‘Pussycats’ a purrfect surprise

I would be remiss if I did not say that “Josie and the Pussycats” was not quite what I thought it would be. I was expecting just another campy comic book rip-off – a teenybopper flick, whose plotline is more appropriate to an Old Navy commercial than a film. Truth be told, “Josie and the Pussycats” was all these things. And just as I was set to pounce upon it ruthlessly (like a kitten with a ball of yarn perhaps), it occurred to me that it was something else too: It was a lot of fun.

“Josie and the Pussycats,” directed by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, follows the basic outline of the comics and cartoons it was adapted from. Josie McCoy (Rachael Leigh Cook, “She’s All That”) and her two friends Valerie Brown (Rosario Dawson, “Down to You”) and Melody Valentine (Tara Reid, “American Pie”) are the members of the Pussycats, who find themselves pulled into a mystery while on the road to rock superstardom. Recording executive Wyatt Frame (Alan Cumming, “Spy Kids”), who is looking for a replacement to his last mega-band Du Jour (not so tragically killed in a mysterious plane crash), picks up the Pussycats.

It soon becomes apparent however, that all is not as it seems. Fiona (Parker Posey, “Dazed and Confused”), the owner of Mega Records to which the Pussycats are signed, proves to be a maniacal villainess with prepubescent hang ups. Her plan is to insert subliminal messaging into the Pussycat’s music, which forces teens into rampant, and pointless trendy consumerism. Meanwhile, Josie and Valerie began to catfight for control of the band, skillfully manipulated by the ever-devious Wyatt. However, friendship and rock `n’ roll prevail as the Pussycats unite in an attempt to defeat Fiona.

While it’s no contender for best movie of the year, “Pussycats” has a lot going for it. Its lead cast of Cook, Dawson and Reid, is more than pretty faces (make that more than very, very pretty faces). They are convincing as best friends as well. Reid shines as the ditzy, but heartwarmingly optimistic Melody. The silly blonde girl is not a difficult role to play per say, but Reid’s performance makes gags that would normally flop, funny. Dawson plays a pivotal foil for Cook, and in the scene where band tension is coming to a head she has a lot of energy to give the role. Cook plays an incredible Josie. Her best moment is without a doubt playing Josie under the subliminally control. It is impressive to see a young actress pull an emotional 180 as Cook does.

Despite the best efforts of its talented leads though, “Pussycats” struggles with one major flaw. Its anti-conformity message is tired, and not half as subtle as the subliminal messages in the Pussycat’s music, and as one watches, one begins to suspect that Universal really does believe that “Pussycats” teen audience really is as dimwitted as portrayed. It is as if they know the same screaming *Nsync fans they mock with the film’s opening will be in theatre, and loving every minute of it.

They say “Josie and the Pussycats’ is the new ‘Clueless.’” And they’re probably right. But then, how does one propagandize the message that we should think for ourselves? After all, we don’t want to put Universal out of business.