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Synopsis:
A tribe of cats called the Jellicles must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life.
“A cat is not a dog.” I assumed that to be apparent, however, we are reminded a number of times during the vibrant song-filled film that perhaps felines are superior and do as they please. The theatrical adaption of the broadway musical of the same name, Cats is eyecatching, melodic, and extremely odd. Almost the entire story is conveyed in song, so if you’re not a musical fan then this may not be for you. While the songs are wonderfully sung and entertaining, the story itself doesn’t exactly make the most sense. Also, it makes zero sense for beautiful looking characters to sing about not being beautiful. There was minimal effort done to try and make any supposed unsavory cats look the part. Realistically, there are tons of ugly real-world cats… I’ve seen them. Nevertheless, the characters believe what they’re singing and you can feel the emotion in their lyrics. Songs such as Memory, a fan-favorite, is not only gripping and heartfelt but also the highlight of the film for me. Beautiful Ghosts, an original song by Taylor Swift is also featured and is a perfect fit in this fantastical cat lottery. With only having seen clips of the original musical, I went into the theater with an open mind, as always, and was left with a “wtf” look on my face. I wasn’t quite sure what I had just watched and didn’t know initially if that was a good or bad thing. It’s neither. I wasn’t blown away nor was I turned off, which may be worse. The trippy CGI coupled with the actors’ feline movements are equal parts eerie and intriguing and keep you locked in. With that said, I probably wouldn’t watch it again unless the goal was to watch it while vacationing in Colorado, wink wink. The choreography was great, and it’s humorous at times but it doesn’t quite dazzle as I thought it might. On the other hand, I’m still singing Memory. Those who love the musical will be in love and amazed by this colorful film adaption.
Plot & Pace
The film moves at a sort of zigzag pace. It alternates from fast to slow within scenes depending on which song succeeds the one before it. The story somewhat follows Victoria, a cat stuffed in a bag and tossed in a back alley by her owner. She is then released by a group of cats that roam the area and call themselves Jellicle cats. The story spends a big portion introducing us to the different cats while simultaneously being personifications of the different personalities we see in pets out in the world. Victoria is informed about the Jellicle Ball in which one cat is chosen yearly to be sent to heaven and be reborn into whatever they want to be. Yup. They must perform for an elder cat who will then choose who she deems worthy. While cats practice for the ball, there is a malicious villain cat that wants his chance to be chosen. However, he rather eradicate the competition leaving himself to be the only choice. Who will be chosen? I’m sure some of you know because you’ve seen the musical but I won’t ruin the ride.
Characters & Chemistry
With its great ensemble cast, there are a few performances that truly stood out. Newcomer Francesca Hayward as the lead, Victoria displayed amazing ballet ability and singing talent. For her first big-screen role she displayed confidence that you could see in her eyes and her chemistry with the other actors looked natural and effortless. Jason Derulo’s performance as Rum Tum Tugger was energetic and entertaining. He was able to give his character a lot more life compared to some others. Bustopher Jones played by James Corden led to some wonderful comedic moments and we all know he is a pretty good singer. Lastly, Grazabella played by Jennifer Hudson was the most emotional character. With a layered storyline along with the best song and vocals in the entire cast, she was easily the best standout in my opinion.
Cats releases in theaters on December 20th. Enjoy the movie!
Director: Tom Hooper
Rated: PG
Runtime: 1h 50m
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
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