On The Late Show, Idris Elba manages to keep his sexiest man alive cred, even as a cat
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Look, if anyone is going to emerge unscathed from the upcoming (sort of like a hairball) movie version of Cats, it’s Idris Elba. Confronted with a still from that trailer for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical extravaganza that’s been haunting your summer heatwave nightmares on last night’s Late Show, damned if Elba didn’t still manage to look badass and, well, sexy. Elba showed off the goofy, eyebrow waggle he’s found is his involuntary response anytime anyone mentions his ongoing reign as People’s Sexiest Man Alive to Stephen Colbert, and damned if that wasn’t sort of working for the former Stringer Bell, too. (He’s also DJ-ing every weekend in Ibiza, just to maintain the necessary sexiness.) Taking mock offense when Colbert intimated that his rule as the sexiest sentient being in the universe was ending in November, Elba corrected that the “alive” clause meant that he was officially in charge of all things sexy for the rest of his natural life, which, fair enough. (Of course, he’s no Blake Shelton or anything, but Elba squeaks by.) He also mocked 2016's supposed sexy monarch Dwayne Johnson (or Dwayne “The Dwayne” Johnson, according to Colbert) for still futilely trying to hang onto his title, saying, in sexy deadpan, “It’s sad.”
Not that the erstwhile The Rock didn’t do his best to cut his successor down to size on the set of their new movie, the Fast And The Furious spinoff action-and ampersand-fest Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Elba told Colbert that the formerly sexy Johnson (and perennial sexy also-ran Jason Statham) took turns making Elba confess to the nature of his next (furry, crooning) role right before commencing one of their burly, bashing fight scenes. (According to the clip he brought, the Fast And The Furious franchise continues to spin out into deliriously bananas koo-koo town, with Elba playing some sort of Terminator-type villain? Anyone?) Elba got his own back on The Late Show, though, pronouncing co-star Statham more of a real-life tough guy (“He’s just, like, wiry.”), while saying that Johnson is more of a hugger, really. Sort of a pussycat, you might say.
And while Colbert didn’t dare press the issue of the justifiably horrified reaction audiences seem to be having to the sight of people like Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Rebel Wilson, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, and the inevitable James Corden strutting about on oversized sets in form-caressing CGI catskins, he did playfully swat at Elba over his look in the trailer. (Which, one more time, Elba sort of pulls off.) Asking for some cat lessons akin to those the film’s director Tom Hooper insisted his illustrious cast go through in preparation for the film version of one of the most deliriously overwrought and plotless musicals of all time, Colbert was instructed on the shoulders-heavy strut necessary when you’re the sexiest cat alive. (Elba’s playing Macavity, who is a character in Cats, as everyone no doubt knows.) Elba didn’t address any lingering sheepishness over being a cat (although he did confess to not understanding what the hell the plot is), referring obliquely to the “wonderful magic of moviemaking” involved, and duly and ably whipped Colbert’s paw-licking feline impression into shape. Not sexiest cat alive shape or anything, but Colbert at least had the right teacher.
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He actually stayed in character during the entirety of filming Cats, but still had his DJ gig in Ibiza.
First he plays the Cat. Soon he’ll be playing this:
Speed bumps!
Shouldn’t they leave him for The Rock?
“damned if Elba didn’t still manage to look badass and, well, sexy.”Counterpoint: No.
I expect to be trodden into dust for this, but I don’t get why people are slagging this movie so badly. The CGI is serviceable and not creepy; the voices are expressive and tuneful; the score, while redolent of the 80s penchant for silly pop opera, actually contains lines and melodies which are still seriously quoted and sung today. There’s a reason it ran so long on Broadway: it is enchanting. The movie, which I suspect will never be as good as the live performance of course, still deserves a fair chance and objective watch. I think all the snarky complainers will find themselves in the minority sooner or later.
I think “the CGI is serviceable and not creepy” is the point you would see the most push-back on.
Probably. And maybe seeing it on a huge screen would really bring out the weirdness. But watching the trailer, it didn’t reach Uncanny Valley-level distraction and I stopped noticing it pretty quickly. The focus was so intent on their faces, which had pretty minimal digital enhancements as far as I could see.
I expect to be trodden into dust for this, but I don’t get why people are slagging this movie so badly. The CGI is serviceable and not creepyUm… what? The CGI is technically fine, yes, but it is aggressively creepy. It is triggering my “uncanny valley” sensors like no CGI has ever tripped them before.It is absolutely unsettling, because these creatures in this trailer are not cats, and they are not humans. These things are CGI monsters; cat bodies twisted and distorted into human shapes, or perhaps human bodies coated with feline fur… the heads are a bizarre amalgamation of human proportion with cat ears and a straight-up human face slapped over top of it.The Broadway costumes were silly and a little t00 1980s, but they did a serviceable job of blending human and cat features in a way that really obfuscated the human underneath. The movie just slaps a very noticeable human face on a cat body. With furry boobs. It is absolutely bonkers looking.
