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 Josie
and the Pussycats are finally ready for their close-up, but the
big question is, what the heck took so long? If anything, here's a
movie that should have been made years ago. Not only are there three
beautiful girls who wear tight leopard skin outfits and play music
in a rock'n'roll band, but they also manage to save the world from
the clutches of evil madmen. And let's not forget that catchy theme
song ("Jo-sie, and the pus-sy-cats! Long-tails, and ears-for-hats!").
Well, the wait is finally over, and thanks to a funny script, clever
(and somewhat surreal) direction, and one bitchin' soundtrack, Josie
and the Pussycats fits the bill as one purr-fectly good time at
the movies!
At a time
when music is packaged and processed when it should be passionate
and provocative, the Pussycats -- Josie (Rachael Leigh Cook), Melody
(Tara Reid), and Val (Rosario Dawson) -- still dream of becoming
rock stars. The problem is, they can't find anyone who will listen
to their music. That changes when they come across Wyatt (Alan Cumming),
a sleazy music producer who is looking for "the next big thing."
He signs the Pussycats to his record label, and instead of clawing
their way to the top, they literally become an overnight sensation.
That success creates some competitive tension within the band, but
even worse, the Pussycats don't realize that Wyatt is tampering
with their music to corrupt the kids of America. Time is running
out! Will Josie and the Pussycats single-handedly be responsible
for the downfall of American culture [such as it is - Ed.], or will
they shed all the excess baggage and keep on rockin' in the free
world?
By not taking
their subject matter too seriously, directors Deborah Kaplan and
Harry Elfont have written a film that works on a number of levels.
Let's face it -- the source material wasn't anything to write home
about, but as with big screen versions of The Brady Bunch
and Charlie's Angels, everyone is in on the joke. As a result,
Josie is much better than it looks, and it stays on target
by being fun, funny, and free-spirited.
It's also
an incredibly well-timed film that takes full advantage of everything
from the current boy band craze to the popularity of TV's ultimate
guilty pleasure, "Behind the Music." But it doesn't stop there.
The film is also laced with tons of not-so-subliminal messages (about
everything from McDonalds to MTV to Motorola) that poke fun at America's
obsession with instant fame and corporate tie-ins. Actually, by
making these "messages" part of the story, the filmmakers probably
secured enough financing through product placement to cover the
entire budget of the film.
As for the
pussycats themselves, me-wow! You couldn't have asked for a better
cast. Rachael Leigh Cook uses her doe-eyed innocence to give Josie
a strong backbone and intelligence, while Rosario Dawson plays Val
as the level-headed kitty who's more concerned about friendship
than scoring #1 hits. Tara Reid steals the show as Melody, the ditsy,
dim-witted sweetheart whose lack of intelligence only adds to her
endearing (and downright sexy) charm, while Alan Cumming and Parker
Posey are obviously having a blast as the evil music executives
who want to take over the world (don't they all?).
Other than
the basic premise, Josie and the Pussycats has very little
in common with the classic cartoon series that inspired it. For
example, fans of that pesky, conniving feline Sebastian will be
disappointed -- he's nowhere to be found. Also, even though Alan
(as played by James Spader lookalike Gabriel Mann) still has the
hots for Josie, his slim and sensitive musician is nothing like
the bulky pillar of strength that you see in the cartoon. As for
the perpetually pissed-off Alexandra (Missi Pyle, who played one
of the heroic aliens in 1999's Galaxy Quest), don't worry
-- she's still around (and as for what she's doing here, her answer
is a classic!).
Ok, so the
movie can be silly at times (especially towards the end), but what
did you expect? The bottom line is this: Josie and the Pussycats
combines elements of That Thing You Do, Spice World,
and Charlie's Angels and ends up as a pleasant surprise (and
the music is pretty good, too!). The film is obviously geared towards
the MTV generation, but it's still sharp and funny enough for adults
to enjoy it as well. And if it turns out to be a box office hit,
then the sequel is a no-brainer -- Josie and the Pussycats in
Outer Space.
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