Time to lay it all out. Thus far not one film has earned lower than a 2 or higher than a 4. Why? Why do so many films get a 3? What's with those half marks? Well, let me explain it all as best I can.
5 Star Ranking.
- Rare to see. These 5 Star films are the cream of the crop, the tip of the top and it's where we stop. Pardon the references, but a 5 Star ranking has to feel perfectly perfect in every way to me. Which is where the debate will begin, because SOMEONE out there may not agree with everything I say, think, or feel. Which is fine. A 5 Star film, to me, is one that I really, really enjoy and love to watch. I love the characters, the songs (if there are any), the story etc.
4 Star Ranking:
- Not as rare as 5's, but still elusive. These are films that almost had it in my mind. The ones that are almost 'perfect' and might have a few minor flaws that I still overlook because the rest of the film just works so well.
3 Star Ranking:
- The most common ranking there will be. This is the "Happy Middle Ground" for me. While there are flaws to keep it from a 4 or 5 Star ranking, they are still quite enjoyable to me and might be considered "Fun, fluffy popcorn flicks" by others. There's a very good chance a lot of films might be here where other people go "OH NO that is NOT a 3 Star film." To which I say, "Not to you. To me, however, it is."
2 Star Ranking:
- Guilty pleasures abound. Not great films, but not terrible enough for me to say "Oh dear god avoid it." These films have too many flaws, or too big of flaws to really warrant a higher rating at all, but, I will still watch them and get some form of enjoyment out of it.
1 Star Ranking:
- Terrible. Just....terrible. Not even as a guilty pleasure. I pray that this ranking is never needed.
Half Stars:
- These are for films where I waver on it. I want to say it's one mark higher, but also feel it might be one mark lower. Since I waver so much, it's easier just to put it a little bit in between two rankings. This also suggests that with a little tweak it could have been a bit higher but just fell a tiny bit short.
So. What do I consider when I rank films? Any of the following:
- Story
- Characters - Is there character growth? Do I even like the characters?
- Villain/Antagonist - Are they a good villain or are they just terrible?
- Songs - For the musical oriented films, are the songs memorable? Do enough of them stand out?
- Animation - Is the animation any good? Does it look bad? How pretty is it?
- The Climax - Did I get enjoyment out of the ending?
So there you have it. A basic idea of what goes on in my head when I put down these rankings.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Black Cauldron
Some of you might be scratching your head going "Black Cauldron? What's that?" Well, the Black Cauldron is constantly branded as a black sheep of the Disney canon and every reviewer is practically contracted to state this when reviewing or mentioning the film. So there you go. Why is it the black sheep though? For one it was considered a flop, and since it's from a darker time at the studios it's much easier to pretend it doesn't exist.
So. Is it a good film? Weeeell......kind of. The biggest problem commonly given to this film is the poor animation, which again has notable cel's showing. There's a lot of rough animation here, though I do admit I really enjoy the Morva backgrounds and the shots of the Horned King's lair. One part of the animation that I also really liked was when Hen Wen (the oracular pig) does her vision in the beginning of the film, as well as most of the big scenes with the Horned King, such as when he first enters, when he teleports into his throne room and his death scene at the end.
The biggest problem I had, however, was with the story. Disney, for whatever reason, decided to do a LOT of tinkering with the story of the Black Cauldron, a number of characters were cut out and the villain of the original book was changed into the evil spirit that inhabits the cauldron. The Horned King was lifted from the first book of the Prydain series, though the only reason for this that I have heard is "Because he has horns like Maleficent and Chernabog." So...there you have it. Randomness at it's best? So because Disney did this, we get a lot of back and forth in the plot and some unneeded filler that could have better been used as development for the characters. One minor thing to note is that this film is lacking -any- songs at all, not even a single song to play over the background!
On the note of the characters the vast majority of them do stay the same. I do want to point out that both Gurgi and Taran do have small character growth during the film, but it's not quite on the same level as Beast from Beauty and the Beast for example. Princess Eilonwey is an interesting character who certainly has a bit of spunk, though sadly or perhaps thankfully, she will never be part of the horrid Princess franchise. The Witches of Morva are an interesting trio, and I have always had a small fondness for them, even if their entrance was badly handled. We could have had more scenes giving them some background. The final character I really want to talk about is the Horned King. This guy is -awesome- and is pretty much the reason this film is actually rated PG, or so I presume. He can be quite frightening, and despite a simplistic robe and appearance he really sticks out and is wonderfully voiced. A very good addition to the villain roster.
