Cats (1998)

Let me start off by saying that I'm not a fan of felines. However, I'd heard so much about the musical that I finally decided to see the film.Visually, the movie is quite nice. The makeup, choreography, costuming, the cast and the set were all done very well. The singing was great and the movement of the actors, both as dancers and as "cats" was a sight to see. The special effects are also of note. All of that being said, I had a bit of a time deciphering what was being sung - I had to find the lyrics to follow along. And the cast did lip sync.The main problem is that there is really no plot. The viewer is introduced to different types of cats by their personality and, in some cases, where they generally could be found (the theater, a train, etc.) I find a movie without a plot quite tedious; I stuck around to the end only because of the visuals.Would I recommend it? Maybe if you have seen the play or if you already know the story has no plot. Maybe if you are a fan of felines in general or a fan of musicals. I can't say I would watch it again - It wasn't my cup of cream.

"We liked it a lot. It was better than 'Cats'", theater audiences on a TV comedy sketch show proclaimed in a monotone voice after seeing the latest theatrical spectacular. Certainly, "Cats" has gone onto become one of the most financially successful musicals ever, but does that make it good? According to the billions who have seen it, yes, but to a small majority of those involved in the theater, it is a joke, the type of show one would sneak into like an alcoholic sneaking a drink. The music is mediocre (with the exception of one Broadway standard that everybody has probably heard, even those who hate musical theater), the story non-existent, and the premise manipulative. It's like the movies of today, all style-no substance, and after seeing the TV version and the new Broadway revival, I concur that indeed, this show has given me "Cat Scratch Fever".T.S. Elliott's book of poems was just that, poetry, and when put into the premise of a big spectacular musical, is a two hour pretentious ball of fur. It's mesmerizing to watch, and I feel for the talented performers who get put into all sorts of twisted positions, much like Julie Taymor did with her dancers in the stage version of "The Lion King". But unlike the king of the jungle, this kitty is about as emotionally involved as commercial cat Morris and cartoon cat Garfield. At least with those two, you could count on the commercial being over in less than a minute (and usually laughed at his cynical commentary) and the comic strip had wry comments on life, pet and human relations and with a 10 second reading, much more to give to the world than this has done in the past 35+ years.The premise of this show is simple: It's the jellicle ball for jellicle cats, and a song indicating what a jellicle cat is really gives no complete definition. Old Deuteronomy is sort of the great God like old cat who must choose which one of the jellicle cats will go on to start another life, and within the span of two hours, various cats of no varying personalities (with the exception of a few) audition for that honor. Ken Page is one of the great character performers of the theater, and makes a lovable and commanding Deuteronomy. The problem, then, is not in the performances, but within the show itself. Elaine Page repeats her London role as the aging glamour cat Grizabella who sings the poignant anthem "Memory" at the climax of act one, then repeated throughout act two, and she provides the only poignant moment for me that rendered any kind of emotion.There's a show-stopping John Mills as the "theater cat" who claims to have performed for Queen Victoria, giving one analogist the idea that "Cats" was a metaphor for the relationship between Queen Victoria and Disraeli. Original director Harold Prince summed it up best when he replied to that inquiry, "It's about cats." So even the director knows that it's pointless entertainment, manipulating theater goers for decades and certainly packing in the tourist trade in both London and on Broadway. Of course, everybody who has seen this show or knows about it knows "Memory" and characters like Rum Tum Tugger and Jenny Any-Dots (who would name their cat that?), and after seeing this, I needed a double shot of Rum Tum Tugger.The staging is impressive, but after a while, the dance numbers do nothing but take away the notion of any plot, and one number in particular reminded me of the 2002 disaster "Dance of the Vampires" where the living dead danced at the vampire ball in front of a mirror, with no reflection. The staging is corny, sometimes tacky, and when I saw this on Broadway, I realized that everybody around me with the exception of me had drunk the "Cats" kool-aide. I was happy to get this off my bucket list, but I certainly will laugh more every time I see a comic jab at this show, like Woody Allen did in "New York Stories" and what Marc Cherry did on the short-lived "The Five Mrs. Buchannans" when Eileen Heckart rushed her daughter-in-law Harriet Harris out of a store, claiming, "I'm not going to be late for Rum Tum Tugger just because of you." Like those two great theatrical ladies who obviously got the joke (Harris's character referred to it as technically amazing but artistically empty), I too am not taken in by over-stuffed smelly costumes and junk yard modern art when there is no point to the show in the first place.

The Cats film version is a celebration of music, dance and visual details. The cast is magnificent, the music catchy and energetic, and the costumes and make-up couldn't in my mind be any better. I have seen the Cats film about twenty times, and every time I found some new detail to admire. I doubt this film will ever grow old for me, that much I love it. The cast is as said, immensely talented in dancing as well as singing and acting. My personal favourites were Michael Gruber as Munkustrap, John Partridge as Rum Tum Tugger (he simply oozes sex appeal!), Aeva May as Demeter, Veerle Casteleyn as Jemima (those eyes!), Jason Gardiner as Alonzo, Karl Morgan as Pouncival (my favourite, although he has only a minor part), Jacob Brent as Mr. Mistoffelees/Quaxo and Jo Bingham as Etcetera. To be truthful, I loved every single performer in the show. Elaine Paige was good as Grizabella, and Memory is a hauntingly beautiful song, but in my mind, this part of the show is a bit over advertised, as the show in whole makes Cats what it is. As for the missing plot, all I can say is that those who say there is no plot at all, you haven't been paying enough attention to the show. There indeed is a plot, although it only runs on the background. But this plot is not the major point in Cats. It's the ingenious lyrics of T.S. Eliot turned into captivating songs, the stunning dance choreography and the eye-catching costumes and make-ups together that create a true spectacle. Besides, it's a musical for crying out loud, not some drama movie, so it doesn't really even need a plot! The music and dancing should be enough for both the mind and the eye. Some people may complain about the Growltiger's Last Stand being missing, but as I have seen a live version after seeing the video, it's not really a flaw for me. There are of course some little details that could have been better, and that is why my rating for Cats is 9/10. I know that some people don't ever really get what Cats is about, but that's just their shame. I personally think that Cats is one of the greatest musicals in history.

I think that this is the best rendition of Cats that i have seen and John Partridge and Jacob Brent are the best Rum Tum Tugger and Mistoffelees that i have seen... i mean they are absolutely amazing what with Johns great vocals and Jacobs awesome dancing they make the show even more entertaining by actually taking on the persona of the cats themselves and making them more believable and realistic. The whole of the cast that worked on this video were absolutely incredible...a couple of the actors/dancers/vocalists made the show quite funny take Mungojerrie for example he always makes funny faces and mocks what others are doing ((like when he dresses as a pollicle dog and doesn't quite know what to do hehehehehe))