No. I'm not kidding with this one. He was a guest reviewer for Entertainment Weekly and gave this movie positive marks. And who can blame him? This is a charming, upbeat, and rather funny Disney movie. Who doesn't love kittens? The music in Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat is jamming. It makes me want to snap my fingers or something. Only years later when Cats Don't Dance came out have I seen a movie that was that musically fun. What Aristocats lacks in animation and story, it makes up for in charm. Plus, everything moves at a relaxed pace, and even the villain isn't all that scary. It's perfect for the younger set while not being so sappy that adults can't like it. If Snoop was here, I'm sure he would say the same thing. Yeah. Dig those CRAZY cats, man.
173 Reviews
The Aristocats: The Most Underrated Disney Film
Ryan_Barbakins4 August 2019
The Aristocats is a hilarious and heartwarming Disney delight that gets a bad wrap. Maybe I'm bias because I watched this movie so much as a kid, but even as I re-watch it not, I realize just how care-free and fun this movie is.
The plot of the movie shows just that. This movie is about an aristocrat who puts her cats as her inherits in her will before her butler. Right off the bat, we see how hilariously odd this occurrence is, which makes the audience digest the movie in a lighter-tone. What I'm trying to say is that the movie knew exactly what tone to set and how to.
I find this movie much more entertaining than many older Disney movies, most likely because it nailed its comedy. It seemed to focus on using random occurrences and out of the ordinary situations to make the audience laugh ie: the dogs attacking Edgar, O Mally jumping on the "Magic Carpet", and the entirety of the 'Everybody Wants to be a Cat' sequence. The two dogs attacking Edgar seems to be the highlight of the comedy, not even because they are attacking him, but because they are 2 great characters put together. Their dialogue leaves you on edge and will make you to laugh out loud numerous times.
Finally, one of the greatest things about this movie is the music! The soundtrack is so catchy, and entertaining to listen to. It is defiantly a step up from Disney's older slower songs. Everybody Wants to be a Cat is by far one of the greatest Disney songs ever. It is long, catchy, exciting, and layered with sections that give the song dynamics. The lyrics are both funny, and interesting as a cat's perspective on life.
To conclude this quite possibly contriversial review, The Aristocats is a funny, delightful, and care-free Disney film that is criminally underrated.
Sweet, Romantic and Completely Underrated!
FiendishDramaturgy23 March 2007
This is NOT the masterpiece that is Snow White, Cinderella, or Bambi, but it IS a very sweet, enjoyable, romantic, well-done Disney animated feature.
There are, of course, lessons included herein for the kiddies, and some very appropriate kiddie-cheek, but there is plenty herein for the adults, as well.
While this is somewhat of a regurgitation of the Classic Disney RomCom Adventure, it still holds some elements, which solely belong to the AristoCats. O'Malley is the "tramp" and Dutchess is the "lady," but Dutchess has several kittens and they are all trying to get home.
Phil Harris is our tomcat O'Malley. You may recognize his voice, as he also furnished the voice of Baloo the Bear in the Jungle Book, and Little John in Disney's Robin Hood. Eva Gabor lends her silky sweet voice to Dutchess.
Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, who directed, or worked on, every Disney animated film worth mentioning until his death in 1985.
This is among my very favorite of the Disney animated feature films, and belongs in any Disney collection. The 2-Disk Special Edition Is Due Out This Summer (2007).
This rates an 8.4/10 from...
the Fiend :.
There are, of course, lessons included herein for the kiddies, and some very appropriate kiddie-cheek, but there is plenty herein for the adults, as well.
While this is somewhat of a regurgitation of the Classic Disney RomCom Adventure, it still holds some elements, which solely belong to the AristoCats. O'Malley is the "tramp" and Dutchess is the "lady," but Dutchess has several kittens and they are all trying to get home.
Phil Harris is our tomcat O'Malley. You may recognize his voice, as he also furnished the voice of Baloo the Bear in the Jungle Book, and Little John in Disney's Robin Hood. Eva Gabor lends her silky sweet voice to Dutchess.
Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, who directed, or worked on, every Disney animated film worth mentioning until his death in 1985.
This is among my very favorite of the Disney animated feature films, and belongs in any Disney collection. The 2-Disk Special Edition Is Due Out This Summer (2007).
This rates an 8.4/10 from...
the Fiend :.
Superb Visual Style and Humor in one of Disney's best!
Doylenf26 March 2001
Complaints from previous commentators that "the pencil marks show" in the animated art shows that they miss the point entirely. The visual style is deliberately similar to what was used in '101 Dalmatians' with the characters having a deliberately sketchy look--an art style used to great effect in this and several other Disney movies. Far from being "weak animation", this is one of the very best works produced by the Disney artists. The color is superb, the humor is constant and the mere fact that the storyline bears a resemblance to the 'Dalmatians' plot does nothing to weaken the film. Upon release, it was an enormous success and has made even more money in subsequent theatrical revivals. Viewers who make comments about the art work, don't seem to realize that the "sketchy" look was what the artists sought--it has nothing whatsoever to do with careless art work. All the voices are extremely well done--Eva Gabor as the Duchess and Phil Harris as Thomas O'Malley are perfect. The slapstick comedy involving the bumbling butler and the dogs is priceless! This is another great Disney film that children and adults can enjoy equally.
Overlooked?
Atreyu_II4 July 2007
The 20th animated Disney classic is often criticized by many people as "mediocre" or poor in quality, but it is a good movie.
Despite being extremely underrated, it is one of the funniest Disney classics. It is full of hilarious (some of them, hysterical) moments.
Edgar, the greedy butler, is the villain but a perfect comic relief. He's one of my favorite Disney villains because he is so funny.
Every scene with Edgar and the two stupid hound dogs Napoleon and Lafayette chasing him are among the most hilarious you'll ever see, especially the one when Edgar drives his motorcycle into the river and around the bridge, with the dogs chasing him. That is hysterical!
But the classic humor doesn't just come from Edgar or the hound dogs. Other characters have their moments as well.
About the quality subject, it isn't perfect, but remains on a high level. Even after Walt Disney's death those artists knew how to keep faithful to Walt's spirit and "The Aristocats" is one of those examples. They no longer make them like this!
As usual, legendary Disney actors voice the characters. In this case, we have Phil Harris, Sterling Holloway, Paul Winchell, Eva Gabor and Pat Buttram.
The characters are generally cool: Thomas O'Malley, Duchess and her 3 kittens, the mouse Roquefort, the alley cats, the English geese, the hound dogs and the horse. The human characters are included as well: the eccentric and kind retired Opera singer Madame Adelaide Bonfamille, the comic Madame's old lawyer Georges Hautecourt and Edgar himself!
About the soundtrack, it has some nice and catchy songs such as Thomas O'Malley's theme (but I can't remember its name), "Everybody Wants to be a Cat" and "The Aristocats" (sung by Maurice Chevalier), for example.
This movie takes place in Paris (France), in the year of 1910. A classic, often underestimated and forgotten, but worthy.
Despite being extremely underrated, it is one of the funniest Disney classics. It is full of hilarious (some of them, hysterical) moments.
