Originally Posted By Doobie This topic is for discussion of the October 3rd Jim on Film Column at <a href="News-ID180150.asp" target="_blank">http://LaughingPlace.com/News-ID180150.asp</a>.
Originally Posted By mouseear Oliver and Company is one of my most favorite Disney films and i never understood why it din't get the recognition that it deserved! I mean it had the amazing vocal talents of Billy Joel, Hey Lewis and Bette Midler. I love the original Oliver so I was very happy when Disney decided to put their spin on it. In my opinion it is a classic!
Originally Posted By ABBY I wholeheartedly agree with mouseear. This is a great movie and one of my favorites too. I think I will go watch it!
Originally Posted By JimG I agree that this is one of the Disney Studio's most under-appreciated animated features. I have it on DVD and greatly enjoy it. I did see the film on its initial release and much enjoyed it then too.
Originally Posted By electra thank you, thank you, thank you, Jim, for writing this article! This will always be my fave Disney film cuz it was the first one I fell in love with. It made me a huge animation fan! have you voted in Basil fan's "favorite Oliver & Co character" thread yet?
Originally Posted By MagicMaker Oliver has some nice animation, nice songs, and good looking backgrounds however I have never considered it a gem. It has some slow moments and there are elements in the movie that are tough for me to 'buy'. While the songs work in the movie, there is never a consistent feel to the songs that tie themselves to the quiltwork of the picture. I consider The Great Mouse Detective to be a better movie than 'Oliver', and it is another underrated Movie, however it is no gem either. I do like these pictures an awful lot, but in order for a picture to be special on my list, it has to rank up there with some of the best Disney films,...Dumbo, Pinocchio, Lady & The Tramp and The Jungle Book among many others. Oliver & Company is simply not in that league.
Originally Posted By Jim When I look at a film, I think about how much I enjoy it. For me, I enjoy O&C immensely. I cannot relate to the idea of slow spots, and I love all the songs. No, they are not the same as those in LITTLE MERMAID, but they work really well for the film for which they were written. At least, that is my opinion. To say that O&C is not as good as, say, THE LITTLE MERMAID, is an injustice to the film. I loved SMOKE SIGNALS, but just because its not as good as THE SOUND OF MUSIC, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, or EVITA doesn't mean anything bad. It's just not AS good but very good nonetheless. For me, that's O&C. No, it may not be the BEST in the Disney canon; however, it is still very, very enjoyable. As you can tell, I love it. Of course, disagreement is always good! Thank you all for reading!
Originally Posted By fabdisbabe Bravo for writing this, Jim. Nothing irks me more than to see some ignoramus slamming a perfectly good film because it's not as good as his "favorite" film - in his eyes. And then there's people who slam good animated films just because they don't have the name Disney on them - even though the same animators worked on them. Michelle
Originally Posted By 9Lanterns I hate to be a dissenter, but I think Oliver and Co. is a bad film. It's not the worst thing ever, but it's hard to be impressed with something that has such forced humor, forced pathos, forced conflict. Some of the songs are good, but a lot of them seem dated now (actually, the entire movie reeks of 80s-ness). The character designs are uninspired (Oliver especially). The one scene that seems to rise above the rest is the "Perfect Isn't Easy" number, which seems so fresh and full of energy compared to the rest of the movie. Ultimately, Oliver and Co. (and maybe Rescuers Down Under) was the last of Disney's bizarre 70s/80s trend of putting a little kid in danger. There is so little distinction between Penny and Jenni and Cody and Olivia, that something like Little Mermaid seemed all the more fresh because it was a departure from the "kiddiness" of Disney's other recent efforts. Not that I'm comparing animated features here ;-) ...
Originally Posted By basil fan You're so right Jim. As I've said before, Disney's worst animated feature is better than the best films by most other studios. IMHO. Disney Trivia Quiz <a href="http://www15.brinkster.com/wtstsgalor/dquiz.html" target="_blank">http://www15.brinkster.com/wts tsgalor/dquiz.html</a>
Originally Posted By Luke Glad to have stumbled across this article (in addition to this site, through Jim's excellent column)...I agree with you wholeheartedly on "Oliver & Company", undoubtedly one of the most underrated of Disney's animated features. Being from the NY area, I might be partial to the settings, but I loved Disney's take on the story. The music is wonderful, the characters have depth, it's funny, suspenseful, dramatic, and a lot of fun. That's sure a lot of payoff for a film that many consider one of Disney's weaker efforts. I certainly do not consider the film one of Disney's weaker efforts. Yes, it departs from the romance/fairy-tale storyline that has figured so heavily into Disney animation. But it is a welcome departure. Even fourteen years after being made, the film seems very fresh and full of life. It is also one of the most contemporary-feeling efforts. Great article, Jim. Interesting to note that Oliver & Company was released to theaters just five days before another modern riff of a Dickens story set in New York came out. That film is "Scrooged", which is one of my all-time favorite films. Both O & Co and Scrooged are able to wonderfully blend elements of modern life with the timeless Dickens text to create something excellent and different.
