In 1997, Warner Bros. and Ted Turner released an animated musical feature called Cats Don't Dance, which was intended as a tribute to Hollywood musicals from the 1930s. With direction from Mark Dindal (who would go on to make The Emperor's New Groove) and some choreography taught by the legend himself, Gene Kelly, this seemed like a sure fire hit....that is if it really were. While the film was decently well received by critics, it wasn't marketed very well and sadly flopped at the box office. Luckily, it has garnished a cult following over the years, and after seeing it myself, I can more than ever see why.
Set in Hollywood in the late 1930s, the film centers around the optimistic and talented cat Danny who wants to make it into showbiz. The only issue, he's a cat and all other animals are only treated as second rate props behind human actors, including the nasty Darla Dimple. Upon getting into trouble with Ms. Dimple, Danny decides to bring all the animals together to make it big in the movies. Yeah, right off the bat, the plot is rather predictable and it's not so different from the usual underdog story we normally see in some animated movies. That being said, the film makes up for the weak plot with some highly entertaining scenes and jokes, fast paced animation, likable characters, and a true passion for Hollywood.
In terms of the characters, Danny is the highly ambitious albeit naive protagonist who wishes to be a star, even if he has to fight hard to get his dream, which is something many people still go through today so he is a little sympathetic. Sawyer is the disillusioned albeit beautiful white cat who neglects Danny's hopes at first, but soon supports him and the other animals to become big as well. Also, can I just say that Danny and Sawyer are absolutely adorable? I love cats as it is, but they are so charming and delightful to watch....anyway, the rest are rather one dimensional, but are still humorous in their own right, like the giddy Tillie, the bad tempered curmudgeon Cranston, the superstitious T.W., and the chubby albeit charming Pudge.
And then there's Darla Dimple, who is absolutely hilarious from her voice to her design. As she is a parody of Shirley Temple, she may seem like an adorable animal loving angel, but she's really an egotistical monster who will do whatever it takes to sabotage the animals just so she can be the big shot. In addition, her butler Max just cracks me up almost every time, mainly from how huge and deadpan he is. Speaking of Darla's prejudice of animals, the most interesting thing about the story itself is how, as stated before, the animals are viewed. Many of the animals themselves have dreams to be big in the theater, but they're sadly looked down upon by the humans who top them. If not for the fact that they were animals, this film probably could have been a social commentary on how African Americans were mistreated in showbiz until the 1960s....damn, this film is smart.
As for the animation, in accordance to the film's upbeat and whimsical tone, the general style is reminiscent to the Looney Tunes and cartoons by Tex Avery. The characters are designed from the ground up to be cartoony, and their fast paced squash & stretch movements are perfectly timed. Not to mention, given how Gene Kelly did some choreography for the animators, the dance moves are superb, really bringing out a lot of jive and soul from each animal. The way the movie recreates Hollywood is solid enough, but the dance movements bring out that extra flavor of fun for the audience. It's also cool how the film utilizes a perfectly contrasted color scheme to set the tone: saturated when optimistic and happy and neutralized when sad and hopeless.
Now I will admit, the musical numbers done by Randy Newman are rather hit or miss. Some like I Do Believe, Danny's Arrival Song and Tell Me Lies do come at their given times and are well directed and choreographed, but they don't leave enough impact to be memorable enough to sing along to. That being said, others like Animal Jam, Big and Loud, and especially Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now are highly entertaining, catchy and worth getting off your seat and just dancing to. The last one mentioned is a special highlight, not just because of the shenanigans Darla Dimple gets herself into, but also by the jazzy and upbeat tone that stands as a true finale highlight, complete with solid colors, lyrics, and dances. So yeah, the songs are either average or very good, but the good ones stick out more.
I don't know how this film would have gone had it been marketed properly, but I do know that it would have been somewhat of a classic. Cats Don't Dance is a highly entertaining and fun feature that stands as an enjoyable tribute and rendition to musicals from Hollywood's golden era. Even if the plot is fairly standard and most of the characters aren't particularly grand, the wacky fast paced animation, lovable main protagonists and antagonists, catchy songs, and comedic tone make it an enjoyable feature worth your time. If you're a fan of Hollywood movies from the 30s and 40s, musicals, animated features with talking animals, or even cartoony animation, then definitely seek this one out for the whole family. Give this film as much love and support as it needs, and make it big and loud (wink wink).