Edgar, the greedy butler, is the villain but a perfect comic relief. He's one of my favorite Disney villains because he is so funny.
Every scene with Edgar and the two stupid hound dogs Napoleon and Lafayette chasing him are among the most hilarious you'll ever see, especially the one when Edgar drives his motorcycle into the river and around the bridge, with the dogs chasing him. That is hysterical!
But the classic humor doesn't just come from Edgar or the hound dogs. Other characters have their moments as well.
About the quality subject, it isn't perfect, but remains on a high level. Even after Walt Disney's death those artists knew how to keep faithful to Walt's spirit and "The Aristocats" is one of those examples. They no longer make them like this!
As usual, legendary Disney actors voice the characters. In this case, we have Phil Harris, Sterling Holloway, Paul Winchell, Eva Gabor and Pat Buttram.
The characters are generally cool: Thomas O'Malley, Duchess and her 3 kittens, the mouse Roquefort, the alley cats, the English geese, the hound dogs and the horse. The human characters are included as well: the eccentric and kind retired Opera singer Madame Adelaide Bonfamille, the comic Madame's old lawyer Georges Hautecourt and Edgar himself!
About the soundtrack, it has some nice and catchy songs such as Thomas O'Malley's theme (but I can't remember its name), "Everybody Wants to be a Cat" and "The Aristocats" (sung by Maurice Chevalier), for example.
This movie takes place in Paris (France), in the year of 1910. A classic, often underestimated and forgotten, but worthy.
Fun and entertaining Disney movie about pampered cats find themselves stranded in the countryside
ma-cortes6 July 2014
Animated version about a family of beloved Aristocats filled with humor , action , musical numbers , entertainment and fun . 1910 Paris , retired opera star Adelaide Bonfamille enjoys her wealthy life in her Paris villa with cat Duchess (voice by Eva Gabor) and three kitten : pianist Berlioz (Dean Clark voice) , painter Toulouse (Gary Dubin) sanctimonious Marie . When the loyal butler learns that Madame is planning to give her entire fortune to them he attempts to take them . As the butler Edgar overhears her will leaves everything to the cats until their death, he abducts to eliminate them . However, his plans are ruined when a pair of dogs named Lafayette and Napoleon give chase . Edgar abandons the cats in a field before heading back to Paris. With the help of a smooth talking tomcat (voice by Phil Harris) felines set to inherit a fortune from their owner try to make it back home after a jealous butler kidnaps them and leaves them in the country .
This amusing cartoon has great animated sequences well staged with stylish and vitality , adventure , romance , outstanding final and results to be pretty entertaining . There are great songs , enjoyable action sequences in countryside , including amusing ending confrontation at the climax of the film . An imaginative and jolly Disney adaptation being inspired by the true story of a Parisian family of cats, circa 1910, that inherited a fabulous fortune , including brilliant drawings and catching score by George Bruns .This was originally intended as a two-part, live-action installment of the TV series Disneyland (1954). Originally there was meant to be a direct-to-video sequel titled AristoCats II , it was intended for a 2007 release, but production got canceled back in 2006. The funny characters fascinating Visual Style and Humor in one of Disney's best of the 70s . This was the last animated feature to be approved by Walt Disney and the studio's first animated feature to be entirely completed after his death. It should be noted, however, that Disney had spent time working on the story for The rescuers (1977) , released seven years later , around the time Jungle Book (1967) entered production. This agreeable animation movie contains a lively and enjoyable musical score by George Bruns .
motion picture was well directed by Wolfgang Reitherman helped by Eric Larson , in fact this was the last film in which Larson worked as a supervising animator ; from then on he concentrated on training the younger animators that came to the studio during the seventies and eighties a good craftsman from Disney factory . Director Reitherman often animated fast action sequences or dances , and known for "re-using" animation from older films and placing them in newer films . He co-directed several Disney movies such as Aristocats , Jungle Book , 101 Dalmatians , Peter Pan , Cinderella , Dumbo , among others .
This amusing cartoon has great animated sequences well staged with stylish and vitality , adventure , romance , outstanding final and results to be pretty entertaining . There are great songs , enjoyable action sequences in countryside , including amusing ending confrontation at the climax of the film . An imaginative and jolly Disney adaptation being inspired by the true story of a Parisian family of cats, circa 1910, that inherited a fabulous fortune , including brilliant drawings and catching score by George Bruns .This was originally intended as a two-part, live-action installment of the TV series Disneyland (1954). Originally there was meant to be a direct-to-video sequel titled AristoCats II , it was intended for a 2007 release, but production got canceled back in 2006. The funny characters fascinating Visual Style and Humor in one of Disney's best of the 70s . This was the last animated feature to be approved by Walt Disney and the studio's first animated feature to be entirely completed after his death. It should be noted, however, that Disney had spent time working on the story for The rescuers (1977) , released seven years later , around the time Jungle Book (1967) entered production. This agreeable animation movie contains a lively and enjoyable musical score by George Bruns .
motion picture was well directed by Wolfgang Reitherman helped by Eric Larson , in fact this was the last film in which Larson worked as a supervising animator ; from then on he concentrated on training the younger animators that came to the studio during the seventies and eighties a good craftsman from Disney factory . Director Reitherman often animated fast action sequences or dances , and known for "re-using" animation from older films and placing them in newer films . He co-directed several Disney movies such as Aristocats , Jungle Book , 101 Dalmatians , Peter Pan , Cinderella , Dumbo , among others .
fun and light old school
SnoopyStyle6 October 2017
It's pre-war Paris. Duchess is a well groomed cat with three kittens; Marie, Berlioz, and Toulouse. Man servant Edgar overhears their loving elderly owner Madame Adelaide Bonfamille changing her will. She plans to leave her estate to the cats with Edgar as her heir after the cats' death. He decides to abandon the cats in the country. Stray cat Thomas O'Malley falls for Duchess and leads the family back to Paris.
The song and music is big band and jazzy. It's the waning years of old school Disney animation. It is fun and light but lacks any long-lasting drama. The old school feel fits the time period and setting of the story. It doesn't have the big iconic tune although a couple of them are pretty catchy. The cats are cute. Edgar is a functional villain but the movie needs a more immediate villain in the middle while he is separated from the cats. There should be an animal villain hunting the family to heighten the drama. There is a stretch between being abandoned and returning to face Edgar where the movie lacks any tension. In any case, the movie has a good nature light fluffiness that is quite appealing.
The song and music is big band and jazzy. It's the waning years of old school Disney animation. It is fun and light but lacks any long-lasting drama. The old school feel fits the time period and setting of the story. It doesn't have the big iconic tune although a couple of them are pretty catchy. The cats are cute. Edgar is a functional villain but the movie needs a more immediate villain in the middle while he is separated from the cats. There should be an animal villain hunting the family to heighten the drama. There is a stretch between being abandoned and returning to face Edgar where the movie lacks any tension. In any case, the movie has a good nature light fluffiness that is quite appealing.
