Nine Lives review by Rashid Irani: A total cat-astrophe

This cockamamie tale of a workaholic tycoon who is mysteriously transformed into a cat is full of dimwitted jokes and hokey shenanigans.

NINE LIVES
Direction: Barry Sonnenfeld
Actors: Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner
Rating: 0.5 / 5

The antics of the CGI-rendered household pet, Mr Fuzzypants, barely manage to elicit a titter.

Clearly aimed at a tween audience, this purported feline comedy is far from purr-fect.

In a case of too many cooks, as many as five credited scriptwriters have concocted this cockamamie story about the comeuppance of a workaholic business tycoon (Spacey) who is mysteriously transformed into a cat.

A non-stop barrage of dimwitted jokes and ill-served shenanigans adds to the viewer’s misery. The antics of the CGI-rendered household pet, Mr Fuzzypants, barely manage to elicit a titter.

Even more dismaying is the sight of an actor of the stature of Christopher Walken going through the motions in the kooky role of a pet-shop owner.

What is Christopher Walken even doing in a movie this silly?

Despite the collaboration between celebrated cinematographer (Raising Arizona)-turned-director Barry Sonnenfeld (the Men In Black trilogy) and two Academy Award-winning actors (Spacey and Walken,) Nine Lives fails to ignite even the smallest of comedic sparks.

Watch: The trailer for Nine Lives