As humans, we do not have nine lives, and life is too short to hate the film Cats.  Anyone who can sit for two hours watching a CGI-heavy movie about superheroes and supervillains with fantastical powers has the capacity to sit through Cats, which clocks in at 1 hour and 50 minutes.  Many superhero films go (well) beyond 2 hours.  Anyone who can sit for two hours watching a horror movie with all the gore and spooky special effects should be unable to claim to be horrified at seeing the humanoid cats in Cats.  Yes, it can be jarring at first, second or third sight.  It is merely the novelty of seeing the first (and pioneering) application of a new visual effect technology.  I will admit that I had to resist the temptation of stopping my Blu-ray player (it simply must be seen in high definition) during the first musical number, but that took less willpower than avoiding eating another cookie or chip (or crisp, as the Brits would say).  By the time the armies of cockroaches appeared, my brain had adjusted to the visual overload and re-baselined what was "normal" for the remaining 90-ish minutes.  I would venture to hypothesize that young children will have no problem diving into this make-believe world.  If you haven't completely lost your child-like curiosity, then use your kids as an excuse to dive into this film. The film Cats, like its on-stage predecessor, is such a unique experience that you might want to ignore all the negative press (a lot were previews of snippets of the film) and personally check it out for yourself so as to make your own decision. It's not plot-less, but it's not based on a Tolstoy novel either.  And it's about cats--many, many cats.  Playful cats.  Cats that dance and sing.  Cats that emote.  Cats that plot to game the system.  Cats that act more human than some humans.  Yes, strange-looking humanoid cats that will take you on an unexpected ride through 1930s London and make you forget your troubles for the moment.  And because the beginning of the year 2021 (it's January 23rd) has been an extension of 2020, we all could do worse than to buy into the magic world of Cats and to be transported to an alternate universe, if only for 110 minutes. Indulge in your curiosity about Cats and you may just find that the earnest and exuberant performance of the very talented cast has won you over.