Review of The Fox and the Hound (1981) by Chip M — 17 Feb 2011

SPOILERS BELOW.

Okay, I have to say this: I think that The Fox and the Hound is the most underrated Disney film ever.

I mean, I'm not sure many people have even seen this movie. Is this one of the VERY best Disney movies? I'm not so sure. But it is very good, and it definitely deserves more recognition. The coming of age story arc of this film, as well as the realization of prejudice and how it can destroy things, includings friendships, isa very powerful theme in this movie. Sure, it's a bit obvious where this film is going from the start, but it is executed very well.

Where this movie is the strongest (in my opinion) are the emotional scenes and the action/suspense scenes. In those scenes, it's just as great as the best of Disney. For one, The Fox and the Hound is one of those rare movies to actually make me cry (I mean REALLY cry). The scenes that do it are when Widow Tweed drops Todd off in the forest and when Copper and Todd become friends again in the end, yet realizing that things can't be the same as they once were. This movie has a very powerful, poignant ending. In terms of the action/suspense, the scenes with Chief, Amos, and Copper hunting down Todd is great. My two favorite suspense moments in this film are these: when Todd is walking through the forest after Amos has set out the traps (the camera movements really make it tense, showing Todd moving deeper into the forest); also, when Copper and Todd are snarling at each other, each waiting to attack. This scene is so powerful because the look of hatred on each of their faces shows how much has changed between them. Honestly, that one moment is probably my favorite part of the movie.

The main weakness with this film is the animation/background design. It's certainly not bad, but compared to other Disney movies it's really quite bland looking. The animation industry was suffering at the time, so that's why; I can't really fault the film for that. The other fault I find in the film is that it's not as...well...charming as some other Disney films. There's no real "Hakuna Matata" or "The Bare Necessities" moment here. I mean, it's a different type of Disney film, so it doesn't really need moments quite like those, but it still just feels like a little something is missing. The main memorable songs are "Goodbye May Seem Forever" and "The Best of Friends", both of which are very emotionally powerful.

That being said, this is really a very good movie. The voice acting is solid, the story (while predictable) is well-executed, and overall this is a very underrated Disney film. Not the best, but not the worst. 8/10.

Edit: I think A Goofy Movie might be the most underrated, moreso than this one.