Who knew a spontaneous decision to see the terrible CG nightmare fuel CATS adaptation would make me watch the 1998 CATS-- and then become a fan of this weird, weird musical?
The new movie truly is bad, but the original material, much maligned over time, is actually pretty amazing. I love the variety of musical styles in all the songs, the sense of community among all the characters, even those bizarre stylized costumes and make-up. This is a fun musical, all around, and I can see why trying to make it more "cinematic" does not suit the material. The 1998 adaptation seems to essentially just shoot the stage show as it is, with a few close-ups and cinematic flourishes for good effect.
While I would recommend the 2019 movie for those who love hilariously bad films, the 1998 film is the better choice if you want to see just why CATS made billions of dollars.
The new movie truly is bad, but the original material, much maligned over time, is actually pretty amazing. I love the variety of musical styles in all the songs, the sense of community among all the characters, even those bizarre stylized costumes and make-up. This is a fun musical, all around, and I can see why trying to make it more "cinematic" does not suit the material. The 1998 adaptation seems to essentially just shoot the stage show as it is, with a few close-ups and cinematic flourishes for good effect.
While I would recommend the 2019 movie for those who love hilariously bad films, the 1998 film is the better choice if you want to see just why CATS made billions of dollars.