Is the Catapult expansion as cool as it sounds?
I have seen it demoed before, and I have no intention of getting it.

It definitely seems like a novelty, or at least for a younger demographic.  Judging by the reviews and ratings on BoardGameGeek, I'm not the only one who feels that way -- on their 1-10 scale, the Catapult expansion is rated a full 2.5 stars lower than the main Carcassonne set itself.

Personally, I don't like the idea of adding dexterity to my strategy games, and the new tiles look overly cutesy, but I could see kids getting a big kick out of it.