A furry Taylor Swift sprinkles the contents of a bedazzled can of catnip to create a fog of intoxicating magical dust, and that’s not even in the top five truly insane things that happen in "Cats."
A bunch of well-known celebrities get turned into singing, scenery-chewing digital kitties in the utterly absurd yet oddly charming movie musical version of the Broadway hit. Director Tom Hooper brought a very earnest Oscar-nominated take on “Les Miserables” to the big screen, and with “Cats” (★★½ out of four; rated PG; in theaters nationwide Friday) he embraces the nonsensical, out-there nature of the original show while raising the spotlight of a supporting character who’s now the eyes, ears and paws of the audience through one strange journey.
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“Cats” the stage production doesn't have much of a plot and neither does the movie: It’s the annual night of the Jellicle Ball for a tribe of Jellicle cats, and one of them – “the Jellicle choice” – will be picked by wise Old Deuteronomy (Judi Dench) to be reborn into a new life. It’s a hairball-raising situation that brings out a bunch of contenders singing their Jellicle tunes as auditions, and Victoria (enchanting newcomer Francesca Hayward) witnesses it all with wide-eyed curiosity after being dumped in a back alley by a human.
(At this point you may be wondering what a "Jellicle" is. It's a name coined in the works of T.S. Eliot, whose cat-themed poetry was a basis for the original musical. In other words: Just go with it.)
Victoria meets a wide variety of colorful personalities, including Jennyanydots (Rebel Wilson), a prat-falling gumbie cat who uses her tail as a faux microphone; the flamboyant Rum Tum Tugger (Jason Derulo), who struts and preens at the local Milk Bar; Gus the Theatre Cat (Ian McKellen), an over-the-hill actor who re-lives one of his great roles; and Grizabella (Jennifer Hudson), a former glamour cat who’s seen better days and is shunned by her fellow felines.
Not all of the Jellicle contestants are on the up and up. Macavity (Idris Elba), the self-proclaimed “monster of depravity,” is the criminal mystery cat whose chicanery knows no bounds. Swift plays one of his charges, bad girl Bombalurina, who purrs his song, and her teaming with Elba as a couple of mischievous critters is quite a sight.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” showtunes are seriously catchy, and if you’re not humming “Magical Mister Mistoffelees” afterward, you may not have a pulse. Those who aren't familiar with the musical probably at least know the famous ballad “Memory,” and when Hudson belts that chorus, it’s a sensational, tear-jerking moment. Lloyd Webber and Swift teamed up for the new "Beautiful Ghosts," Victoria’s signature song, and the addition acts as an interesting counterpoint to “Memory.”
Unfortunately, the visual effects aren’t as consistently good. Actors dressing up in cat costumes has been fine for a musical-theater phenomenon going on nearly 40 years, which honestly would have been fine for the big-screen version, too. The technology is there so they use it, and the good news is that details like characters’ ears especially get a boost with some CGI help. But the wider shots where the kitties move in quick, random action are often distracting, and certain cat personas just never look quite right. Elba's Macavity is fine with clothes on yet eerily bizarre as a naked cat, though the actual nightmare fuel occurs when human faces are put on tiny mice and Rockette-esque cockroaches.
The choreography by Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler (“Hamilton”) is top notch and lets the two “Cats” highlights, who are household names only for ballet aficionados, showcase multiple talents. Robbie Fairchild plays Munkustrap, a flexible narrator of sorts, though Hayward is the real find, a principal dancer with London’s Royal Ballet whose dance moves are all on point, can carry a tune and exudes dazzling charm.
“Cats” isn’t for everyone – much of it is a cheesy, B-grade affair seemingly crafted solely to take over midnight-movie slots from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Those with an open mind, though, as well as little kids and the T-Swift posse, might find it somewhat pawesome.
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Review: All-star 'Cats' stays out of the litter box with Taylor Swift and enchanting absurdity - USA TODAY
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