the time limit makes sense for creating a challenge. Still, having to make a choice so quickly isn't much fun. I especially think that younger viewers would have trouble.   

It's an interesting diversion, but not much else. Check it out if you're curious, but you don't need to see this.