Cats (2019)
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A group of alley cats known as the Jellicles gather to decide which among them will be granted a new life.
The story
After being abandoned by her owner in the streets of pre-war London, a young white cat named Victoria is taken under the wing of a group of alley cats known as the Jellicles. As they prepare for the Jellicle Ball, an annual ceremony where cats compete to be granted a new life in the Heaviside Layer, Victoria is introduced to the diverse members of the tribe. She must navigate the world of the Jellicles, meeting various cats with unique personalities and skills, while preparing for the upcoming ceremony that will determine the fate of the participants.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Victoria, a young white cat, is abandoned in pre-war London and welcomed by the Jellicles. The film follows the various Jellicle candidates, including the eccentric Rum Tum Tugger, the tidy Skimbleshanks, and the elderly actor Gus, as they prepare for the Jellicle Ball. Victoria meets the mischievous twins, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, and is rescued by the magical Mr. Mistoffelees. During the ball, a conflict arises when the villainous Macavity attempts to seize the Jellicle Choice. After a series of events including the kidnapping of the matriarch Old Deuteronomy and a distraction by the femme fatale Bombalurina, the cats are reunited. Grizabella, a banished glamour cat, performs a passionate ballad that touches the hearts of the Jellicles. She is ultimately chosen as the Jellicle Choice and ascends to the Heaviside Layer. The film ends with the Jellicles watching her ascent as the sun rises, and Victoria is welcomed into the tribe.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tom Hooper
- Writers
- Lee Hall · screenplay; Tom Hooper · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- James Corden · Bustopher Jones; Judi Dench · Old Deuteronomy; Jason Derulo; Idris Elba · Macavity; Jennifer Hudson; Ian McKellen; Taylor Swift · Bombalurina; Rebel Wilson · Jennyanyots; Francesca Hayward · Victoria
- Genres
- musical; fantasy
- Themes
- identity; belonging
- Tone and mood
- fantasy; uneasy
- Setting
- Pre-war London
- Premise and plot tags
- musical; fantasy; animal-centric
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1981 West End musical Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot
- Content notes
- uncanny valley
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews from critics and audiences, who were unsettled by the humanoid cats created through visual effects, and is considered to be one of the worst films ever made.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 19% · scale: percentage · review count: 334; Metacritic · score: 32 · scale: 100 · review count: 51; CinemaScore · score: C+ · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 0.5 · scale: 5
- Production trivia
- The film's visual effects were mocked in the 2022 film Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers.; The production was reported to have a troubled production with staff working 80-90 hour weeks.; The film's original release contained numerous CGI errors, including a scene where a human hand appeared instead of a cat paw.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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