The Aristocats 1970
This may be the first Disney animated movie I saw in the theaters, coming out in 1970 when I was 5. I don’t think I’ve seen it since, but parts of it seemed very familiar, like the motorcycle (maybe we had a picture book based on the movie). In my Disney rankings this one doesn’t fare that well, but it seems to have gotten good reviews at the time. I was surprised how good it is. While based on an original story, many aspects are very familiar. Similar to 101 Dalmatians pets are kidnapped. Similar to Lady and the Tramp, the pets are used to comforts before finding a charming street urchin. Similar to every Disney movie in a 20 year period, the supporting characters are voiced by at least six actors that appeared in two or more other Disney features. But the story is a little simpler and lighter. The villain here isn’t as evil as Cruella de Vil (never seems to want to harm the cats, just get them out of the way). That makes it better for kids, but leaves it a little lacking in drama. There are still some good songs and a lot of colorful side characters. And even if the same voice actors are used, they are perfect in these parts (except none are French even though the story is set in Paris; Eva Gabor is the closest to French and she is Hungarian). Overall this is one of the better Disney movies in terms of songs, voice acting, and a solid story and animation, just not quite as sharp as it might have been.
Written: 18 Feb 2020
Owned on: Blu-ray, DVD, Digital