Review of Oliver & Company (1988) by Matthew S — 20 Dec 2011
Run-of-the-mill, unexciting and bland, "Oliver & Company" is easily one of Disney's worst animated films with its tacky animation, the Saturday morning cartoon visuals and the forgettable story.
"Oliver & Company", which is a hip modernized take on "Oliver Twist", was a smash hit back in 1988 for a reason. It had rock star Billy Joel as the Dodger and provides an incredibly catchy song, and also, it was hip for its time.
Like a DreamWorks film, "Oliver & Company" was something the teens ate up, teens who normally avoided animation or anything with the Disney name on it. Years later, when it was re-released, it bombed.
Watching it now, it's pretty much stuck in 1988. As a fun comedy, it somewhat succeeds. There are some funny and appealing characters like Cheech Marin's Tito character. The villain is intimidating, but not much is done for his character and he isn't all that menacing.
The other characters seem like stock characters at best. Definitely a low moment for Disney, a film tailor made for the masses that couldn't hold up just a couple years after it came out.
This review of Oliver & Company (1988) was written by Matthew S on 20 Dec 2011.
Oliver & Company has generally received positive reviews.
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