Cats Don't Dance

I'll always be a hardcore Disney fan, but I can't help but have a real soft spot for movies which prove that dreams can come true. This movie about anthropomorphic characters (animals that are like people) is simply incredible- animation stylized, cute, and fun... with an incredible plot, great music (I bought the soundtrack), amazing voice talent (that includes singing!), and believable characters. This is a real keeper...and I'm surprised that it didn't get as much attention as it deserved. I'd reccomend it to anyone who's had a dream, or who has one... and those who just love cartoons.

"Cats Don't Dance" is a delightful animated feature in the style of a 1930's musical comedy. The main character, Danny (voiced by Scott Bakula), is a high-spirited cat from Kokomo, Indiana who goes to Hollywood with dreams of becoming a movie star. But there he finds limited roles available for animals. The story is a sly message about discrimination. The imagery is bright and the music is catchy. The villainess is a wonderful Darla Dimple, a Shirley Temple parody of a child star with a dark side. Together with her monstrous manservant Max, they provide many laughs. Other funny animals include Tilly the Hippo (voiced by Kathy Najimy) and T.W. the Turtle (voiced by Don Knotts). So "Cats Don't Dance" is an enjoyable movie for everyone!

Cats Don't Dance (1997) is a hyper-saturated animated feast for the senses and an especially fun treat for those familiar with the musicals and screwball comedies of the 1930's. Having been accustomed to the beautiful detail of Pixar and the delicate touches of Disney's golden age, I was pleasantly surprised by a movie that takes absolute advantage of the slapsticky world of cartoons.

Danny (Scott Bakula) is our wide-eyed feline protagonist who sings and dances his way into a big studio picture headlined by America's Sweetheart Darla Dimple (part voiced by Ashley Peldon and sung by Lindsay Ridgeway). His friends/critics include cynical bit players Tillie the Hippo (Kathy Najimy), Cranston the Billy goat (Hal Holbrook), Wollie the Elephant (John Rhys-Davies) and Pudge the Penguin (Matthew Herried). Also in the mix is obvious love interest Sawyer (voiced by Jasmine Guy and part sung by Natalie Cole). I say obvious because she absolutely despises Danny through two thirds of the film and she's the only other cat in the film. Call me crazy but I think that relationship is a lock.

Danny learns quickly that animals aren't considered star material in Hollywood. His hamming on the set captures the attention of an infuriated Darla yet gains the respect of the other animals. This dynamic is reminiscent of how African Americans were treating during the time. Those who made a go of acting were type-casted as slaves, maids and shoe shiners. Those lucky enough to take full advantage of their roles like Hattie McDaniel in Gone with the Wind (1939) received death threats.

It's interesting to not that in addition to the barrier breaking Gone with the Wind, The film also makes references to The Wizard of Oz (1939), regalia of the LGBT community instilling since of community. Maybe the creators of Cats Don't Dance wanted to make a modern day fable holding to the maxims of equality and acceptance towards all. Though the more reasonable rationale for both films getting their names in lights is they were both released in 1939.

There are other sly riffs on Hollywood classics such as The Footlight Parade (1933), The Ten Commandments (1956), Singin' in the Rain (1952) and Bringing Up Baby (1938). That is in addition to the Darla Dimple character being an obvious parody of Shirley Temple at one point ravenously biting off the heads of animal crackers in front of the beleaguered Danny. They even have an onslaught of throwaway gags involving King Kong (1933), Zsa Zsa Gabor and The MGM Lion among many, many others.

Yet those not looking to reduce an animated movie to a game of "I Spy" will still find a lot to take away. The plot while well-worn is nevertheless genuine and interesting, the animation is eye-popping- ly goofy and the songs are entertaining if occasionally a little bland. One would wish that the characters were given a little more breathing room since the pace of the film is near neck-breaking yet seeing the gang sing "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" makes it all worthwhile.

Directed by the man who gave you The Emperor's New Groove (2000), featuring songs written by the considerably talented Randy Newman and starring the Captain of the Starship Enterprise NX-01, Cats Don't Dance is infectious fun. Overall not quite up there with The Lion King (1994) but comparable to Disney's Hercules (1997) released the same year. It's certainly not a film deserving of its obscurity so track it down and watch it if you can.

