Review of The Aristocats (1970) by William D — 13 Nov 2011

Back in the 70s, after the great Walt Disney died, I bet a lot of people thought that the team he left behind would not be able to continue or even recreate the magical touch he gave his classic films up until then to, the last one being The Jungle Book - sadly, he never lived to see the finished film being released. This was way before the Golden Renaissance in the 90s with The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King et al, folks - just so you know - but before then, just when they probably predicted the end was nigh after Uncle Walt snuffed it - at least he greenlit his next one - along comes the delightful, immensely enjoyable little flick The Aristocats - a film which like most Disney films before then - will leave you feeling in a great mood even if you've been feeling down. I can guarantee the hardest, snootiest person would feel the same afterwards.

Set in 1910 with beautifully drawn and painted Parisian landscapes, all as exquisite as the posh cats themselves, the wealthy and kind-hearted retired opera singer Madame Adelaide Bonfamille decides to leave her beloved cat Duchess, beautifully voiced by the late Eva Gabor, along with her three darling kittens Berlioz, Toulouse and Marie (a cat who's a lady in more ways than one), the Madame's fortune in her will. Life couldn't be more purr-fect - you would think - until the crafty butler Edgar decides that he's the one who should inherit the cash before those felines can get their upper-class paws on it. He sneakily catnaps them and unintentionally leaves them in the French countryside. What are those high-class kitties to do? Along comes the scene-stealing streetwise alleycat Thomas O'Malley to the rescue, brilliantly voiced by Phil Harris (who also provided for Baloo in Jungle Book - how did he ever come up with a catchy singing voice you can dance along to like his as well as bring some of the best Disney characters to life when they're speaking at the same time?).

The Aristocats is a simple story, told with such charm and pleasure and made with families in mind without letting it just be pure dispensable cartoon kiddie fodder. True, it may not be to everyone's taste as some may find it too cute-sy or kiddyish for their liking, which is not really the case even though the kittens are cute, while others may consider it to be to cats what 101 Dalmatians is to dogs. The plot does share a few similiarites (animals get kidnapped by villain, animals find their way back home, animals defeat villain) but this is the better film for me hands down - or should that be paws? This is not just because I'm a cat-lover myself but the kittens' voices aren't as whiny, if not at all, as the puppies' voices in 'Dalmatians' ultimately were and Duchess, with her lovely French accent, soothing kind motherly voice and reassurance that her children behave politely - some of today's kids need to seriously take note - should rank alongside the best mothers in Disney history alongside Mrs Jumbo in err...Dumbo, Bambi's mum before the hunters let her have it, and even Pixar's Elastigirl from The Incredibles whereas Perdita the dalmation was crying for her Pongo so much that I wished Cruella De Vil would have made a spotty furcoat out of her rather than the 99 pups that she stole, bought and gathered to make it in the first place (I'm cruel, aren't I?).

This film ain't just about the cats. A great supporting cast of animal characters join them as well like the almighty but little mouse Roquefort who's friends with the noble felines (kind of defies the laws of nature this, dunnit?), the two hound dogs Napoleon and Lafayette, bold enough to make the first attack on hearing the adversary cross enemy lines - this being Edgar in a hugely funny chase on his motorbike, that of which I think the Disney team sneaked an Italian Job reference into, the hysterically funny geese Abilgail and Amelia Gabbel and their Uncle Waldo who make me laugh each time I see them even to a point when tears came out - trust me, kids will be walking the same way they do long after each and every viewing - the wonderfully named cart-horse Frou Frou (don't ask!), Georges Hautecourt, a lawyer who's young at heart and has still got plenty of energy left in his old bones and who can not forget Scat Cat and his jazzy band of alleycats?

Disney's Aristocats has the right ingredients for a great family film classic -terrific characters, brilliant animation and, typical of Disney at that time, charming, memorable, toe-tapping songs including 'Everybody Wants To Be A Cat', some of which were written by the Sherman Brothers of Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang fame (did they ever write a bad song?) and what all films should have - a story which has a beginning, middle and end and doesn't drag. Whether it should be viewed on DVD or on a cinema screen, which I did during a Classic Film Weekend, it's an animated treasure which should become a favourite amongst us, even I loved it and this is a guy who prefers his Pixar and Aardman to his Disney - but I do have a few favourites in amongst that catalogue. Remember, next time you walk -'think goose!'.