#20 The Aristocats

Title: The Aristocats

Release Date: December 11th, 1970

Voice Cast: Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Gary Dubin, Liz English, Dean Clark

Recap: A mother cat and her three kittens live happily with a wealthy madame in an upscale district of Paris. All is going well for them until the madame's butler finds out that he is taking a back seat to the cats in her will. He decides to get rid of the cats by abandoning them in the countryside. Luckily, they meet a streetwise, friendly alley cat named O'Malley who agrees to escort them back to Paris. Throw in two british geese, one drunk goose, a persistent horse and mouse, a comedy duo of hounds, and a swing band of cats, and you've got The Aristocats.

Review: There are few movies I have seen in my life that made me laugh more than The Aristocats. It's priceless comedy that brings together a blend of slapstick the style of Abbott & Costello or Laurel & Hardy, purely unintentional humor, and poking fun at the French. Without a doubt, my favorite characters were Napoleon & Lafayette, two farm dogs who can carry on a comedy routine like the greats.
"It was just a little cricket bug, Napoleon."
"Hold it! I'm the leader! I'll say what it was! ... It was just a little cricket bug."
I could have watched them for hours.

While not jampacked with excitement like most other Disney films, this story is well-played. It has dynamic characters, cute voices (which I am a sucker for), and a fair plot that will keep your butt glued to your seat, eyes to the screen. And I, personally, saw Edgar, the butler, as the most unlikely candidate for a villain in the first five minutes. The French setting is perfect, as it makes for both unique scenery and a unique score. The soundtrack is decent, too, full of upbeat tunes like "Everybody Wants to Be a Cat".

I have but two minor complaints about the film. First, the liney animation I mentioned in The Sword in the Stone was present again in some aspects. Namely, the madame's hair looked completely unfinished. It looked like rough draft, raw animation. Secondly, in a FEW places there was some shotty voice acting, just hardly noticeable.

But I would pay good money to see Disney make a film as funny as this one. I just don't see how it's possible, though!

Under the Sea (Darling, It's Better...)