One of the better Disney movies after the Jungle Book
TheLittleSongbird27 February 2009
The Aristocats is really quite charming, and is rated far too low on IMDb. The songs aren't as memorable as the ones in the Jungle Book, but they weren't bad at all, Everybody wants to be a Cat is a classic and the title song is brilliantly sung by Gigi's Maurice Chavelier. The animation is really lovely, the best sequence being the landscape of Paris in general. It looked beautiful. This is probably Disney's most relaxing animation I think, and as another reviewer quite rightly said, who doesn't love cats? Another great piece of animation was O' Malley looking into Duchess's eyes, as their romance was so believable while not obvious.(a good thing)The plot(about a greedy butler and a fortune, reminds me of Bailey's Billions) was a little unoriginal, but worked very well, and the script was really funny, especially the fights between the kittens. They remind me of me and my brother and 3 sisters, always fighting. My favourite scene was the chase of Edgar with the two dogs, who were always fighting about who was the leader. The voice talents were a delight, most notably Phil Harris, whom I recognised from the Jungle Book, and Eva Gabor, from the Rescuers. The supporting characters, namely Scat Cat, were also well done. In conclusion, a really pleasant film, that is definitely underrated. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox
DIG THESE CATS...and all that JAZZ!
Lady_Targaryen18 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The ''The AristoCats'' was one of the first Disney's movies that I watched as a child. Five days ago, I had the opportunity of watching this movie again in a friend's house, and I could pay more attention about the story and the similarities that this movie has with ''The Lady and the Tramp'' and also ''101 dalmatians''.
The ''Lady and the Tramp'' similarity is pretty obvious: The fact that Duchess is a high society cat, identical as ''Lady'' and O'Malley is from the streets like Tramp, as well as the last scene where all the cats are together as a family and Adelaide takes a picture of them together. From the ''101 dalmatians'', The delivery van in ''The Aristocats'' is similar to the moving van in ''101 Dalmatians'', as well as the pets being stolen for the pet napper's benefit and Napoleon, a dog that seems very similar to another dog from ''101 Dalmatians''.
The story is a little bit silly, in the sense of Adelaide leaving all her money to her cats a little bit ridiculous, but since it is a cartoon made for kids, we should not judge it so much. And a very cool thing: everything is hand-drawn!
The plot:
In 1910 France,a retired opera singer Adelaide Bonfamille, is a very rich woman who lives in a mansion with her cats( Duchess and her three kittens Marie, Berlioz and Toulouse) and her butler called Edgar. One day, when Adelaide wants to settle her will with her lawyer, she decides to leave all her money to her cats, since she doesn't have family.The problem is that Edgar hears that,and wanting the fortune for himself, he decides to get a rid of the cats, leaving them away from their home. Edgar's plan is not totally successful, since he is attacked by dogs, but he lets Duchess and the kittens in the middle of nowhere. When Duchess meets a friendly stray cat named Thomas O'Malley,a romance between them begins, and also a journey, since Thomas will help Duchess and her kittens at any cost to go back to their home.
The ''Lady and the Tramp'' similarity is pretty obvious: The fact that Duchess is a high society cat, identical as ''Lady'' and O'Malley is from the streets like Tramp, as well as the last scene where all the cats are together as a family and Adelaide takes a picture of them together. From the ''101 dalmatians'', The delivery van in ''The Aristocats'' is similar to the moving van in ''101 Dalmatians'', as well as the pets being stolen for the pet napper's benefit and Napoleon, a dog that seems very similar to another dog from ''101 Dalmatians''.
The story is a little bit silly, in the sense of Adelaide leaving all her money to her cats a little bit ridiculous, but since it is a cartoon made for kids, we should not judge it so much. And a very cool thing: everything is hand-drawn!
The plot:
In 1910 France,a retired opera singer Adelaide Bonfamille, is a very rich woman who lives in a mansion with her cats( Duchess and her three kittens Marie, Berlioz and Toulouse) and her butler called Edgar. One day, when Adelaide wants to settle her will with her lawyer, she decides to leave all her money to her cats, since she doesn't have family.The problem is that Edgar hears that,and wanting the fortune for himself, he decides to get a rid of the cats, leaving them away from their home. Edgar's plan is not totally successful, since he is attacked by dogs, but he lets Duchess and the kittens in the middle of nowhere. When Duchess meets a friendly stray cat named Thomas O'Malley,a romance between them begins, and also a journey, since Thomas will help Duchess and her kittens at any cost to go back to their home.
A great underrated Disney classic.
TalesfromTheCryptfan8 May 2006
Set in Paris in the year 1910, a retired old rich opera singer decides to give her fortune away to her beautiful cat Duchess ( voiced by Eva Gabor) and her kittens, but the jealous butler Edgar comes up with a plan as he kidnaps the cats and leaves them in the countryside. Luckily for them with the help of a streetwise and independent tomcat named Thomas O'Malley ( voiced by Phil Harris) helps them get home especially meeting some of his good friends like the swinging' Scat Cat ( voiced by Scatman Crothers) and try to foil Edgar's plans.
Very entertaining and edgy post-Walt Disney's death animated movie with a couple of nice jazzy tunes like the memorable "Everybody wants to be a cat", good voice acting and some terrific animation for it's time even in these times of computer animation. Not one of the greatest Disney animated movies but a cult Disney animated fave and one of the few gems of it's day that works well, highly recommended.
Very entertaining and edgy post-Walt Disney's death animated movie with a couple of nice jazzy tunes like the memorable "Everybody wants to be a cat", good voice acting and some terrific animation for it's time even in these times of computer animation. Not one of the greatest Disney animated movies but a cult Disney animated fave and one of the few gems of it's day that works well, highly recommended.
The end of Walt's legacy.
mark.waltz27 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Enjoyable for what it is, "The AristoCrats" simply for me brings back memories of seeing it when it first came out. I recalled the rather pretentious butler, Edgar, the kindly madame (who still looked like Cinderella's step-mother even if she was sweet), the fatherless kittens of "Duchess" and all the other assorted animals who came in and out of the slight story-two pranksterish country hounds, two overly helpful but ultimately bossy geese, a suspicious horse, a lovable mouse, and of course the various alley cats of all backgrounds who had a penchant for Le Jazz Hot. Seen 46 years later, it took me back to the small neighborhood theater that my parents dropped my siblings and I off at for 90 minutes while they went grocery shopping, and the line-up of Disney re-releases, this one being in first run and the others accompanying it as part of a children's matinée theater festival.
Sweet sounding Eva Gabor is the lovable and classy Duchess whose three kittens look as if they could all have had different dads. Where the father is never is explained, and when Phil Harris joins their group after nasty Edgar dumps the cat family in the French countryside, it is obvious that Gabor has romance on her mind with this new potential Popsicle. Edgar has overheard Madame indicate that her money will go to her cats with him as executor, and in order to get his hands on her money faster decides to dispose of the cat family. With his tiny little hat popping off his huge, fat head every time his motorcycle has a back-fire, Edgar takes them out of Paris, looses them thanks to the chasing of the hound dogs, and must return when he realizes that there is evidence which could expose his plot. By this time, the cats are on their way back to Paris with the help of the very Irish Harris, and they meet up with his pals, led by Scatman Crothers' "Scat Cat" who leads a bunch of alley cats in the big musical number "Everybody Wants to Be a Cat".
