AndinthisinstallmentofVersuswe'repittingCatsagainstDoLittletoseewhichofthesetwoanimalthemedmoviesreleasedlessthan a monthapartinlate 2019.
Inearly 2020 failedMaurspectacularly.
Sograbsomepopcornandbuckleup.
Thisone's gonnabebothentertainingandmessy.
Groundone.
CasttimeTwiceforhisadaptationofthehitBroadwaymusical, directorTomHoopermanagedtolineup a stellarcastoftalentedactorsincludingDameJudiDench, SirIanMcKellen, IdrisElba, RayWinstonandJenniferHudsonalongsideprovencomicstarslikeJamesCordenandRebelWilson.
Allthingsconsidered, thisfilmwasin a greatpositiontosucceed, butforwhateverreason, mostoftheaftermentionedstarsarerelegatedtorelativelysupportingorbitparts.
AndwhilemusicalnumbersbyskilledvocalistsJasonDeruloandTaylorSwiftarewelcome, theknownquantitiesinthecastofthewholejustfeelseriouslyunderandmisusedJudge a catbySodolittlehasthegoodsensetoputitsbiggestmoneymakingstarfrontandcenter.
Inshort, itis a cinematicfailureofthemostspectacularvariety, fromtheplottothespecialeffectstothepacing.
It's unlikeanythingyou'veeverseenbeforeinnotin a goodwayareyougoingtotrythreedifferentlife, do a littleisinandofitselfis a pieceofentertainment, a relativelyharmlesscreation.
Butfrom a filmmakingperspective, it's a realFrankenstein's monster.
Ittakes a bignameactor, a massivebudget, a listofstars a milelong, a belovedChildren's characterandtriestousethemasthegluetoholdtogether a colossallymessypasticheofadventuremovieclichesandprobes.
Itsimplydoesn't work.
Despiteeverythingthatgetscrammedintoitshourand 31 minuteruntime, itis a boreapproachedfromanyangle.
Butsuch a practiceisallbutunheardofinfilm, thatis, Untilnow, therewereapparentlysuchmajorissueswiththe C G I andCatsthatthestudioliterallysentoutanupdatedversionwithquote, someimprovedvisualeffects.
Theycan't hold a candletosavetheLionKingorWarforthePlanetoftheApes.
Butthey're, youknow, fine.
Thethingis, there's justsomuchintheend.
Resultisthatratherthaninspiring a senseofwonder, italljustleavesyoufeelinghollowAsCG I animalsnavigateCG i environmentspopulatedbyjust a coupleoffleshandbloodactors, itbeginstofeellikeananimatedfilm, especiallywhentheactionpicksupuninspiredandoverabundantisdolittle C.