Cats Don't Dance MPAA Rating: G Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: +3

Media mogul Ted Turner has teamed up with Warner Brothers to create a new production company that's making animated entertainment, including this very lively and entertaining musical adventure. It features a very likable cat named Danny (voice by Scott Bakula) and some of his motley animal friends, who are trying desperately to become big movie stars in the Golden Era of Hollywood in the 1930s. They combine forces to form a musical group, with Danny and his feline girlfriend Sawyer (voice by Jasmine Guy, sung by Natalie Cole) as their featured song and dance team. But they find themselves competing fiercely with Hollywood's current sensation, young Darla Dimples, who is sort of a nasty version of Shirley Temple. The colorful film is filled with lots of rapid-fire action, adventures and musical numbers. The animals' dance routines are amusing, energetic and very well done, thanks in part to the choreography created by the legendary Gene Kelly before he passed away last year. Cats Don't Dance is a fun, first-class production and will likely please youngsters under eight years of age, as well as their parents.

Some of the film's action is intense, but it isn't excessive and probably won't frighten small children. It particularly gets frantic in a Noah's Ark scene when a wall of water gets out of control and crashes through various parts of a movie studio. And the animals ride the ark and waves through it all. There are some striking and chase threats in the film, but nothing serious. Also, the feature film is preceded by a "Looney Toons" cartoon featuring Foghorn Leghorn, which contains lots of comical mishaps, striking and rough treatment. Happily, there are no suggestive scenes throughout and the dialogue is completely free of any foul language or profanities. Cats Don't Dance is good family fun without any offensive detractions

Preview Reviewer: John Evans
Distributor: Warner Brothers,4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91522