After losing his wife in a tragic accident seven years earlier, famed 19th-century physician Dr. John Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.) has retreated into solitude behind the walls of his manor – his only company coming from a menagerie of exotic animals that he speaks to on a daily basis. When the young Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley) becomes gravely ill, Dolittle reluctantly answers the call. Accompanied by his animal friends, the eccentric doctor embarks on an epic adventure to a mythical island in search of a cure, crossing paths with old adversaries and meeting new creatures along the way.

An entertaining yet admittedly juvenile adventure, Dolittle features a whole host of Oscar-winners and A-listers lending their voices to the proceedings, including Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Kumail Nanjiani, John Cena and Ralph Fiennes.

On paper, everything looked promising: a long-awaited film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-running Broadway musical; the Oscar-winning director of The King’s Speech and Les Misérables at the helm; and an all-star cast including Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Idris Elba, James Corden, Rebel Wilson and even Taylor Swift.

What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out, quite a bit. The film received some of the worst reviews of 2019, criticising its atrocious CGI, nightmarish visuals and nonsensical plot about alley cats ascending to heaven.

But there is a silver lining: some are already heralding Cats as the next great cult classic, much in the same way The Rocky Horror Picture Show received a second life. If cats have nine lives, then surely this one deserves another chance? See it guilt-free at the ANU Film Group and decide for yourself.