Cats Don't Dance

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Cats Don't Dance

G

1997

1h 15m

Kids & Family

Musical

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

22 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

A world of cats and Danny is trying to break into '30s Hollywood. His only problem is that he's a cat, and he can't understand why he's only getting parts playing an animal. He gets into trouble with a human star and almost sees his chance at a movie career disappear.

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Critics Consensus

Cats Don't Dance, but they should easily entertain all-ages audiences thanks to some colorful animation, sharp humor, and a catchy soundtrack.

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Paul Tatara

CNN.com

Aug 15, 2018

Cats Don't Dance is a blast... There's a pleasing luminescence to the animation, with colors that glow like neon throughout.

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John Petrakis

Chicago Tribune

Aug 15, 2018

Cats Don't Dance has some of the sharp irreverence of the brilliant Who Framed Roger Rabbit. There are plenty of clever asides and witty one-liners, not to mention a few terrific supporting characters.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 22, 2010

3/5

Very cute animation with Randy Newman music.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Oct 14, 2023

2/4

The characters are dull in both form and content.

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Cory Woodroof

615 Film

Jan 15, 2023

I refuse to believe anything else but that a young Damien Chazelle walked into a movie theater, watched this and left thinking, “I’m going to make this movie, but it’ll be a 3-hour bacchanal with Brad Pitt.” (Mark Dindal kicked ass with this one)

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Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

Feb 12, 2019

9/10

We rarely get movies like this that have so much heart.

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Don C

@videoactiv Jan 30, 2026

A delectable comic love song to movie musicals! I never heard of "Cats Don't Dance" when it first came out, but when our boys were young, my wife's sister sent us a VHS copy of this film that "someone said was worth watching..." Worth watching?! I'll say! Ever since our first screening "How does the kitty-cat go...?" has been a family catch phrase. If you love Singing In The Rain, Mary Poppins, Roger Rabbit, or any such elevated tomfoolery, treat yourself to this pitch-perfect send up of the old studio system and the way they ground out musicals and ground down players, re-imagined for a cast of anthropomorphic animals and misanthropic humans. A joy from start to finish -- but watch out for Darla and Max! "How does the kitty-cat go...?" "Mee-ow?"

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Bookies B

@BookiesBeat Jan 28, 2026

Excellent storytelling and much more captivating than the supposed "classics" Disney has been churning out since its inception.

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Trafalgar L

@TDWaterLaw93 Jan 16, 2026

Great movie, terrible execution. Warner Bros. absorbed the production company and let this flop. No marketing, zero fanfare and a crowded Easter weekend. But, it became an acclaimed flop.

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the S.

@theelijahstantonshow Nov 18, 2025

The most greatest cartoon ever

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jun 20, 2025

The worldwide gross is $3,500,000.00, less than the $32,000,000.00 production budget. Difference of $28,500,000.00.

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Noe G

@RT06896914 Apr 6, 2024

Cats don't dance is my most favorite Warner Bros., animated film I give this film a 10/10

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Mark Dindal

Director

Scott Bakula

Danny

Jasmine Guy

(speaking)

Ashley Peldon

Darla Dimple (speaking)

Natalie Cole

Voice

Kathy Najimy

Voice

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Synopsis

A world of cats and Danny is trying to break into '30s Hollywood. His only problem is that he's a cat, and he can't understand why he's only getting parts playing an animal. He gets into trouble with a human star and almost sees his chance at a movie career disappear.

Director: Mark Dindal
Screenwriter: Robert Lence, Rick Schneider, David Womersley, Kelvin Yasuda, Bobs Gannaway, Cliff Ruby, Elana Lesser, Theresa Pettengill
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Turner Pictures, David Kirschner Productions, Turner Feature Animation
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Musical, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 26, 1997, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.6M
Runtime: 1h 15m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround

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