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I remembered seeing Cats Don't Dance when I was 10, and really liking it. To this day, I still find it a mystery as to why I didn't see it again since, and I can't think of a convincing enough reason why other than I forgot about it. Then, I was reading some reviews by chance that were praising this film, and I decided I must give it another chance. Thank goodness for YouTube. And you know what, I am glad I did that, and now I am kicking myself for only seeing this film once in my childhood. Seriously I loved it, why it is so underrated I don't know.

I am also scratching my head on some of the aspects of the film critical reviews have picked up. Critics complained of dull characters, and others of forgettable songs. Now I will admit that Cats Don't Dance is surprisingly ambitious, but I cannot disagree more with the criticism that it has forgettable music. I thought it was wonderful, the incidental music itself was beautiful, but the songs were amazing and definitely memorable, from the wonderfully energetic end number, to the poignant one sung by Sawyer in the rain. Though special mention has to go to Big and Loud, where Lindsay Ridgeway did a spectacular job with the singing voice of the antagonist Darla Dimple.

And the characters certainly weren't dull. Danny is a very likable Gene Kelly-like protagonist, and Sawyer is lovely. And if you're looking for a character for comic relief, look to Flannigan especially. But the most memorable character is easily Darla, wonderfully voiced by Ashley Peldon. You could say Darla is like Shirley Temple's evil twin, she is very cute yet she is mighty mean too. Her bodyguard Max for some reason frightened me at the end when he was chasing Danny when I first saw Cats Don't Dance. The animation is colourful and detailed, and the voice cast is excellent. Other definite pros are in the surprisingly consistent and mature scripting, the inspired story, its constant sense of fun and the glamorous and irresistible choreography. All in all, despite the decent enough rating on IMDb(though I personally think it should be in the 7s) this is a very underrated and almost forgotten film. 10/10 Bethany Cox

How about an animated story with animal subversives as out of work actors/musicians rising up against a repressive Hollywood movie-mogul dynasty by way of performing the hippest, swingingest dance number. Think it'll work?

Only if the story is realistic enough.

I haven't had this warm and swingin' a feeling watching an animated feature since, well, the last time I watched Tom O'Malley and Duchess (Phil Harris and Eva Gabor's voices) in the movie The Aristocats.

If you haven't seen this animated musical yet and you've been yearning to see a new cartoon feature that is produced the way they used to make 'em, this one's for you. Besides satisfying a craving for 30s/deco styled cartoons, the writing also toys with some deeper themes reminiscent of that era. It's a funny combination because we usually expect cartoons to never dig deeper than surface humor as there's never enough time for character development. However, some very witty writing (there were 10 writers listed in the credits) manages to take this story well into subject matter that is almost downright noir! That's saying a lot for a cartoon musical, and to top it all off we get Randy Newman songs composed apparently during an especially fertile period of this already extremely talented songwriter and Steve Goldstein's Broadway flair adds up to a wallop of absolutely top-notch songs.

"Big & Loud" has an arrangement that Mancini undoubtedly would have been very proud to have written and is belted to perfection by vocalist Lindsay Ridgeway. The female cat character is as jaded and sultry as Michelle Pfeiffer was in Baker Boys, and is sung by Natalie Cole who we all know is one of the most incredible female swing vocalists who has ever lived. This film really has it all. A rare gem, especially for a cartoon.

My favorite character is Woolie Mammoth, a cynical elephant pianist that immediately reminds me of Brahms, only he's a ragtime genius on the keys. In fact, there is not one (NOTE: NOT ONE) weak character in the whole cast. That is, every single supporting wiseacre line in this fast moving musical romp is written & executed perfectly. Of course, when you're writing classic 30s shtick there's plenty of tried & tested winning material and timing (timing, timing, timing!!!) to draw from and it's therefore easier than trying to make a gargoyle or a sea turtle funny. That's exactly where this flick excels, and there's no shame in that.

The most amazing thing about this movie is how it wasn't a blockbuster success from the tee-off. That's okay; there's nothing wrong with being a sleeper success. Absolutely unbelievable that Malkin panned this filck has bad as he did, considering how good it is and the quality of music etc. In the recent rush of animation features vying to break out of the children's film mold during the past few years, it seems you need a stylish techno look to get noticed. But in the long run, the real talent will eventually outshine the rest. Cats Don't Dance is one that should easily hold its place on the video collectors shelf. But to me, well... there are only a few movies that can make me cry. The Sound of Music is one that always "gets me right here." There are certain places in Cats Don't Dance that are very touching, too. Okay, I admit it. I'm a sentimental old fool. Fortunately for me, movies & sentimentality go together like cookies & milk.