Too much of everything

Highly Overrated But Still Good

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Having seen Starlight Express, Phantom Of The Opera and Cats all live on stage, it's good to see the stage show more or less as it was back in the day visually (wish they'd do Starlight Express as it was back in the 90's) but that will never happen i guessThis DVD imo is ruined by the lyrical change to the detriment of flow even Memories is only saved by Elaine Page's brilliant goosebump performance in the reprise.I don't see why directors, musicians take perfect scores and decide to change the lyrics or the backing music and put in corny music instead. Don't mess with what worked. The same can be said for Phantom Of The Opera, Starlight Express my 2 all time favourite stageshows with Cats being in 3rd, sure you need to evolve the show to keep interest but the original lyrics or even the Australian versions were masterpieces then they change critical songs and its not on the same level anymore.

This should have been a great musical, with all the money and effort put into it. As it is, we have a one trick pony. The hit song about memories is the only music in this nerve racking piece of noise.The song about memories is well designed and well done. In fact, everything is "well done". The performers do excellent work, particularly the less acrobatic ones, all skilled thespians. That even makes this worse, that their talents would be wasted on this horrendous script and music.The music is horrible. It is an ordeal to get through. Oh, the singers hit their notes, but it isn't their fault the music is complete garbage.The cats are much more animated and sociable with other cats than any cat in the real world. In fact, they are so unrealistic in character that one wonders if Weber and Eliot ever even touched a cat. The personalities given to them are the personalities that are given by the usual loud mouth red necks and crack-heads.Of course cats are quiet and without expression, so it is natural for humans to bestow upon them their own personalities in their imagination. The personalities bestowed upon these alleged characters are unlike any cat you'll ever meet. This is a totally alien world, and makes no sense. The script is horribly concocted. "Asparagus" is probably the only cat character who even remotely makes sense. Those who have dealt with lots of cats will shake their heads at this bomb.

Firstly I would like to say that I love musicals. I also like a lot of Andrew Lloyd Webber songs, I'm not a ALW hater. So I wasn't biased from the the start.Cats does have its good points: great costumes, good dancing and Memories. That is it.There is almost no plot to think of at all. Take your average action movie. Now think of something with a million times less plot than that. At this point you are still imagining something with more storyline than Cats. This wouldn't have bothered me at all except for the fact that most of the songs are really really bad and totally forgettable. So a storyline to hold the interest would have been much appreciated. Instead we have a bunch of very superficial adjective ladened songs introducing cats. Once the characters are introduced....it ends. The whole musical is introducing various cats collectively and individually and the very vaguest of story lines is resolved without any drama whatsoever. Right near the end there is the smallest glimmer of conflict, which is then resolved in the most anticlimactic way.Memories is a good song that landed in a wasteland of musically boring lyrically bankrupt songs. Even its power is someone diminished by the fact it is reprised multiple times.Cats is a musical version of a tourist trap. It has an illusion of great promise which is maintained by a few mad fans and probably its one good song but no substance to back it up.

I just discovered this video and I'm totally addicted. Some people complain on the lack of plot... well, what could they expect seeing it is based on a book of poems, and written for a child at that.Cats is utterly enjoyable for the beauty of the songs and choreography, for the costumes and colours, for its energy, fun and gaiety. But if you're seeking intellectual stimulation, this is obviously not the show to watch, which is just fine as it is nice to watch undemanding shows like this from time to time.The funny songs, Skimbleshanks, Mungojerry and Rumpleteazer are really great fun to watch and contrast with the sad nostalgic songs. John Mill's performance is very moving and as for Elaine Paige, she is just unforgettable. The DVD is worth buying if only to just watch and re watch her singing Memory. The only performance that did not enthuse me was that of Rum Tum Tugger and his slithering hip moves.All in all, a great show I'd have loved to have seen on stage! This is great family entertainment.