Cats Cast: A Class Act?

Director Tom Hooper’s “Cats” is getting a TON of attention though it’s far from PURR-fect. But hey attention is attention even it’s negative, right? Cats got a whopping 21 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ tomato meter (critics reviews) and a 53 percent audience score. After reading some pretty terrible reviews I decided I had to find out what all the fuss was about and if this musical movie really was a CATastrophe. I truly try to champion the underdog— in this case the underCAT.

I have to say that I’m with the audience on this one, because 21 percent is WAY too harsh of a review. Critics who had a problem with the movie said it was plotless and that the cat costumes were terrible. The movie isn’t plotless though. It just takes a while to figure out what the plot is. And once you find out, it’s kinda cool and interesting.

In a nutshell, the movie is about a tribe of cats who must decide who will ascend to what we know as heaven—in the movie it’s called the Heavyside Layer— and come back to a new life. There is hardly any dialogue, so you figure all this out through the lyrics to the songs. Trust me it’s super entertaining to watch revered actors including Ian McKellan aka Gandalf from Lord of The Rings lick milk out of a bowl and prance around with Dame Judi Dench.

It’s hard to take this movie seriously because of the cat costumes, the wacky names like old Deuteronomy, the over the top facial expressions, and the lack of backstory, but that’s what makes all of it worth it. It’s so ridiculous and over the top that it’s hilarious. I’ve never had a movie going experience where everyone in the audience starts laughing at dramatic scenes that were never intended to be funny or where we all applaud in unison after Jennifer Hudson’s incredible rendition of “Memory.”

I believe “Cats” will become a sensation in the same way “The Room” has become a sensation. Instead of “Oh hiii Mark,” we’ll be saying “Oh hiii Idris Elba. Oh hiii Taylor Swift. Oh hiii Jason Derulo. Oh hi Rebel Wilson. Oh hi James Corden.” This has a star studded cast so even if you don’t know what the hell is going on for the first hour you can just sit back and enjoy the beautiful music by Andrew Lloyd Weber, shimmy along to the intricate dance numbers, marvel at the beautiful production design, and laugh at the ridiculous nature of it all.

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