Going from pooh bear to tiny house mouse, Sterling Holloway is a lovable little rodent who is good friends with the classy felines and goes out of his way to find them and expose the nasty Edgar. He even risks being eaten, and that makes him perhaps the most endearing of all the non-cat animals. "Beverly Hillbillies" co-star Nancy Kulp's voice is recognizable as the horse whom Edgar naively confesses his scheme to, and there are other familiar voices as well. Disney as a studio would continue to make animated films over the next decade, and other than just being moderate hits, nothing of great importance would come along until they decided to musicalize some children's classics. But as Disney's last personally supervised animated film, "The AristoCats" was a footnote after 33 years of feature films that the master had his finger on.
Every great Disney film needs a great villain, and in the case of the pompous Edgar, he's more of a comic buffoon than a truly evil human. He certainly gets his come-uppance, but he's basically just a gay version of Cruella de Vil from "101 Dalmations" and not really all that threatening when compared to the Wicked Queen, Wicked Stepmother, Malificent or later scary villains like Ursula, Jafar and Hades. This probably plays better for children than it does adults, being rather silly and juvenile in spots, but does have a few adult references that might go over the heads of pre-teen children yet be picked up instantly by grown-ups. It was great going down memory lane again with one of the few Disney animated films that I saw during its initial run, but I believe that this won't be on my repeat viewing list.
Sweet sounding Eva Gabor is the lovable and classy Duchess whose three kittens look as if they could all have had different dads. Where the father is never is explained, and when Phil Harris joins their group after nasty Edgar dumps the cat family in the French countryside, it is obvious that Gabor has romance on her mind with this new potential Popsicle. Edgar has overheard Madame indicate that her money will go to her cats with him as executor, and in order to get his hands on her money faster decides to dispose of the cat family. With his tiny little hat popping off his huge, fat head every time his motorcycle has a back-fire, Edgar takes them out of Paris, looses them thanks to the chasing of the hound dogs, and must return when he realizes that there is evidence which could expose his plot. By this time, the cats are on their way back to Paris with the help of the very Irish Harris, and they meet up with his pals, led by Scatman Crothers' "Scat Cat" who leads a bunch of alley cats in the big musical number "Everybody Wants to Be a Cat".
Going from pooh bear to tiny house mouse, Sterling Holloway is a lovable little rodent who is good friends with the classy felines and goes out of his way to find them and expose the nasty Edgar. He even risks being eaten, and that makes him perhaps the most endearing of all the non-cat animals. "Beverly Hillbillies" co-star Nancy Kulp's voice is recognizable as the horse whom Edgar naively confesses his scheme to, and there are other familiar voices as well. Disney as a studio would continue to make animated films over the next decade, and other than just being moderate hits, nothing of great importance would come along until they decided to musicalize some children's classics. But as Disney's last personally supervised animated film, "The AristoCats" was a footnote after 33 years of feature films that the master had his finger on.
Every great Disney film needs a great villain, and in the case of the pompous Edgar, he's more of a comic buffoon than a truly evil human. He certainly gets his come-uppance, but he's basically just a gay version of Cruella de Vil from "101 Dalmations" and not really all that threatening when compared to the Wicked Queen, Wicked Stepmother, Malificent or later scary villains like Ursula, Jafar and Hades. This probably plays better for children than it does adults, being rather silly and juvenile in spots, but does have a few adult references that might go over the heads of pre-teen children yet be picked up instantly by grown-ups. It was great going down memory lane again with one of the few Disney animated films that I saw during its initial run, but I believe that this won't be on my repeat viewing list.
Everybody wants to be a cat!
Smells_Like_Cheese1 September 2004
Warning: Spoilers
AristoCats is such a terrific Disney classic that I just loved so much as a kid. Still to this day I can't resist watching it, it's just such a wonderful and charming film with great animation and lovely songs. I really miss the animation films like AristoCats, they had perfect voices not to mention the hand drawn animation that makes it perfect for the family. AristoCats is also very witty and clever, the story was just so wonderful. This film is just beyond irresistible, I think the most memorable moment for me was the cats playing the piano learning the appecio's, lol, it was just so cute with the piano playing and painting.
Douchess and her kittens are very pampered in their huge mansion, mainly because their lady is very rich and treats them like they were her children. But when the lady feels it's time to make her will, she leaves everything to the cats and not to her butler. The butler gets angry and takes the kittens on the road and abondons them in the middle of no where. Douchess and the kittens wake up and with the help of a smooth street cat by the name of Thomas O'Malley, they head back home to their lady, but learn the coolness of being a skat cat.
The AristoCats is just a perfect Disney movie that I feel is a bit over looked. I would always highly recommend this movie for kids or families, it could be enjoyed by anyone. The songs and story is just memorable. I will always join in for the movies best song "Everybody wants to be a cat", such a great tune. I also love those dogs that guarded the farm where the cats were abandoned, they were just so cute. This is a terrific film, please watch it, you won't be disappointed.
9/10
Douchess and her kittens are very pampered in their huge mansion, mainly because their lady is very rich and treats them like they were her children. But when the lady feels it's time to make her will, she leaves everything to the cats and not to her butler. The butler gets angry and takes the kittens on the road and abondons them in the middle of no where. Douchess and the kittens wake up and with the help of a smooth street cat by the name of Thomas O'Malley, they head back home to their lady, but learn the coolness of being a skat cat.
The AristoCats is just a perfect Disney movie that I feel is a bit over looked. I would always highly recommend this movie for kids or families, it could be enjoyed by anyone. The songs and story is just memorable. I will always join in for the movies best song "Everybody wants to be a cat", such a great tune. I also love those dogs that guarded the farm where the cats were abandoned, they were just so cute. This is a terrific film, please watch it, you won't be disappointed.
9/10
Jazz paws.
Pjtaylor-96-13804425 July 2020
'The AristoCats (1970)' is, essentially, more of the same from Disney, as generally enjoyable as it is individually unremarkable. Don't get me wrong, it's a good time. The scratchy animation meshes well with its feline characters and the plot does a decent job of keeping you invested in its central adventure. There are a couple of catchy tunes and some fun set-pieces, too. Overall, though, the movie is fairly paint-by-numbers. It follows a group of cats who must get back to their wealthy owner after they're thrown out by a greedy butler. It feels like several earlier Disney features, with only a mild spin on the formula. It does have some slightly intriguing elements, however. For example, the baddie is somewhat meek here, his machinations never quite playing out as planned, and this is an interesting angle for such a character. He puts our heroes in genuine danger and it's enjoyable to see him eventually meet his match, but he seems rather more polite than most of the studio's other foes and, as such, is slightly unmemorable. Another unique aspect is the jazz inflection of the score, which keeps you bopping along with the incredibly colourful music sequences. As can perhaps be expected, there are some unfortunate racial stereotypes. Thankfully, these aren't dwelled upon too much. In the end, the movie is an entertaining and well-animated adventure that doesn't so much stand-out from Disney's repertoire as fit in nicely with some of its better outputs. 7/10
For kids to enjoy. And it's cool!
revival0527 May 2000
> Kids will love this movie, just as they should. But, actually I thought it was cool! The characters and the music (ScatCat rocks) are fantastic to listen to, and the soundtrack is to be recommended.
