Review of Cats Don't Dance (1997) by Trevor L — 16 Feb 2009

While it may have never have garnered the attention of Animation juggernauts like Aladdin or Toy Story, Cats Don't Dance is a wonderful film full of song, dance, and boundless energy. Scott Bakula plays the naive Danny, a cat from Indiana who wants to be a tap-dancing movie star; for those of you who don't know, Bakula was the star of the Sci-fi hit Quantum Leap and before that was a successful Broadway actor, so it would be natural for him to voice a character in a musical.

Anyways, there are other talented voice actors from the late Don Knotts to Frank Welker (known in the voice acting community for his flawless vocal performances of animals). The Pros? The choreography and songs in this film are wonderful, perfectly capturing the essence of Hollywood circa 1930s featuring cameos and in-jokes about celebrities during the era.

Also, the color palette is bright and lively, exactly right to capture the over-the-top nature of both an animated film and a musical. The Cons? Well, the film's story wrapped up a bit too fast for my taste but then again the run time is 75 minutes, which is average for an animated film.

Still, if you're a fan of Gene Kelly era musicals and animated films, you'll enjoy the film.