So. All in all, the Black Cauldron does suffer from plot hindrances and from relatively plain characters, yet there is still an enjoyability factor to it. Perhaps with some plot work, and maybe some character development, this could have been a much better film.
2 1/2/5
So. Is it a good film? Weeeell......kind of. The biggest problem commonly given to this film is the poor animation, which again has notable cel's showing. There's a lot of rough animation here, though I do admit I really enjoy the Morva backgrounds and the shots of the Horned King's lair. One part of the animation that I also really liked was when Hen Wen (the oracular pig) does her vision in the beginning of the film, as well as most of the big scenes with the Horned King, such as when he first enters, when he teleports into his throne room and his death scene at the end.
The biggest problem I had, however, was with the story. Disney, for whatever reason, decided to do a LOT of tinkering with the story of the Black Cauldron, a number of characters were cut out and the villain of the original book was changed into the evil spirit that inhabits the cauldron. The Horned King was lifted from the first book of the Prydain series, though the only reason for this that I have heard is "Because he has horns like Maleficent and Chernabog." So...there you have it. Randomness at it's best? So because Disney did this, we get a lot of back and forth in the plot and some unneeded filler that could have better been used as development for the characters. One minor thing to note is that this film is lacking -any- songs at all, not even a single song to play over the background!
On the note of the characters the vast majority of them do stay the same. I do want to point out that both Gurgi and Taran do have small character growth during the film, but it's not quite on the same level as Beast from Beauty and the Beast for example. Princess Eilonwey is an interesting character who certainly has a bit of spunk, though sadly or perhaps thankfully, she will never be part of the horrid Princess franchise. The Witches of Morva are an interesting trio, and I have always had a small fondness for them, even if their entrance was badly handled. We could have had more scenes giving them some background. The final character I really want to talk about is the Horned King. This guy is -awesome- and is pretty much the reason this film is actually rated PG, or so I presume. He can be quite frightening, and despite a simplistic robe and appearance he really sticks out and is wonderfully voiced. A very good addition to the villain roster.
So. All in all, the Black Cauldron does suffer from plot hindrances and from relatively plain characters, yet there is still an enjoyability factor to it. Perhaps with some plot work, and maybe some character development, this could have been a much better film.
2 1/2/5
Monday, June 4, 2012
The Rescuers
Like a few of the films during the post-Walt years, The Rescuers is actually a fun film and generally overlooked due to the huge shadow the princess oriented films tend to cast.
The animation is quite on par through the film, and is actually a much darker film than Oliver and Company or Fox and the Hound. Perhaps the only flaw that I can pick up on in the animation, is that during the vehicle shots, characters and the vehicle being used tend to stand out from the background a bit more which make the cel a tad obvious. Other than this minor bit, the animation is still quite pretty to look at.
Our story is pretty straightforward. A young girl named Penny has been abducted, and it is up to Bernard, a handyman mouse, and Miss Bianca to go and save her from the clutches of Madame Medusa. Along the way, our two heroic mice grow closer and make friends with some swamp folk who are all too eager to help drive away Medusa.
Much like most films from this time period, the songs are not sung by the characters themselves and are instead played in the background. Most of the songs don't have quite the same lasting power as other films in the canon, yet they are still quite fitting to the film and are a wonderful addition.
Two small things in this film did stand out to me, one made me giggle while the other made me scratch my head a bit. What made me giggle was how Bernard in his handyman outfit reminded me quite a bit of Mario, of Nintendo fame. The thing that made me scratch my head was how Penny does not seem to question talking animals. By the time she meets Bernard and Bianca, she already knows animals can talk and yet in a flashback the kitty at the orphanage simply chats with her like it's fully normal. It makes me wonder if this is normal in this world, or how exactly talking animals work precisely. Is it just something children can hear? A rather minor thing, yet it's something I picked up on.
