I'm not a huge fan of film adaptations of musicals. Beyond not really being a musical person, I feel as though the life of a stage performance can be lost on the screen.

I honestly think this is an exception. It rightfully focused on style and expression over plot, just as (I suspect) the stageplay did. Cats is suited for a medium where the level of surrealness can be turned up even higher. With gorgeous sets, creative camera movement, and a daring animation style, I can better appreciate the essence of a show that isn't meant to be fully understood.

Reading about the making of this film, I learned that the animators were mistreated, and given far too little time to achieve the visual effects. I'm so impressed that, in my opinion, they pulled it off. Who cares if a human hand is visible, or if someone's feet doesn't quite touch the ground? The eccentric proportions of each set were weird in a good way. Feline features made the choreography more sensual, mysterious, and fantastic.

I won't pretend to know much about Cats, and wish I could watch the original West End and Broadway productions. Maybe the version critics were hoping for really would have been better. But as far as I can tell, this was a fitting adaptation, and worth a watch.