An old lady makes her beloved cats the owner of her money, in her will. Her clumsy butler, Edgar, finds this idea very stupid and annoying. And a problem, since he was certain that the money would go to him. So, wise as he is, he decides to get the cats out of the picture, so he can get all the cash. Of course. He grabs them in a rainy night and throw them away in a swamp way outside the city in France.
Can't be missing in your Disney-collection.
An old lady makes her beloved cats the owner of her money, in her will. Her clumsy butler, Edgar, finds this idea very stupid and annoying. And a problem, since he was certain that the money would go to him. So, wise as he is, he decides to get the cats out of the picture, so he can get all the cash. Of course. He grabs them in a rainy night and throw them away in a swamp way outside the city in France.
Can't be missing in your Disney-collection.
Cute and nostalgic, but not Disney's best classic
annekehensley13 June 2019
Yes, I know, this was a different time period and movies since then have gotten substantially better, but I still want to be blunt: The AristoCats isn't the best that was there. I LOVED it, don't get me wrong, all the songs and characters were adorable and I had a great time throughout. But it feels less like a movie and more like a really long, entertaining but otherwise silly cartoon.
The entire time, I would think about how these scenes in the movie all sort of felt "looney-toon-esque," dare I say it, and while that isn't a bad thing in the long run, it does affect how the movie portrays itself. There's not too much of a message, there isn't many heart-gripping or tense scenes in the movie, and its not overly complicated in terms of plot. But its cute! And its fun, great for kids, and is totally fine to watch as a quick period of entertainment. Again, its like a really long cartoon, and thats fine.
But lets be honest, there are better Disney classics out there. This movie is similar in plot to Lady and the Tramp, a movie I'd much prefer over Aristocats any day (no offense, kitties), and there are also movies like Dalmations and the Lion King and overall handfuls of 2D animated classics that outrun Aristocats by miles. So if you're really looking for something intense, memorable, or something with a more movie-feel, you're better off trying a different Disney classic. Best to save Aristocats for the more chill Saturday afternoons with your kids/
The entire time, I would think about how these scenes in the movie all sort of felt "looney-toon-esque," dare I say it, and while that isn't a bad thing in the long run, it does affect how the movie portrays itself. There's not too much of a message, there isn't many heart-gripping or tense scenes in the movie, and its not overly complicated in terms of plot. But its cute! And its fun, great for kids, and is totally fine to watch as a quick period of entertainment. Again, its like a really long cartoon, and thats fine.
But lets be honest, there are better Disney classics out there. This movie is similar in plot to Lady and the Tramp, a movie I'd much prefer over Aristocats any day (no offense, kitties), and there are also movies like Dalmations and the Lion King and overall handfuls of 2D animated classics that outrun Aristocats by miles. So if you're really looking for something intense, memorable, or something with a more movie-feel, you're better off trying a different Disney classic. Best to save Aristocats for the more chill Saturday afternoons with your kids/
Pleasant
r96sk1 June 2020
A mix between 'Lady and the Tramp' and 'One Hundred and One Dalmatians' - but with cats.
It's a pleasant little film, though it does have minor issues. Mainly with the animation, which is good with most of the cats but pretty average with the humans; I say most of the cats, as Thomas O'Malley looks weird.
Thomas is voiced nicely by Phil Harris, while Eva Gabor comes in to voice Duchess. Those two work well together, as do the trio of Toulouse (Gary Dubin), Marie (Liz English) and Berlioz (Dean Clark). There are a few other decent characters, too.
The plot is perfectly watchable, if predictable. Some of the songs are noteworthy also, especially "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat". 'The Aristocats' is worth a watch.
It's a pleasant little film, though it does have minor issues. Mainly with the animation, which is good with most of the cats but pretty average with the humans; I say most of the cats, as Thomas O'Malley looks weird.
Thomas is voiced nicely by Phil Harris, while Eva Gabor comes in to voice Duchess. Those two work well together, as do the trio of Toulouse (Gary Dubin), Marie (Liz English) and Berlioz (Dean Clark). There are a few other decent characters, too.
The plot is perfectly watchable, if predictable. Some of the songs are noteworthy also, especially "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat". 'The Aristocats' is worth a watch.
And I'm Feline Good.
southdavid20 April 2021
Another one from the alphabetical run through Disney Plus, "The Aristocats" is one that I do have a little bit of history with, in the sense I'd seen it a few times before, but remembered almost nothing about the plot. I found that, despite aging references, this was a lot of fun.
Retired singer Madame Adelaide Bonfamille (Hermoine Baddeley) plans to leave her house and fortune to her cat Duchess (Eva Gabor) and her three kittens Berlioz (Dean Clark), Marie (Liz English) and Toulouse (Gary Dublin). This is very disappointing for her Butler, Edgar (Roddy Maude-Roxby) who had hoped to inherit the estate and indeed would, should something happen to the cats. Driven by greed, Edgar snatches the felines and releases them into the French countryside, confident that he's seen the last of them - but with the aid of streetwise alley cat O'Malley (Phil Harris) the family head back to the city.
Whilst I don't have the love in my heart that I have for other Disney productions, I did feel like there was plenty to enjoy about "The Aristocats". I liked the animation. There's a rough, sketchy hand drawn style to the film that made up for in dynamism what it lacked in polish. The vocal performances are good, with a lot of classic Disney voice actors being utilised. Phil Harris, obviously, and Eva Gabor, who would return for "The Rescuers". George Lindsey and Pat Buttram would reappear in various other films, as would Bill Thompson, whose career with Disney went back as far as "Pinocchio". Two people leaving though would be the Sherman brothers, as the film marks the last animated Disney feature they would work on for 30 years. They left on a positive note though, convincing Maurice Chevalier to come out of retirement to sing the title song, and the whole cast to perform on the Jazzy and memorable "Ev'rybody Wants to be a Cat".
Indeed, it's the Jazz references that age the film now, but that energy and ethos prop up a story that is perhaps a little undercooked and lacking in some more interesting beats. Compared to some of the other films in Disney's history, it's certainly not top of the tree, but as I'm finding these films are a mixed bag and so far, "The Aristocats" is one of the more watchable ones.
Retired singer Madame Adelaide Bonfamille (Hermoine Baddeley) plans to leave her house and fortune to her cat Duchess (Eva Gabor) and her three kittens Berlioz (Dean Clark), Marie (Liz English) and Toulouse (Gary Dublin). This is very disappointing for her Butler, Edgar (Roddy Maude-Roxby) who had hoped to inherit the estate and indeed would, should something happen to the cats. Driven by greed, Edgar snatches the felines and releases them into the French countryside, confident that he's seen the last of them - but with the aid of streetwise alley cat O'Malley (Phil Harris) the family head back to the city.