One larger thing to point out is our villain, Madame Medusa. She is quite overlooked when being ranked with other villains. Two things that really stand out about her is that she is willing to go to any length to get what she wants, even if it means endangering Penny's life. The second is a very brief scene that really drives home her cruelty when she has a chat with Penny and asks the little girl "Why would anyone want a homely girl like you?" and says it so casually. One interesting thing to note is that originally Cruella De Vil was supposed to be the villain in this film, yet in the end they made Medusa, which is the right choice in my own opinion, though the two ladies share the same skill in driving.
3 1/2 /5
The animation is quite on par through the film, and is actually a much darker film than Oliver and Company or Fox and the Hound. Perhaps the only flaw that I can pick up on in the animation, is that during the vehicle shots, characters and the vehicle being used tend to stand out from the background a bit more which make the cel a tad obvious. Other than this minor bit, the animation is still quite pretty to look at.
Our story is pretty straightforward. A young girl named Penny has been abducted, and it is up to Bernard, a handyman mouse, and Miss Bianca to go and save her from the clutches of Madame Medusa. Along the way, our two heroic mice grow closer and make friends with some swamp folk who are all too eager to help drive away Medusa.
Much like most films from this time period, the songs are not sung by the characters themselves and are instead played in the background. Most of the songs don't have quite the same lasting power as other films in the canon, yet they are still quite fitting to the film and are a wonderful addition.
Two small things in this film did stand out to me, one made me giggle while the other made me scratch my head a bit. What made me giggle was how Bernard in his handyman outfit reminded me quite a bit of Mario, of Nintendo fame. The thing that made me scratch my head was how Penny does not seem to question talking animals. By the time she meets Bernard and Bianca, she already knows animals can talk and yet in a flashback the kitty at the orphanage simply chats with her like it's fully normal. It makes me wonder if this is normal in this world, or how exactly talking animals work precisely. Is it just something children can hear? A rather minor thing, yet it's something I picked up on.
One larger thing to point out is our villain, Madame Medusa. She is quite overlooked when being ranked with other villains. Two things that really stand out about her is that she is willing to go to any length to get what she wants, even if it means endangering Penny's life. The second is a very brief scene that really drives home her cruelty when she has a chat with Penny and asks the little girl "Why would anyone want a homely girl like you?" and says it so casually. One interesting thing to note is that originally Cruella De Vil was supposed to be the villain in this film, yet in the end they made Medusa, which is the right choice in my own opinion, though the two ladies share the same skill in driving.
3 1/2 /5
Sunday, June 3, 2012
What Is a Disney Era?
As you've been reading through these reviews, lately I have been mentioning the Eras in Disney. Essentially, the Disney Animated Classics can be broken down into various Eras or Periods. Of course, Disney fans all have their own idea of when certain ones start and end, there are a few agreed upon ones that appear to be more or less set in stone. Given how this is my own personal blog, this is how I view the timeline, though will include little notes here and there on where some people debate on things.
The Golden Age:
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Pinocchio
- Fantasia
- Dumbo
- Bambi
This age is generally set in stone, as is the following.
The War Years/Package Years/First Dark Age:
- Saludos Amigos
- 3 Caballeros
- Make Mine Music
- Fun and Fancy Free
- Melody Time
- Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
The Silver Age:
- Cinderella
- Alice in Wonderland
- Peter Pan
- Lady and the Tramp
- Sleeping Beauty
- 101 Dalmatians
- The Sword in the Stone
- The Jungle Book
The Silver Age always seems to begin with Cinderella, though when it ends is usually a matter of preference. Personally I cut it off at the last film that Walt Disney was heavily involved in, even if he was unable to see it through to completion.
The Dark Age/ Second Dark Age:
- Aristocats
- Robin Hood
- Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Rescuers
- Fox and the Hound
- Black Cauldron
- Great Mouse Detective
- Oliver and Company
This Dark Age follows the films after Walt's death, until Disney was able to launch the following Renaissance period. Again because of where this Age starts, there is debate on it, though it seems to be agreed upon that Oliver and Company is the last film for this Age.
