The movie adaptation of the famous Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Cats” hit the big screen on Dec. 20, 2019 to dismal reviews from critics. This left many fans of the musical wondering where the movie went wrong. 

“Cats,” based on T.S. Elliot’s book of poems, follows a group of cats called the Jellicles as they come together for the Jellicle ball. At this ball the cats see who will be chosen to go to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a new life. Throughout the movie there is great music, interesting visuals, and a star studded cast, so is this movie that bad? 

No, it isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. Yes, the CGI is off putting and the plot is not everyone’s “cup of tea”, but overall I found this movie really enjoyable. The singing and musical elements of the movie were good, and the direction and choreography of the big song numbers was able to bring some of that Broadway spectacle to the big screen. Jennifer Hudson’s “Memory,” Steven McRae’s tap number, and the big song numbers were enough for me to want to see this movie again. 

I would absolutely recommend this movie. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me smile. This is a movie made for musical lovers, and it is important to go into this movie with an open mind.