LONDON (REUTERS) – Cats star Jason Derulo has hit back at critics who have slammed the film adaptation of the hit stage musical, calling the movie "an incredible, brave piece of art".
From "cat-tastrophic" to "the worst thing to happen to cats since dogs", most reviews for the film released last week have been far from kind, with disapproval ranging over the cast's computer-generated furry looks, oversized sets and plot.
As of Sunday (Dec 22), 19 per cent of 180 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."
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-grubRead More – Source
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