Cats hasn’t even landed in cinemas yet, but the movie has already received a lot of backlash prior to release, for a number of different reasons. Based on the long-running Broadway musical of the same name, Cats carries an immense amount of prestige in terms of both behind-the-scenes and on-screen talent and is looking to continue the recent box office hot streak Christmastime musicals have been on in recent years. However, from right when it was first announced and especially once actual trailers were released, Cats has been subject to an extensive amount of ridicule online.
All movies receive varying degrees of criticism, but it’s rare for any title to receive the level of pre-release scorn Cats has drummed up. It begs the question of why exactly this musical has become such a go-to punching bag for people all over the world. Well, such a response can be chalked up to a confluence of disparate elements that have come together to ensure that this take on the musical is starting off on the wrong foot with many moviegoers.
Whether or not Cats the actual movie is any good is something audiences will have to wait and see the actual film to determine. For now, though, it can be concretely determined what assorted factors are building into the project’s pre-release negative reputation.
The Design of the Cats
Let’s start with something directly connected to the actual film. Much like the original design of the movie version of Sonic the Hedgehog, the design of the feline characters in Cats has been widely regarded as so abjectly unnerving that people can’t even begin to imagine watching the movie. Putting recognizably human faces onto humanoid CGI cat bodies creates a sense of visual dissonance that’s distracting rather than helping to immerse prospective viewers into this unique universe of singing-and-dancing kitties. To boot, the stiff movements of the characters in promotional materials, seemingly stemming from the motion-capture animation used to capture the movements of actors on-set, further helps to create a barrier between the viewer and the characters in Cats.
The Voice Cast
The idea of translating an abstract Broadway musical like Cats into a narrative-driven feature-length movie is already a puzzling idea, but even more so is the star-studded cast assembled for the movie. Taylor Swift, James Corden and Jason Derulo are three of the most prominently featured figures in the marketing campaign for Cats. Their presence in the posters & trailers tends to remind one of the casting choices found in DreamWorks Animation movies like Shark Tale or Monsters vs. Aliens where it’s just a bunch of celebrity voice-overs shoved into one movie regardless of whether or not they actually fit their characters. Cats as a movie is already an absurd idea, making one featuring Jason Derulo in a major capacity adds not only an extra layer of ludicrousness but also a dash of cynical marketing to this musical concoction that lends itself well to pre-release ridicule.
Lingering Feelings About Les Miserables
Director Tom Hooper’s last musical, Les Miserables, debuted to outstanding box office and plenty of award season victories back in 2012, but since then, the film has developed a divisive reputation among audiences. Russell Crowe’s attempts at singing and the repetitive camerawork have especially become fodder for heavy amounts of criticism in the years since its release. With Hooper returning to the world of musical cinema with Cats, displeasure over his work on Les Miserables has helped to inform a high level of dubiousness from prospective moviegoers over him helming yet another feature film adaptation of a famous musical. Just as you could hear the people sing in Les Miserables, Hooper’s handling of that 2012 musical means you can now also hear people expressing concern over how he handles Cats.
Strange Marketing Materials
Helping to fuel the pre-release frenzy of mockery has been a string off strange marketing decisions for Cats, chief among them cornball slogans (“Get your tickets meow!”), cat ears being adorned atop New York City taxicabs, and behind-the-scenes featurettes treating the project with an immense sense of grandeur. Some of it evokes the boldly confident sensibilities of the marketing for the first Deadpool movie, but much of it has gone over poorly, in the process only throwing gasoline over the raging fire of pre-release mockery Cats has cooked up. One exception to the widely-derided marketing: the official Cats Twitter account, which carries a distinctive personality and know-how about internet slang that’s led to many amusing tweets.
Cats Has Always Been A Punchline
All of these elements have helped contribute to the pre-release negativity for the movie version of Cats, but the biggest culprit behind all of this pre-release criticism is simply that Cats has always been a go-to punchline in the pop culture landscape. Though it changed the landscape of Broadway musicals forever, the lack of a concrete plot, unorthodox visual choices, and the fact that it’s a show about people mimicking the behavior of felines for two hours (among many other features present in the show) have seen it become a routine source of mockery. Pop culture references to Cats are rarely flattering, as seen by a gag on The Critic involving the fiery destruction of a theater showing Cats as well an extended segment in the final season of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
With all that being a part of the overall reputation of Cats the broadway musical for nearly three decades now, it’s no wonder that a feature film adaptation would garner similar levels of dubious scorn before its release. It was made even more unavoidable by the other aforementioned controversial elements dogging the production. Whether or not all of that pre-release negativity ends up hindering the project’s box office or ends up standing in contrast to a widely well-received movie remains to be seen. For now, though, it’s easy to see all the pre-release conversation Cats has drummed up as well as the myriad of elements informing that skepticism-soaked conversation.
Next: Every Movie Releasing In December 2019
- Cats Release Date: 2019-12-20