The Renaissance:
- Little Mermaid (First of the Big 4)
- Rescuers Down Under
- Beauty and the Beast (Second of the Big 4)
- Aladdin (Third of the Big 4)
- Lion King (Last of the Big 4)
- Pocahontas
- Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Hercules
- Mulan
- Tarzan
This Renaissance period is quite notably a nostalgic one for me, being born during the same year as Little Mermaid, I was able to grow up with a new Disney film every year, right up until about 2000. There is a small debate on if Tarzan ends this Age, or if it goes further to Emperors New Groove. However, I generally cut it off here given how Fantasia 2000 and Dinosaur would wind up part of this age.
The Third Dark Age/ Bronze Period:
- Fantasia 2000
- Dinosaur
- Emperors New Groove
- Atlantis
- Lilo and Stitch
- Treasure Planet
- Brother Bear
- Home on the Range
- Chicken Little
- Meet the Robinsons
- Bolt
Current Age:
- Princess and the Frog
- Tangled
- Winnie the Pooh
- Wreck It Ralph (Upcoming)
- King of the Elves (Upcoming)
- Frozen (Upcoming)
There is still some debate on whether or not things are still in a "Post Renaissance" age, or if Princess and the Frog has brought about a "Redemption Age." With three films to work with right now, it might take another couple years or so to really get a better idea of things. For all purposes, I have divide things into a "Current Age" for the time being. This is subject to change, though I really hope the upcoming films are able to steer us back into a Renaissance period.
So now you know, and knowing is half the battle!
The Golden Age:
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Pinocchio
- Fantasia
- Dumbo
- Bambi
This age is generally set in stone, as is the following.
The War Years/Package Years/First Dark Age:
- Saludos Amigos
- 3 Caballeros
- Make Mine Music
- Fun and Fancy Free
- Melody Time
- Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
The Silver Age:
- Cinderella
- Alice in Wonderland
- Peter Pan
- Lady and the Tramp
- Sleeping Beauty
- 101 Dalmatians
- The Sword in the Stone
- The Jungle Book
The Silver Age always seems to begin with Cinderella, though when it ends is usually a matter of preference. Personally I cut it off at the last film that Walt Disney was heavily involved in, even if he was unable to see it through to completion.
The Dark Age/ Second Dark Age:
- Aristocats
- Robin Hood
- Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Rescuers
- Fox and the Hound
- Black Cauldron
- Great Mouse Detective
- Oliver and Company
This Dark Age follows the films after Walt's death, until Disney was able to launch the following Renaissance period. Again because of where this Age starts, there is debate on it, though it seems to be agreed upon that Oliver and Company is the last film for this Age.
The Renaissance:
- Little Mermaid (First of the Big 4)
- Rescuers Down Under
- Beauty and the Beast (Second of the Big 4)
- Aladdin (Third of the Big 4)
- Lion King (Last of the Big 4)
- Pocahontas
- Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Hercules
- Mulan
- Tarzan
This Renaissance period is quite notably a nostalgic one for me, being born during the same year as Little Mermaid, I was able to grow up with a new Disney film every year, right up until about 2000. There is a small debate on if Tarzan ends this Age, or if it goes further to Emperors New Groove. However, I generally cut it off here given how Fantasia 2000 and Dinosaur would wind up part of this age.
The Third Dark Age/ Bronze Period:
- Fantasia 2000
- Dinosaur
- Emperors New Groove
- Atlantis
- Lilo and Stitch
- Treasure Planet
- Brother Bear
- Home on the Range
- Chicken Little
- Meet the Robinsons
- Bolt
Current Age:
- Princess and the Frog
- Tangled
- Winnie the Pooh
- Wreck It Ralph (Upcoming)
- King of the Elves (Upcoming)
- Frozen (Upcoming)
There is still some debate on whether or not things are still in a "Post Renaissance" age, or if Princess and the Frog has brought about a "Redemption Age." With three films to work with right now, it might take another couple years or so to really get a better idea of things. For all purposes, I have divide things into a "Current Age" for the time being. This is subject to change, though I really hope the upcoming films are able to steer us back into a Renaissance period.
So now you know, and knowing is half the battle!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Aristocats
The Aristocats is the first of three things. It marks the beginning of a darker period in Disney's years, it's the first film done without Walt (whom had passed away during early development), and it is the first film to heavily feature felines. Yet it's also not as memorable as many other Disney classics.