Whilst I don't have the love in my heart that I have for other Disney productions, I did feel like there was plenty to enjoy about "The Aristocats". I liked the animation. There's a rough, sketchy hand drawn style to the film that made up for in dynamism what it lacked in polish. The vocal performances are good, with a lot of classic Disney voice actors being utilised. Phil Harris, obviously, and Eva Gabor, who would return for "The Rescuers". George Lindsey and Pat Buttram would reappear in various other films, as would Bill Thompson, whose career with Disney went back as far as "Pinocchio". Two people leaving though would be the Sherman brothers, as the film marks the last animated Disney feature they would work on for 30 years. They left on a positive note though, convincing Maurice Chevalier to come out of retirement to sing the title song, and the whole cast to perform on the Jazzy and memorable "Ev'rybody Wants to be a Cat".
Indeed, it's the Jazz references that age the film now, but that energy and ethos prop up a story that is perhaps a little undercooked and lacking in some more interesting beats. Compared to some of the other films in Disney's history, it's certainly not top of the tree, but as I'm finding these films are a mixed bag and so far, "The Aristocats" is one of the more watchable ones.
An underrated classic from Disney
Tweekums12 July 2019
This Disney animation is set in early twentieth century France where a wealthy Parisian woman who has decided that her cat, Duchess, along with her three kittens, Berlioz, Marie and Toulouse will inherit her wealth. They are to be looked after by butler Edgar and he will inherit when they are gone... but when he overhears this he decides he can't wait so slips sleeping pills into the cats' food and drives them far into the country. When they awaken they have no idea where they are but passing alley cat, Thomas O'Malley, offers to help them return to Paris. Along the way home they get into a number of scrapes as well as meeting a pair of helpful geese and O'Malley's friend Scat Cat and his jazz playing associates. While this is going on the cats' friend Roquefort, a mouse, and Frou-Frou the horse learn what happened and Edgar realises he has left potentially incriminating evidence in the countryside.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this film but since Disney rarely disappoints I decided to give it a go. I'm glad that I did as it was a lot of fun. The story provided plenty of laughs cute characters, excitement that shouldn't be too scary for younger viewers, a touch of romance and a villain who is more comical than fearsome. The story moves at a good pace and at just under eighty minutes doesn't overstay its welcome. There are a few songs of which he jazz number 'Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat' was easily the most entertaining. There are plenty of amusing moments; my favourites involve Edgar and two hounds he has trouble with in the countryside. The animation is really good with beautifully detailed backgrounds and fine character designs. The voice cast do an impressive job of bringing the characters to life. Overall I'd say this is well worth watching for fans of Disney or of animated films in general.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this film but since Disney rarely disappoints I decided to give it a go. I'm glad that I did as it was a lot of fun. The story provided plenty of laughs cute characters, excitement that shouldn't be too scary for younger viewers, a touch of romance and a villain who is more comical than fearsome. The story moves at a good pace and at just under eighty minutes doesn't overstay its welcome. There are a few songs of which he jazz number 'Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat' was easily the most entertaining. There are plenty of amusing moments; my favourites involve Edgar and two hounds he has trouble with in the countryside. The animation is really good with beautifully detailed backgrounds and fine character designs. The voice cast do an impressive job of bringing the characters to life. Overall I'd say this is well worth watching for fans of Disney or of animated films in general.
Really cute
briancham19942 June 2020
Not among's Disney's very best, but still enjoyable
scgary6625 May 2002
The first Disney animated film without the strong involvement of Disney himself, this film suffers from the fact that the story is not particularly original or interesting (this is, I believe, the only animated Disney film since the 1940's which is NOT based on an earlier book or other work, but is rather an original story). As others have noted, the plot is essentially a cross between the romance in Lady and the Tramp and the kidnapping/journey home story in 101 Dalmatians.
But to overcome this flaw, the filmmakers have successfully used many of the better features of most of the Disney animated films of the previous 10-15 years: Phil Harris (from The Jungle Book) voicing one of the main characters, follows his duet with Louis Prima in the previous film with another here with Scatman Crothers. The quality visual look of this film is virtually carried over from "Dalmatians" (with some nice nods to French Impressionism, it appears), and the villain here (the butler) is strongly reminiscent of the henchmen in that film as well. (This is probably one of Disney's least memorable villains.) The main story goes back and forth between the cats, and the butler's ongoing difficulties with two rural hound dogs (with great voice work by Pat Buttram and George "Goober" Lindsey"). The various animal characters are similarly familiar to those who have seen "Tramp" and "Dalmatians." The cats' owner, while bearing a striking visual resemblance to the wicked stepmother in Sleeping Beauty, bears none of that character's nasty traits and comes across as very warm and generous.
The real strength of the film is the voice work; after first going toward the use of mostly familiar actors in The Jungle Book, the tactic is continued strongly here with Disney veterans Harris and Sterling Holloway from The Jungle Book, and Eva Gabor (who would do a very similar character in the later film The Rescuers), as well as Crothers and Nancy Kulp. All are excellent here, particularly Harris and Gabor in the leads. The character animation is as excellent as one would expect, showing a variety of emotions well.
Smaller children may be upset by a few brief episodes (an escape from the path of a speeding train, a near-drowning by one of the children), but these are not presented in a particularly frightening or dark manner and are over very quickly. Overall, there's very little of the type of more frightening scenes found in many other Disney classics.
One minor oddity is the way some visual aspects of 60's culture are depicted among the jazz-performing cats in supposedly 1910 Paris; one can't help but wonder why the story wasn't set solidly in the present, other than the great deal Paris had changed much of its appearance in the intervening time. It really would have made more sense that way.
The songs, while being pleasant and sometimes very enjoyably performed, are not particularly memorable. Nonetheless, the general energy applied here, the excellent voice work and fine animation all contribute to overcome the relatively few and minor weaknesses. Far from the greatness of classic "10"s such as Pinocchio or Aladdin, and not quite up to the "9"s one might give to Sleeping Beauty or 101 Dalmatians, this is probably a rather marginal 8 of 10; perhaps a 7.
But to overcome this flaw, the filmmakers have successfully used many of the better features of most of the Disney animated films of the previous 10-15 years: Phil Harris (from The Jungle Book) voicing one of the main characters, follows his duet with Louis Prima in the previous film with another here with Scatman Crothers. The quality visual look of this film is virtually carried over from "Dalmatians" (with some nice nods to French Impressionism, it appears), and the villain here (the butler) is strongly reminiscent of the henchmen in that film as well. (This is probably one of Disney's least memorable villains.) The main story goes back and forth between the cats, and the butler's ongoing difficulties with two rural hound dogs (with great voice work by Pat Buttram and George "Goober" Lindsey"). The various animal characters are similarly familiar to those who have seen "Tramp" and "Dalmatians." The cats' owner, while bearing a striking visual resemblance to the wicked stepmother in Sleeping Beauty, bears none of that character's nasty traits and comes across as very warm and generous.
The real strength of the film is the voice work; after first going toward the use of mostly familiar actors in The Jungle Book, the tactic is continued strongly here with Disney veterans Harris and Sterling Holloway from The Jungle Book, and Eva Gabor (who would do a very similar character in the later film The Rescuers), as well as Crothers and Nancy Kulp. All are excellent here, particularly Harris and Gabor in the leads. The character animation is as excellent as one would expect, showing a variety of emotions well.
