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Cats is a musical film that released in 2019, directed by Tom Hooper. It is an adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous stage musical of the same name that originated on the West End in 1981. The movie follows the story of a group of felines, the Jellicle Cats, gathering for their annual Jellicle Ball. The ball is a night where they decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn.

The movie begins with a white cat, Victoria (Francesca Hayward), abandoned on the streets of London. She is soon discovered by a group of cats, including the curious and mischievous Jennyanydots (Rebel Wilson), the old and wise Old Deuteronomy (Judi Dench), the theatrical and dramatic Rum Tum Tugger (Jason Derulo) and the fatherly Bustopher Jones (James Corden). They introduce her to the world of Jellicle Cats, and as she explores the vibrant and fantastical world of the ball, Victoria meets more and more cats who all have their own unique personality and skillset.

The movie progresses, and each cat then gets their time to shine as they perform their musical numbers during the Jellicle Ball. Mr. Mistoffelees (Laurie Davidson) shows off his magical powers, performing a dance that's a combination of ballet and breakdance moves, while SkimbleShanks (Steven McRae) displays his tap dance skills in the Train Station. Macavity (Idris Elba), the villain of the film, makes his presence known as he sings his song surrounded by a stream of smoke and lights.

The plot thickens as Macavity, obsessed with winning the titular role, decides to kidnap the other contestants to eliminate them from the competition, leaving him as the only eligible cat. The other cats, led by Victoria and Munkustrap (Robbie Fairchild), come together, devising a plan to rescue the captives and stop Macavity's evil plan.

One of the unique features of the movie is the use of CGI animation to create an anthropomorphic appearance of the cats on-screen. The movie uses the actors' motion capture and filming techniques to create the fantasy world of Jellicle Cats, turning most of the actors into feline versions of themselves. The use of CGI has been both heavily criticized and praised, with some arguing it made the characters appear lifeless, and others praising the realistic visuals that brought the world of the cats to life.

Another highlight of the movie is undoubtedly the musical numbers. The iconic setlist includes "Memory," "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats," "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat," "Macavity: The Mystery Cat," among others. The energy, choreography, and sets of each song are mesmerizing and undoubtedly a standout feature of the movie.

Overall, Cats is a feast for the eyes and ears. The film captures the essence of the stage musical while also adding its distinct touch to it. The performances by the star-studded cast are noteworthy, with Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy and Francesca Hayward as Victoria being particularly impressive. The visuals of the movie are dreamy, bordering on surreal, and will undoubtedly enamor any cat lover.

Cats is a 2019 fantasy movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 50 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 2.8 and a MetaScore of 32.