Set in Hollywood in the late 1930s, the film centers around the optimistic and talented cat Danny who wants to make it into showbiz. The only issue, he's a cat and all other animals are only treated as second rate props behind human actors, including the nasty Darla Dimple. Upon getting into trouble with Ms. Dimple, Danny decides to bring all the animals together to make it big in the movies. Yeah, right off the bat, the plot is rather predictable and it's not so different from the usual underdog story we normally see in some animated movies. That being said, the film makes up for the weak plot with some highly entertaining scenes and jokes, fast paced animation, likable characters, and a true passion for Hollywood.
In terms of the characters, Danny is the highly ambitious albeit naive protagonist who wishes to be a star, even if he has to fight hard to get his dream, which is something many people still go through today so he is a little sympathetic. Sawyer is the disillusioned albeit beautiful white cat who neglects Danny's hopes at first, but soon supports him and the other animals to become big as well. Also, can I just say that Danny and Sawyer are absolutely adorable? I love cats as it is, but they are so charming and delightful to watch....anyway, the rest are rather one dimensional, but are still humorous in their own right, like the giddy Tillie, the bad tempered curmudgeon Cranston, the superstitious T.W., and the chubby albeit charming Pudge.
And then there's Darla Dimple, who is absolutely hilarious from her voice to her design. As she is a parody of Shirley Temple, she may seem like an adorable animal loving angel, but she's really an egotistical monster who will do whatever it takes to sabotage the animals just so she can be the big shot. In addition, her butler Max just cracks me up almost every time, mainly from how huge and deadpan he is. Speaking of Darla's prejudice of animals, the most interesting thing about the story itself is how, as stated before, the animals are viewed. Many of the animals themselves have dreams to be big in the theater, but they're sadly looked down upon by the humans who top them. If not for the fact that they were animals, this film probably could have been a social commentary on how African Americans were mistreated in showbiz until the 1960s....damn, this film is smart.
As for the animation, in accordance to the film's upbeat and whimsical tone, the general style is reminiscent to the Looney Tunes and cartoons by Tex Avery. The characters are designed from the ground up to be cartoony, and their fast paced squash & stretch movements are perfectly timed. Not to mention, given how Gene Kelly did some choreography for the animators, the dance moves are superb, really bringing out a lot of jive and soul from each animal. The way the movie recreates Hollywood is solid enough, but the dance movements bring out that extra flavor of fun for the audience. It's also cool how the film utilizes a perfectly contrasted color scheme to set the tone: saturated when optimistic and happy and neutralized when sad and hopeless.
Now I will admit, the musical numbers done by Randy Newman are rather hit or miss. Some like I Do Believe, Danny's Arrival Song and Tell Me Lies do come at their given times and are well directed and choreographed, but they don't leave enough impact to be memorable enough to sing along to. That being said, others like Animal Jam, Big and Loud, and especially Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now are highly entertaining, catchy and worth getting off your seat and just dancing to. The last one mentioned is a special highlight, not just because of the shenanigans Darla Dimple gets herself into, but also by the jazzy and upbeat tone that stands as a true finale highlight, complete with solid colors, lyrics, and dances. So yeah, the songs are either average or very good, but the good ones stick out more.
I don't know how this film would have gone had it been marketed properly, but I do know that it would have been somewhat of a classic. Cats Don't Dance is a highly entertaining and fun feature that stands as an enjoyable tribute and rendition to musicals from Hollywood's golden era. Even if the plot is fairly standard and most of the characters aren't particularly grand, the wacky fast paced animation, lovable main protagonists and antagonists, catchy songs, and comedic tone make it an enjoyable feature worth your time. If you're a fan of Hollywood movies from the 30s and 40s, musicals, animated features with talking animals, or even cartoony animation, then definitely seek this one out for the whole family. Give this film as much love and support as it needs, and make it big and loud (wink wink).