Smaller children may be upset by a few brief episodes (an escape from the path of a speeding train, a near-drowning by one of the children), but these are not presented in a particularly frightening or dark manner and are over very quickly. Overall, there's very little of the type of more frightening scenes found in many other Disney classics.
One minor oddity is the way some visual aspects of 60's culture are depicted among the jazz-performing cats in supposedly 1910 Paris; one can't help but wonder why the story wasn't set solidly in the present, other than the great deal Paris had changed much of its appearance in the intervening time. It really would have made more sense that way.
The songs, while being pleasant and sometimes very enjoyably performed, are not particularly memorable. Nonetheless, the general energy applied here, the excellent voice work and fine animation all contribute to overcome the relatively few and minor weaknesses. Far from the greatness of classic "10"s such as Pinocchio or Aladdin, and not quite up to the "9"s one might give to Sleeping Beauty or 101 Dalmatians, this is probably a rather marginal 8 of 10; perhaps a 7.
Cat!
alphahumphrey-5484722 September 2019
Low on running time and animation at times, but awesome French backgrounds. 1970's and 1980's was at times a hard time form animation as many was trippy, and groovy as Ash said. Good for small kids in a class to learn about old France the first time.
Disney Classic Cartoon was great
fsusnoles4 May 2020
As Dispirited as it is Dispiriting
joliefille4112 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
There are days when I am convinced that the Universe knows deep down what is best for me. This was most recently evidenced when the VCR ate my copy of Aristocats and promptly died, thus taking my retrospective project hostage. Now whether it was the toxic nature of the film that killed the player or the independent actions of the player to commit such a noble act on behalf of my senses, who can really say? Nevertheless, I managed to overcome all obstacles to bare my mind one more time to the spiraling saga of the "lost years" of Disney.
Frankly, Aristocats seems a step back (if there can be one) from its predecessors. The animation is even more scratchy: pencil lines streak the characters with unprecedented gusto. Madame holds the unfortunate distinction of being one of the ugliest drawn characters Disney has ever spewed out, though none of her costars are beauty queens by a long shot. The only really successful character is Georges because his scratchy, wavering persona works in harmony with the style.
The story is a shambles as well. I can't even give the film a heads up for being in Paris, for there's nothing remotely Parisian about it with the exception of the title sequence showcasing Maurice Chevallier (who by his presence makes that the best sequence of the whole film and nothing even happens during it). It's as if all the faults of the Jungle Book were given a shot of heroin and told to run with it. Jazzy music a few decades too early and enough beatnik to make me wonder if Woodstock was happening around the corner. Everybody wants to be a cat was so terribly out of context- the strobe-lights, drum kits, scatting, drug references and occasionally raunchy (for Disney) lyrics were jarring and unpleasant on the palette. We cannot even get away from cloying child characters, though thankfully, we respect the human- animal interaction boundaries this time. I have to say the only things remotely charming in this film were the odious comic relief in the form of the country dogs and, to a lesser extent, the British geese. Two things that had absolutely nothing to do with the story, but were obvious fillers since the producers saw what was essential could in no way stand on its own.
If you can't have interesting leads or music or a good plot, the least you can do is offer up an entertaining foe. However, Edgar is undeniably the worst villain in the Disney canon- not remotely clever enough to be a believable menace. Seriously- his math and reasoning aren't even junior high level, he decides to kill the cats before the benefactor even dies (therefore not only not speeding up his inheritance a minute, but also allowing her the opportunity to adopt even younger cats) and he drugs them when they would have trusted him enough to let him stuff him in a sack (as he actually DID in the last act). To top it off, he's not a serious physical threat or, especially condemning, remotely funny. Even Robin Hood managed to scrape up a villain who could do one of those!
Not to say that there are no redeeming qualities. Though Everybody Wants to Be a Cat bugs me in context, it is not entirely offensive to the ears and is quite catchy. Eva Gabor and Phil Harris are great, though they were both better in other Disney roles- him as Baloo and her as Miss Bianca. Maurice Chevallier coats the opening with his characteristic lovable frenchiness- the one place that takes advantage of the Parisian setting. Speaking of settings, though the character animation was quite hideous, the backgrounds were lovely- especially at times where they became almost soggy and washed out. It is, after all, still Disney.
Everybody, even manic Disneylovers, has a certain film they unleash all their scorn and frustration on. Aristocats is mine, partly because its ugly and lackluster in the long line of progressively uglier and lacklust(ier) films, but mostly because by this point it seemed like they just didn't care. Previous efforts has been misguided and faltered in some way or another, but never had there been such an obvious abandonment before, though I'll reserve my judgement on the after a while yet.
Quote of the film: Uncle Waldo- "Prime Country Goose A la Provencale, stuffed with chestnuts"...? "And basted in white wine." Hic!
O'Malley- Basted? He's been marinated in it!
Frankly, Aristocats seems a step back (if there can be one) from its predecessors. The animation is even more scratchy: pencil lines streak the characters with unprecedented gusto. Madame holds the unfortunate distinction of being one of the ugliest drawn characters Disney has ever spewed out, though none of her costars are beauty queens by a long shot. The only really successful character is Georges because his scratchy, wavering persona works in harmony with the style.
The story is a shambles as well. I can't even give the film a heads up for being in Paris, for there's nothing remotely Parisian about it with the exception of the title sequence showcasing Maurice Chevallier (who by his presence makes that the best sequence of the whole film and nothing even happens during it). It's as if all the faults of the Jungle Book were given a shot of heroin and told to run with it. Jazzy music a few decades too early and enough beatnik to make me wonder if Woodstock was happening around the corner. Everybody wants to be a cat was so terribly out of context- the strobe-lights, drum kits, scatting, drug references and occasionally raunchy (for Disney) lyrics were jarring and unpleasant on the palette. We cannot even get away from cloying child characters, though thankfully, we respect the human- animal interaction boundaries this time. I have to say the only things remotely charming in this film were the odious comic relief in the form of the country dogs and, to a lesser extent, the British geese. Two things that had absolutely nothing to do with the story, but were obvious fillers since the producers saw what was essential could in no way stand on its own.
If you can't have interesting leads or music or a good plot, the least you can do is offer up an entertaining foe. However, Edgar is undeniably the worst villain in the Disney canon- not remotely clever enough to be a believable menace. Seriously- his math and reasoning aren't even junior high level, he decides to kill the cats before the benefactor even dies (therefore not only not speeding up his inheritance a minute, but also allowing her the opportunity to adopt even younger cats) and he drugs them when they would have trusted him enough to let him stuff him in a sack (as he actually DID in the last act). To top it off, he's not a serious physical threat or, especially condemning, remotely funny. Even Robin Hood managed to scrape up a villain who could do one of those!
Not to say that there are no redeeming qualities. Though Everybody Wants to Be a Cat bugs me in context, it is not entirely offensive to the ears and is quite catchy. Eva Gabor and Phil Harris are great, though they were both better in other Disney roles- him as Baloo and her as Miss Bianca. Maurice Chevallier coats the opening with his characteristic lovable frenchiness- the one place that takes advantage of the Parisian setting. Speaking of settings, though the character animation was quite hideous, the backgrounds were lovely- especially at times where they became almost soggy and washed out. It is, after all, still Disney.