The thing about Aristocats, is that while it is a lot of fun there's just not anything that's big enough to make it stand out from all of the other talking animal films. The animation looks nice, and thankfully avoids the cel problems that most of the upcoming films ran into, and the character designs are pleasing. The two character designs that I enjoyed the most were Madame, and Duchess. The kittens were rather cute, and easy to distinguish from each other, and had a certain spunk to them. Despite being important to the story, O'Malley feels like one of the characters not handled very well, ultimately he just comes across as a cat version of Baloo. Being voiced by the same actor certainly doesn't help, and the two even sing songs which are a tad similar to each other.
Musically, Aristocats does pretty well. Despite being similar to 'Bare Necessities,' the song 'Thomas O'Malley' is one of the films strengths, along with 'Scales and Arpeggios' and 'Every'body Wants to Be A Cat,' the latter of which is probably the most memorable and infuses the film with a much needed boost.
The entire film, again, is rather fun as we watch Duchess and her three kittens embark on a journey to get home, after their owner's butler tries to get rid of them upon learning they will inherit all of the money and estates. Along the way they meet the alley cat Thomas O'Malley, and set out on a series of adventures in order to get home. Perhaps the more annoying bit of the adventures is a trio of geese that they come across. While as a child I found them fun, upon more recent viewing I find that they are a bit tiring. In a way they remind me of annoying drunks who you wish would just leave so you can have some peace and quiet. As a villain, Edgar is ok, though there are certainly better villains out there.
3/5
The thing about Aristocats, is that while it is a lot of fun there's just not anything that's big enough to make it stand out from all of the other talking animal films. The animation looks nice, and thankfully avoids the cel problems that most of the upcoming films ran into, and the character designs are pleasing. The two character designs that I enjoyed the most were Madame, and Duchess. The kittens were rather cute, and easy to distinguish from each other, and had a certain spunk to them. Despite being important to the story, O'Malley feels like one of the characters not handled very well, ultimately he just comes across as a cat version of Baloo. Being voiced by the same actor certainly doesn't help, and the two even sing songs which are a tad similar to each other.
Musically, Aristocats does pretty well. Despite being similar to 'Bare Necessities,' the song 'Thomas O'Malley' is one of the films strengths, along with 'Scales and Arpeggios' and 'Every'body Wants to Be A Cat,' the latter of which is probably the most memorable and infuses the film with a much needed boost.
The entire film, again, is rather fun as we watch Duchess and her three kittens embark on a journey to get home, after their owner's butler tries to get rid of them upon learning they will inherit all of the money and estates. Along the way they meet the alley cat Thomas O'Malley, and set out on a series of adventures in order to get home. Perhaps the more annoying bit of the adventures is a trio of geese that they come across. While as a child I found them fun, upon more recent viewing I find that they are a bit tiring. In a way they remind me of annoying drunks who you wish would just leave so you can have some peace and quiet. As a villain, Edgar is ok, though there are certainly better villains out there.
3/5
Friday, June 1, 2012
Oliver and Company
Oliver and Company was the final film to be released before Disney began it's lengthy renaissance run. In some ways it does feel like it set us up for this new period by bringing back a more musical oriented feeling to the Disney films. One of the most immediately notable things about this film is that the inclusion of the twin towers in New York city gives it not only a modern day setting, but also dates it as a pre-9/11 film. This is a rather odd departure not only from olden day settings, but also moves away from an animal story being set largely in a forested area. Also, before you go into this any further there will be spoilers of sorts all through this.
Oliver and Company follows the super adorable kitten, Oliver, as he crosses paths with street-wise Dodger, a crook dog, and his canine gang. In turn, the gang acts as family and helps support a down-on-his-luck man named Fagin. Man I hope I managed to spell that name right, because seriously? Of ALL the names you could give him, you go with -that?- Anyway's. Oliver winds up being bad at gang-life and is soon taken in by a little girl named Jenny. Toss in a loan shark villain who is out to get his money back at any cost, and you've got this film.