As for the content of the play itself, it was all very dumb… just cats singing about doing cat things; it was rather pointless and incomprehensible. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmitt just about hit the nail on the head by portraying it as a play where random people in the audience can just dress as cats, wander onto stage and sing some nonsense, and are then absorbed as official cast members.
I would describe the CGI as just serviceable and very creepy.But the CATS tv ads were literally the source of my childhood nightmares, so I was never in the target audience.
The degree of creepiness probably also depends on how hi-def your viewing experience is.
E.T. creeped me the hell out. I’ve never watched it because of the wrinkly alien with the child molester voice.
I like the musical itself so my issues with the trailer are all about the visuals. The faces are off-putting but I could get over that if it was the only problem. I also find the animation very jerky in the trailer. I’ve heard that’s unfinished effects so maybe the actual film will look better but I’ve already seen enough to know that I’m only interested in the soundtrack.
See, I didn’t think the faces were bad at all. The transition from neck to chest was a little weird, but that was pretty minor. Honestly I’d rather see hand-crafted real costumes than computer hocus pocus, but technology.
Get off the computer, mom.
Keep up the attitude and I’m taking away your phone.
Well, for starters, nobody’s trashing the movie, because they haven’t seen it, and neither have you. The trailer is disturbing, tho.
They are trashing the movie by extension, if you read the various reviews. They make general conclusions about the whole thing based on a two-minute trailer. What I saw in that two minutes didn’t merit a wholesale thumbs down. I didn’t make any extrapolations as though I’d seen the whole movie either. My prediction is the negativity will turn out to be a tempest in a teapot.
Again. There are no reviews because the movie hasn’t been released. The producers put together their best two minutes to sell the movie, and the response from the Internet was laughter and mocking. Little old ladies who love “Cats” will still go see it. It’ll make lots of money. Many people will like it. Others won’t. I see no fouls.
Again. A trailer can be reviewed just like a movie can. Anything can be reviewed. You can stop being condescending now.
Practical effects are far better than they were when the original Cats hit broadway. They should have done it on this and happily experienced the fact that Superior practical is half the cost of CG, while having to pay far fewer people more money versus hundreds for pennies.
Agreed. The 80s costumes kind of made me laugh.
I don’t think pretending to be a cat should be an impediment. They are graceful and kind of slinky lots to work with. Call be back we he can make being a warthog sexy.
Can Idris Elba sing and/or dance? I’m not a fan of the trend of hiring non-singers for movie musicals, but Cats has to be the worst possible property to give that treatment. It’s barely a play, just a showcase for music and dance.
Yes, he can sing. He was a member of the National Youth Music Theatre as teenager, has an album, and has performed at Coachella. His music career didn’t really got too far before he got cast on The Wire, though.
They cast some heavy talent; this is not a vanity project.
Dancing isn’t an issue, since its a movie and they can just cut around it and its been a long time but i’m not even sure the musical character ever even sings- he mostly lurks around in the background and then has a ‘dance fight.’ They don’t even bother to cast a specific actor for the character in the show- one of the regular ensemble subs in for the few times he appears. its a weird show
He makes music. I’m not saying it’s good.
He plays the mysterious sexy black cat that a bunch of girl cats want to bang. It’s perfect castingI don’t even think the character sings or dances in the play
Nope, he doesn’t. Other cats sing about Macavity, though the actor playing him is supposed to be a fairly good dancer since it’s a dance-heavy role.But considering they cast Taylor Swift in a role that is heavy on dance and is supposed to be in possession of a smoky/sultry voice, I don’t think they’re really sticking to traditional casting qualifications for certain roles. They did seem to hire a bunch of ballet dancers for some roles, just not all.
what’s with his pants?
Well, he didn’t even TRY not to appear bashful about his involvement in Cats. This is gonna be a long publicity trail for the cast…
Is he playing a cyborg in Hobbs & Shaw? I haven’t watched any of the F&F movies since like the third one and never paid close attention to them but when did they go sci-fi?
Genetically engineered or something. This is the first full on sci-fi element of the series but it’s been over-the-top action movie silly for year now. We will get “The Family” driving on the moon by 2030
My wife and I have come to a conclusion: Idris is corny. Very corny. He’s a goober, as we say. That doesn’t for a second take the shine off of Stringer Bell or other great roles he’s played. But he’s a nerd.
Oof. These blow-by-blow Late Show recaps are painful to read. Won’t be clicking on those again. How far you have fallen, AV Club…
Someone should have squirted him with a water bottle. Bad Kitty!
Idris Elba manages to keep his sexiest man alive cred, even as a catHe sat down, ignored everyone and spent the whole show licking his balls?
There is only one true Cat and it’s not Idris!
I don’t know how he survived the Dark Tower movie, to be honest.