The Cat from Outer Space

A close encounter of the 'furred' kind!

1978 • 104 min • Comedy · Family · Science Fiction

Join the Angel Guild Write your review Sign in to rate and review

Synopsis

A UFO is stranded on earth and impounded by the US government. Its pilot, a cat with a collar that gives it special powers, including the ability to communicate with humans, has eluded the authorities and seeks the help of a scientist in order to reclaim and repair his ship and get back home.

Our family guide

Best from age 6

Movie Knight Score

156 reviews

0 Reviewers · 1 · 51%
60 Audience · 155 · 49%

An alien cat with telekinetic powers crash-lands on Earth and needs help from a quirky scientist to repair its UFO. Pursued by the military and industrial spies, the clever feline uses its special collar to communicate and navigate the human world.

Violence & peril: 1/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 0/10
Romance & sensuality: 0/10
Scary moments: 2/10

Heads up

Some mild chases and cartoonish peril
Brief moments of characters being captured or tied up
Discussion of government impounding property

What it models well

Teamwork and cooperation
Ingenuity and problem-solving
Kindness to animals

Talk about it after

Helping those in need
Understanding different perspectives
The ethics of government secrecy

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Cat from Outer Space. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

Country

Stream

Disney Plus

Rent

Buy

Links go straight to each service. Some are affiliate links that support Movie Knight at no cost to you. Availability data by JustWatch via TMDB.

Top billed cast

Director: Norman Tokar • Crew: Ted Key

Trailers & clips

The Cat from Outer Space | Unofficial Official Trailer | Disney+

The Cat from Outer Space (1978) Disney Home Video Australia Trailer

Reviewer notes

Not recommendedTrusted family reviewers
Nice idea, just not one that's executed well at all. <em>'The Cat from Outer Space'</em> is mundane. The concept of an alien cat invading is cool, but they choose to do it in a way that is boring - the cat, Jake, speaks via voiceover only, so there are many shots of the cat just staring whilst Ronnie Schell speaks.…
r96sk, TMDB Community