Very well executed

I really don't get the hype.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

If you've seen the work of Nick Park (Wallace and Grommit, Chicken Run) you will have a good idea of the style used here. Park is even credited with supplying the plasticine! The American cat is dropped by plane in a muddy field in Russia, where he meets Karabasov, a drunk, and offers to take him to America in return for his boots. The cat flies by using his tail as a propeller and they set off. Unfortunately, they only get as far as France, where they have some humourous adventures before they fall out and the cat sends Karabasov back to Russia.The animation is extremely well done, easily the equal of Park, and the story is nicely paced. Karabasov speaks no English and the cat speaks no Russian, but they understand each other and it's very easy for speakers of either language to follow the plot. It's a shame this has not been more widely shown.