Cats

Every once in a while there's a piece of media that becomes famous for some of the most bizarre of circumstances regarding their content. One of those special little snowflakes is the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats, which is based on the poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Elliot. While I'm not familiar with the source material, it became part of pop culture to how ridiculous it was (some shows have even made fun of it). This was highlighted in the 1981 stage musical with bizarre makeup and costumes. A next step that came to mind for the property was bringing it to the big screen and an attempt to have it in animation didn't work out. This brings to this 2019 film adaption that was directed by Tom Hooper (Les Miserables and The King's Speech) that featured a marketing campaign capable of giving its viewers some nightmare fuel with the computer effects being utilized. With the knowledge that the musical itself isn't good (one of the worst from what I heard), I went into the auditorium immediately after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (having used all of my logical thinking there) ready to see something take a risk and left it having had one of the most memorable audience experiences I've had to another bad movie.

What's it about? The story follows a cat joining a cult of felines who do their annual ritual of having a singing contest to pick one of their own to be reborn into a new life. That's honestly all of the plot that you're really going to get from this and it's honestly kinda hard to understand what's going on. It primarily follows a formula meet a new cat, have them sing a character into song to describe their desires, something bizarre happens, repeat. In fact, 95% of the runtime is dedicated to singing while the remainder of that is for actual conversations (that percentage is probably a slight exaggeration but it's something to keep in mind). Another downfall facing this is there isn't a lot of emotional investment in this situation since the pacing is so fast that any sort of character development doesn't really exist. In fact, the arc with the antagonist is shoehorned in with parts that take place on a boat being the the most rushed and weak.

That being said, the commitment these actors put into this madness is actually endearing (plus more impressive than what I've seen in the The Rise of Skywalker and that's not a joke). There are moments that land a memorable impression for being unintentionally hilarious due to the computer effects of the face and movements. It's pretty nice hearing some 1980s synth music elements being used in this musical to aid in some parts and the set design is impressive to look at. The computer visual effects aren't that good but they should be commended for taking the risk that they did and could somehow inspire other future filmmakers to use that technology but with much better scripts. The creepiness will depend on how much you can get used to the felines looks but there are also mice and cockroaches that will test many viewers (they appear early on but are only onscreen for a few minutes). The songs are interesting with some good dance choreography but don't answer questions like why anyone in the audience should care and what a Jellicle cat is.

Actor Highlights: It should be noted that not all of the actors involved sing well but you can tell they are trying. Honorable mentions go to Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Ian McKellan, and Laurie Davidson for providing unique committed energies to their respective roles that stood out in a fun way. Dishonorable mention goes to Rebel Wilson for probably the worst form of comedy she's ever had to put up with in her career and for being an incredible drag whenever she's onscreen (very limited but it hurts to watch her part).

Overall Consensus: Cats is a bizarre dedicated combination that results in a scattered mess of a plot, lacking stakes, and no logic but is unique with nice music/dance choreography, committed actors, and bizarre memorable moments ⭑⭑1/2💻* Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes PG
*🎟=Only a theater recommendation with a group of friends or a large audience knowing what you're going into.

Reasons to watch it: You are a fan of the aforementioned actors. You are familiar with the musical or have seen the stage musical and want to see how it's adapted for the big screen. You want to check it out with a group of friends for an experience that might feel like a weird drug trip. You like any kind of musical no matter the quality of it. You want to see how bizarre the computer effects look.

Reasons to avoid it: You aren't a fan of the aforementioned actors. You are familiar with the musical or have seen the stage musical and don't want to see how it's adapted for the big screen. You are too creeped out by the look of the felines in general.