Reviews for Cats Don't Dance

The critics and I must've seen a different film. To hear them talk about this underrated and forgotten movie, you would think they just watched the worst animated movie in existence. I saw a high energy, reasonably diverting and humorous cartoon. What were they watching? Leonard Maltin himself even gave this movie only a star and a half. A star and a half?! Is Cats Don't Dance a gem? No. Is it that horrible? Absolutely not. This isn't even comparable to Disney. Why were the critics holding it to Disney's level and expecting a magical experience? Well. Why wouldn't it be a magical experience? The characters were at least fun to watch, even if the animation was merely adequate and the story standard fare. The songs are snappy, too. I don't know what they were listening to.

Some critics got it right. I am not alone when I say that I would rather watch this than WB's grossly overhyped movie Space Jam. According to Sean Means, Cats Don't Dance has more humor and energy than Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame put together. I rather agree with him. TV Guide describes it as "an occasionally clever kiddie cartoon that often rises above its straightforward plot". Well there you have it. It's just a cartoon. Nothing more. Nothing less. It's just like it should be. Unlike many animated movies, it doesn't pretend to be something it isn't. Is that so wrong? If you've never seen or even heard of Cats Don't Dance and want to see a cartoon done in the old fashioned way, a cartoon without all the fuss, give this one a try. You could do worse, despite what the critics say. Even though the movie is no longer one of my favorites, it still holds a special place in my heart. I'm still a member of the fan club, after all.

By Kaxxar

Cats Don't Dance will always be one of my favorite animated movies despite one gigantic flaw in it. I'll get to that in a minute, but first let's start with the good.

The movie is based around a cat named Danny trying to make it big as a Hollywood star but soon finds that the movies are for people while the animals get reduced to bit parts. He meets many different animal pals including Sawyer the cat, L.B. Mammoth, Pudge the penguin and a spoiled child star named Darla Dimple.

What really makes it fun to watch is the assortment of characters and their interactions. From Darla's overly sterotypical assistant Max to an impromptu jam on the movie lot, it's all just really fun to watch. The story and animation, while nothing revolutionary, are still good and each character has their own distinct personality, and don't feel like just a bunch of animals tossed together.

So what's the big flaw then? The songs are TERRIBLE! Not one of them is any good. It detracts from the movie when the animals are supposed to be thought of as talented when they sing such bad songs, especially during the finale. Had the producers enlisted help from some good songwriting talent, it could have been one of the best animated movies ever.

It's a little hard to look past the songs when they're a central driving point to the story, but I got over it after a few viewings. I do recommend Cats Don't Dance as it is a lighthearted and fun movie, but just grit your teeth through the songs and you'll enjoy it.