Review of Oliver & Company (1988) by Steve C — 08 Mar 2011

This is my favorite Disney movie of all-time! I loved it as a kid, and continue to love it as an adult. Why this film is reviewed so harshly is beyond me. This deserves it place into the long line of Disney's classics.

The film is an example of Disney Animation marking its official comeback as a studio that still kicks butt, even without Walt Disney at the helm. This film was the beginning of a new direction for Disney, and the beginning of a new beautiful era as we would see more great films afterward such as The Little Mermaid a year later, then Beauty and the Beast, and many more before the Pixar films would begin to dominate.

The story brings a fresh new look to a story that has been adapted hundreds of times before. Taking it from the gritty streets of London to the hard streets of New York City, this film brings new life into the story, as our favorite characters are now animated into our favorite furry domesticated animals (much like what Disney did in 1973 with Robin Hood). A new take on an old story, Disney slaps its trademark happy ending onto it, completing a great movie.

There a lots of complaints about the quality of the animation. First of all, in this film's defense, I imagine most of the animating budget was being used for producing The Little Mermaid, and with that said, I think the animators did a great job for what they were given. The animation is not nearly to the quality of its successors, but it is still beautiful for what it is, and by combining some computer effects with some of the animation sequences, Disney has officially set foot into new territory. Although lackluster in some aspects, the animation is still groundbreaking for its time, and I imagined it still wowed audiences nonetheless.

Now for the musical numbers. This was another groundbreaking aspect of the film, with a fresh, modern take on the Disney musical. In addition to traditional orchestra, this film adds new musical styles to reflect the urban setting. Throw in Billy Joel, Huey Lewis, Bette Midler and one of the Pointer Sisters, and you've got yourself the star-studded collaboration that Walt Disney had always dreamed of. (He tried getting The Beatles to perform the buzzards' musical number in the Jungle Book, but was unsuccessful. It wasn't until this film where they were able to capitalize on this idea). The musical numbers are memorable, fun, and most of all: having ATTITUDE.

The characters are loveable, the climax is stunning, and its overall a fun masterpiece. Amongst the most underrated Disney animated films of all time, I feel this film deserves much more credit, and certainly much less CRAP, for what this film accomplishes, and how this film set up the foundation of an era that we will never see again. There is no reason this film deserves less than a 100! I would consider it to be utter blasphemy if this film wasn't part of everyone's Disney collection. Go out and buy it! >:O.