Now. Surprisingly this film is a bit dark at times, primarily when the villain is around. In the past I used to not care much about this film, or the villain and yet looking at it years later I find a new appreciation for it. In one scene, the villain is actually giving someone tips on how to drown a man, and then of course we have the entire chase scene at the end. This chase scene is surprisingly violent and shows two of the villains dogs fall onto the electrified train tracks with a yelp, not to mention the villain himself being blow up because he got hit by a train. I repeat. His car was rammed into by a train. Complete with explosion. This...is Disney right?
Right. So happier topics? Songs! We have lots of great songs in here. "Why Should I Worry" and "Perfect Isn't Easy" are easily two of the stand out songs from this film, the first being performed by Billy Joel, while the latter is performed by Better Middler. Both of whom voice their respective characters as well. While we're on that note, the third voice actor I want to point out is Dom Deluise who is awesome as usual, in the role of Fagin.
So. The animation is actually rather interesting. It's not quite up there in the "Amazing" category, but it's still pretty good and our characters mesh better with the backgrounds instead of popping out and being obvious cels. The film has a lot of fun scenes, especially the "Why Should I Worry?" number, and even the opening "Once Upon A Time In New York City."
As far as characters go there is one who really stood out for me and that is Dodger. For whatever reason I just love the character, and I think a fair part of it is his design. The two other characters who I really enjoyed were Georgette, voiced by Bette Middler, and the villain Sykes. While I've already talked about Sykes up above, Georgette is a spoiled show dog who spends a lot of time in the shady grey area. She isn't nice to our hero, but at the same time she doesn't really go out of her way to harm him either. Instead she's just a bit selfish and wants him out of her way, even if it means letting Dodger and his gang invade her home for a while to 'rescue' him.
Certainly one of Disney's overlooked films, Oliver and Company is worth a watch, or five. 3 1/2 /5
Edit: Updated the rating.
Oliver and Company follows the super adorable kitten, Oliver, as he crosses paths with street-wise Dodger, a crook dog, and his canine gang. In turn, the gang acts as family and helps support a down-on-his-luck man named Fagin. Man I hope I managed to spell that name right, because seriously? Of ALL the names you could give him, you go with -that?- Anyway's. Oliver winds up being bad at gang-life and is soon taken in by a little girl named Jenny. Toss in a loan shark villain who is out to get his money back at any cost, and you've got this film.
Now. Surprisingly this film is a bit dark at times, primarily when the villain is around. In the past I used to not care much about this film, or the villain and yet looking at it years later I find a new appreciation for it. In one scene, the villain is actually giving someone tips on how to drown a man, and then of course we have the entire chase scene at the end. This chase scene is surprisingly violent and shows two of the villains dogs fall onto the electrified train tracks with a yelp, not to mention the villain himself being blow up because he got hit by a train. I repeat. His car was rammed into by a train. Complete with explosion. This...is Disney right?
Right. So happier topics? Songs! We have lots of great songs in here. "Why Should I Worry" and "Perfect Isn't Easy" are easily two of the stand out songs from this film, the first being performed by Billy Joel, while the latter is performed by Better Middler. Both of whom voice their respective characters as well. While we're on that note, the third voice actor I want to point out is Dom Deluise who is awesome as usual, in the role of Fagin.
So. The animation is actually rather interesting. It's not quite up there in the "Amazing" category, but it's still pretty good and our characters mesh better with the backgrounds instead of popping out and being obvious cels. The film has a lot of fun scenes, especially the "Why Should I Worry?" number, and even the opening "Once Upon A Time In New York City."
As far as characters go there is one who really stood out for me and that is Dodger. For whatever reason I just love the character, and I think a fair part of it is his design. The two other characters who I really enjoyed were Georgette, voiced by Bette Middler, and the villain Sykes. While I've already talked about Sykes up above, Georgette is a spoiled show dog who spends a lot of time in the shady grey area. She isn't nice to our hero, but at the same time she doesn't really go out of her way to harm him either. Instead she's just a bit selfish and wants him out of her way, even if it means letting Dodger and his gang invade her home for a while to 'rescue' him.
Certainly one of Disney's overlooked films, Oliver and Company is worth a watch, or five. 3 1/2 /5
Edit: Updated the rating.
