"Cats" Isn't Actually Bad, And That's That On That

In this thesis, I will...

Hello internet world! My name is Lauren, and I consider myself a movie musical enthusiast.

lauren garafano🎄 @laurengarafano

a list of my favorite 2018 movies: 1-10. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

04:08 PM - 29 Dec 2018

During the very eventful last 24 hours, Cats has gotten some not-so-great reviews, but I am here to tell you that I — a real human — saw the movie and think it's great!

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So now, before you come for me in the comments, here are my reasons:

1. First and foremost, the cast is absolutely amazing.

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Okay, so there's zero denying that the Cats cast is pretty stacked. You've got the musical powerhouses like Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, and Jason DeRulo. Then, there are the acting legends like Idris Elba, Sir Ian McKellen, and Judi Dench. There's even the comedy royalty up in here too with James Corden and Rebel Wilson. And then you've even got some superstars from the dance world with Robbie Fairchild, Steven McRae, and Francesca Hayward. Long story short, this is a very talented cast.

2. In addition to the star studded main cast, the ensemble is also PHENOMENAL.

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I can confidently say that this is some of the best dancing I've seen in my ENTIRE LIFE. It's clean, swift, and appears effortless. I'm not gonna lie to you, but the incredible dancing is part of what makes the movie so magical.

3. The movie also stays very, very, very true to the stage musical.

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The stage show famously has no real plot, and the movie followed suit. The songs, characters, and setting were all there, plus more — which is exactly what you need in a movie musical!!!!!

4. Taylor Swift's new song also fits into the score perfectly.

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The flow from the original score into "Beautiful Ghosts" is literally seamless. There truly could not be a better fitting song.

5. Whether you like it or not, the CGI is extremely well-done.

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It's never been done before (and yes, there's probably a reason for that), but regardless of how strange or otherworldly it feels, it's done pretty well. You can tell that a lot of time was put into making every single character look and feel like a cat.

6. And personally, I think I prefer the CGI to the costumes!!!!!

Universal, Noam Galai / Getty Images

If some man came at me dressed in fur, I promise I would run for my life.

7. Like, every movie musical, Cats isn't meant to be taken literally, but should be taken magically, and this movie absolutely achieves that.

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I promise you no one making the movie actually believed real cats dance, sing, and celebrate their Jellicle Ball, because that's just not realistic!!!!! This movie isn't meant to agonize you, it's meant to make you laugh, sing, and be whisked away into the magic of this weird, imaginary world. I bet the creators did say, "Hey, wouldn't it be fun if these magical cats could dance, sing, and have a Jellicle Ball," and they'd be right, because the movie is SO. MUCH. FUN.

8. I've seen plenty of garbage movies in my lifetime, and trust me, Cats is not one of them.

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I won't throw any movie under the bus, but I've definitely seen some bad ones.

9. Cats is also SUCH a hard movie to adapt, and I truly don't think they could've gotten it to be any more perfect than this.

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They're humans playing cats! That's pretty darn weird! There are only so many things actors, costume designers, producers, and directors can do to make it work, and I think they succeeded. After watching the movie, I don't see how they could've gotten it to be more magical.

10. At the end of the day, it's all based on your attitude. If you're willing to let yourself have fun and be fully immersed in everything Cats, then it's a great time. But if you go in ready to hate it, you will 100% hate it.

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I truly cannot stress👏this👏enough.👏Cats is a perfectly fun time if you're willing to look at it as one. It's not meant to be the most serious, dramatic, arthouse movie ever created, it's just not. It's meant to make you laugh a lot, cry a little, and escape the real world for two hours.