Everybody, even manic Disneylovers, has a certain film they unleash all their scorn and frustration on. Aristocats is mine, partly because its ugly and lackluster in the long line of progressively uglier and lacklust(ier) films, but mostly because by this point it seemed like they just didn't care. Previous efforts has been misguided and faltered in some way or another, but never had there been such an obvious abandonment before, though I'll reserve my judgement on the after a while yet.
Quote of the film: Uncle Waldo- "Prime Country Goose A la Provencale, stuffed with chestnuts"...? "And basted in white wine." Hic!
O'Malley- Basted? He's been marinated in it!
One of Disney's better features
rapt0r_claw-122 July 2004
The Aristocats is one of my favorite animated movies, but the comparisons between this movie and past Disney classics are reasonable. The dog napping plot of One Hundred and One Dalmatians is adapted to fit the catnapping plot of The Aristocats. O'Malley and Duchess are reconstructions of Lady and the Tramp at heart. But, as long as the end result is just as enjoyable as the past movies, why complain? No matter how the success was achieved, as long as it was achieved.
The plot is simple. Madame Adelaide Bonfamille is an old millionaires spinster in Paris, 1910. The only other people in her lonely life are her cat, Duchess, and her kittens, Toulouse, Marie and Berlioz, as well as the faithful butler, Edgar. When Madame's lawyer, Georges, comes over to make Madame's will, Edgar overhears her plans. She wants to leave all her belongings to her cats, and at the end of their lifespan, the vast sums of money will go to Edgar. Quite unreasonably, Edgar is infuriated, and drugs and catnaps the kittens and dumps them in the French countryside, miles from home. There they find Thomas O'Malley, an alley cat who helps them back home, mainly because of Duchess.
The characterization of O'Malley certainly doesn't seem to have been a problem. Voiced by Phil Harris (Baloo from The Jungle Book), he also acts like the lovable bear and even looks just like you would imagine Baloo to look like, were he transmogrified into a cat. His bunch of jazz cats, led by Scat Cat, are some of the more effective Disney cameo-players. My favorite was the long-haired, blonde English Cat (besides Scat Cat, the rest have no names but clearly distinct nationalities). Roquefort the house-mouse and Frou-Frou the horse have brief roles, but shine in these glimpses. Edgar isn't really the real Disney villain in that he is not evil...he is simply impatient. He is not cruel from the start--his only sin is impatience. If he hadn't known about the will, he would've taken care of the cats as if nothing had happened. One sees his point in a way--what would those cats DO with the money? Madame could have given her estate to Edgar, and the butler would never have abandoned the cats had they not been privileged more than himself. So I like Edgar, in some ways.
The story is a mix of other Disney classics. Besides Fantasia--which had NO plot--this was Disney's first shot at writing an original story for an animated feature, and even so they had to take shortcuts. Here are the main plot elements repeated: 1) Villain-pet naps-animals-for-personal-gain from One Hundred and One Dalmatians. 2) Pampered-pet-learns-of-life-on-streets-through-streetwise-friend from Lady and the Tramp. It also borrows a little bit from Chuck Jones and Abe Levitow's Gay Purr-ee (1962). The plot is berated for being too shallow, but I don't see how it can be with so many elements of faultless classics. Again, as in the first paragraph: If the audience enjoys a story, it doesn't matter how the story developed.
The animation, so often blasted for being lazy and flawed, can never be seen the same way by everyone. It's solely a matter of opinion. The animation isn't bad, like television cartoons: it's a different style, radically different from, say, Sleeping Beauty. If that great fairy tale were portrayed by such animation, it would be the greatest failure in history; the same way, the sketchy, loose, carefree style of The Aristocats is perfect to tell that kind of story with those characters. Sleeping Beauty needed to be immaculate, as near to photography as could be; The Aristocats is the most cartoony of Disney animated features.
The Aristocats will always have an advantage over many films in my book. It was one of the few movies my dad saw in theater, so I was exposed to it more than several other movies. Besides that, it has always been one of Disney's more enjoyable features, more fun than most. It doesn't aim for the realism and drama of Bambi. It's just wholesome entertainment.
9/10
The plot is simple. Madame Adelaide Bonfamille is an old millionaires spinster in Paris, 1910. The only other people in her lonely life are her cat, Duchess, and her kittens, Toulouse, Marie and Berlioz, as well as the faithful butler, Edgar. When Madame's lawyer, Georges, comes over to make Madame's will, Edgar overhears her plans. She wants to leave all her belongings to her cats, and at the end of their lifespan, the vast sums of money will go to Edgar. Quite unreasonably, Edgar is infuriated, and drugs and catnaps the kittens and dumps them in the French countryside, miles from home. There they find Thomas O'Malley, an alley cat who helps them back home, mainly because of Duchess.
The characterization of O'Malley certainly doesn't seem to have been a problem. Voiced by Phil Harris (Baloo from The Jungle Book), he also acts like the lovable bear and even looks just like you would imagine Baloo to look like, were he transmogrified into a cat. His bunch of jazz cats, led by Scat Cat, are some of the more effective Disney cameo-players. My favorite was the long-haired, blonde English Cat (besides Scat Cat, the rest have no names but clearly distinct nationalities). Roquefort the house-mouse and Frou-Frou the horse have brief roles, but shine in these glimpses. Edgar isn't really the real Disney villain in that he is not evil...he is simply impatient. He is not cruel from the start--his only sin is impatience. If he hadn't known about the will, he would've taken care of the cats as if nothing had happened. One sees his point in a way--what would those cats DO with the money? Madame could have given her estate to Edgar, and the butler would never have abandoned the cats had they not been privileged more than himself. So I like Edgar, in some ways.
The story is a mix of other Disney classics. Besides Fantasia--which had NO plot--this was Disney's first shot at writing an original story for an animated feature, and even so they had to take shortcuts. Here are the main plot elements repeated: 1) Villain-pet naps-animals-for-personal-gain from One Hundred and One Dalmatians. 2) Pampered-pet-learns-of-life-on-streets-through-streetwise-friend from Lady and the Tramp. It also borrows a little bit from Chuck Jones and Abe Levitow's Gay Purr-ee (1962). The plot is berated for being too shallow, but I don't see how it can be with so many elements of faultless classics. Again, as in the first paragraph: If the audience enjoys a story, it doesn't matter how the story developed.
The animation, so often blasted for being lazy and flawed, can never be seen the same way by everyone. It's solely a matter of opinion. The animation isn't bad, like television cartoons: it's a different style, radically different from, say, Sleeping Beauty. If that great fairy tale were portrayed by such animation, it would be the greatest failure in history; the same way, the sketchy, loose, carefree style of The Aristocats is perfect to tell that kind of story with those characters. Sleeping Beauty needed to be immaculate, as near to photography as could be; The Aristocats is the most cartoony of Disney animated features.
The Aristocats will always have an advantage over many films in my book. It was one of the few movies my dad saw in theater, so I was exposed to it more than several other movies. Besides that, it has always been one of Disney's more enjoyable features, more fun than most. It doesn't aim for the realism and drama of Bambi. It's just wholesome entertainment.
9/10
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