Fox and the Hound
The 1970's and 1980's were a hard period for Disney's animated classics. After Walt had passed on, the company spent a lot of time seemingly trying to figure out "What would Walt do?" This lead to a rather darker period and for a while the live action films started to get churned out faster and more often. Fox and the Hound is a film that does bear a few resemblances to not only Bambi, but is also set in a world of talking canines much like 101 Dalmatians and Lady and the Tramp.
The basic story was adapted from a much, much darker novel of the same name and still retains some of the less happy material. Our two main heroes are Tod the fox, and Copper the hound dog. This unlikely pair become fast friends despite their differences. Following the same vein as Bambi, we soon time skip ahead to Spring and everyone starts to change. The main question is will the two still be friends despite Copper having gone off to learn how to hunt? The entire last act answers this in a rather surprising manner as their friendship is put to the test and results in a rather action packed sequence involving a very, very angry bear.
So, let's take a look at our characters. On the one hand, baby/young Tod and Copper are extremely adorable to watch. When they get older, however, things take an odd turn as they become voiced by Mickey Rooney and Kurt Russell. Oooook. Odd choices, yet it works well enough. We also have a trio of birds including the owl Big Mama, and a pair of birds named Boomer and Dinky whose primary goal is to try and eat a tiny caterpillar. From there we have the kindly Widow Tweed who raises Tod, and her gun happy neighbour Amos Slade who raises Copper, as well as an older dog named Chief. Rounding out the cast are Vixey who is only around to be the Love Interest, and a porcupine.
Quite a few of these characters aren't quite as memorable, Tod and Copper don't really have enough going for them to warrant a whole lot to say. Both Widow Tweed and Amos Slade have the potential for more depth, but their limited screen time keeps this from happening.
The film itself does look a tad dated in the animation department. There are times where it doesn't look all that bad, such as the opening chase, but at other times you are very much aware that the characters are not meshing with the backgrounds. This is quite obvious during most of the film, and it can be a tad distacting as it keeps you from fully immersing yourself. Despite all this, the ending is quite well done as no dialogue is given and yet winds up being really expressive.
The songs in this film are much like most of the characters, not all that memorable. The one exception is the song "Best of Friends" which is sung early in by Big Mama and is likely the one song that everyone remembers from this film.
While Fox and the Hound isn't the worst feature to be put out, it's also far from the best in the Disney canon.
3/5
The basic story was adapted from a much, much darker novel of the same name and still retains some of the less happy material. Our two main heroes are Tod the fox, and Copper the hound dog. This unlikely pair become fast friends despite their differences. Following the same vein as Bambi, we soon time skip ahead to Spring and everyone starts to change. The main question is will the two still be friends despite Copper having gone off to learn how to hunt? The entire last act answers this in a rather surprising manner as their friendship is put to the test and results in a rather action packed sequence involving a very, very angry bear.
So, let's take a look at our characters. On the one hand, baby/young Tod and Copper are extremely adorable to watch. When they get older, however, things take an odd turn as they become voiced by Mickey Rooney and Kurt Russell. Oooook. Odd choices, yet it works well enough. We also have a trio of birds including the owl Big Mama, and a pair of birds named Boomer and Dinky whose primary goal is to try and eat a tiny caterpillar. From there we have the kindly Widow Tweed who raises Tod, and her gun happy neighbour Amos Slade who raises Copper, as well as an older dog named Chief. Rounding out the cast are Vixey who is only around to be the Love Interest, and a porcupine.
Quite a few of these characters aren't quite as memorable, Tod and Copper don't really have enough going for them to warrant a whole lot to say. Both Widow Tweed and Amos Slade have the potential for more depth, but their limited screen time keeps this from happening.
The film itself does look a tad dated in the animation department. There are times where it doesn't look all that bad, such as the opening chase, but at other times you are very much aware that the characters are not meshing with the backgrounds. This is quite obvious during most of the film, and it can be a tad distacting as it keeps you from fully immersing yourself. Despite all this, the ending is quite well done as no dialogue is given and yet winds up being really expressive.
The songs in this film are much like most of the characters, not all that memorable. The one exception is the song "Best of Friends" which is sung early in by Big Mama and is likely the one song that everyone remembers from this film.
While Fox and the Hound isn't the worst feature to be put out, it's also far from the best in the Disney canon.
3/5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)