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 From "cat-tastrophic" to "the worst thing to happen to cats
since dogs", most reviews for the film released this week have
been far from kind, with disapproval ranging over the cast's
computer-generated furry looks, oversized sets and plot.
As of Friday, 19% of 129 reviews collected on the Rotten
Tomatoes website were positive.
"Reviews don't matter ... It's an incredible, brave piece of art
... When (the musical) came out on Broadway, it was the same
thing, people were like 'What is this, this is something totally
different'," Derulo told celebrity website TMZ.
"Any time that you defy what an art form is, any time you defy
all rules ... there's going to be some pushback obviously,"
Derulo added, calling the film's director, Oscar winner Tom
Hooper, a "class act".
"I am just excited for the people to actually see it because
reviewers ... what the hell do they know? Have they made a film
ever in their life?"
Featuring Derulo, Taylor Swift, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen,
Jennifer Hudson and Idris Elba, "Cats" sparked some negative
reaction when its trailer dropped in July.
Adapted from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, the movie shows the
actors' faces while their bodies appear to be covered in fur.
"The real issue is the distracting and disturbing 'digital fur
technology'," Tara Brady wrote for The Irish Times. "Every time
Cats settles into an admittedly avant-garde shape, an ear
twitches or a tail flicks and you’re back thinking about how
ghastly the actual cats look."
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Variety's Peter Debruge called it an "outlandishly tacky
interpretation".
"From the first shot ... to the last, 'Cats' hurts the eyes and,
yes, the ears, as nearly all the musical numbers ... have been
twisted into campy, awards-grubbing cameos for big-name stars in
bad-CG cat drag."
Based on the poems by T.S. Eliot, "Cats" follows the Jellicles group
of felines, who annually decide who will ascend to the Heaviside
Layer. The musical opened in London in 1981, becoming one of the
longest-running shows in the West End and Broadway.
Hooper said he worked on the character designs after initial
reaction to the trailer. At Monday's premiere, he told Variety he
had completed the movie only the previous day.
Several critics praised the choreography and performances.
USA Today's Brian Truitt called "Cats" an "utterly absurd yet oddly
charming movie" while Deadline's Pete Hammond said it was a "welcome
treat this holiday season".
(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Frances Kerry and
Giles Elgood)
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