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The Screening Room
THE STUDIO GATE
No one
will mistake “Oliver and Company” as a Disney animated classic. Not by a
long shot.
The 1988 animated feature is now available on DVD in a 20th anniversary edition.
Former Disney executive, Jeffrey Katzenberg, clearly had an imprint on this movie. Taking a simple idea, like the story of “Oliver Twist,” and combining it with an all-star cast, pop songs and pop references, he was essentially creating the template for future animated movies he’d oversee at DreamWorks. His alleged dislike for animation shows in “Oliver and Company.” The movie is flat and bleak, and it doesn’t have the charm of most Disney animated films. It’s almost as if outsiders invaded the Disney studios at the time, and in a sense, they did.
The movie was the first animated feature from the newly invented Disney Studios that reflected the new regime’s mindset. Make movies quickly, cheaply, and hire actors whose careers weren’t what they used to be. Disney did this with “Down and Out inBeverly Hills Vietnam
When “Oliver and Company” was released, I was excited that Disney was trying to return to its animation roots. The last film the animation division made was “The Great Mouse Detective” (1986). Prior to that, the much maligned “The Black Cauldron” (1985) was considered weak on nearly level (I still think it’s a decent movie that should be seen on the big screen to be fully appreciated).The story of an orphan kitten getting mixed up with a bunch of dogs worked in 1988, but has the film held up? In my humble movie opinion, nope.
I saw the film theatrically that year and thought it was cute, for lack of a better term. I thought it was better than Don Bluth’s “The Land Before Time” released that same year. There were some cute jokes by Cheech Marin like “Gang war!” At the time, I thought the animation was a fresh departure from the elaborate Disney animation palette. The use of contemporary singing artists like Huey Lewis and Billy Joel added some freshness to Disney’s reliance on more stable songs that would test time (“When You Wish Upon A Star”). But after leaving my local AMC theater complex, the movie was erased from my mind. I asked myself, “Was it really that good?” Once the movie hit home video in those days of VHS tape, I didn’t rush out to buy it like I would other Disney movies. It was one of those movies that I didn’t buy on LaserDisc to add to my Disney classics collection. It wasn’t even considered as a DVD purchase when my daughter was old enough to watch movies. And once she saw it, she could barely sit through it.
Disney had experiemented with all types of animation since the studio was founded. The limited and plain animation of “Oliver and Company” shouldn’t be put in the spotlight for the film’s weaknesses. But it should, because this is baseline animation that even Disney steered away from. At its best, it’s top flight television animation of the day. The animation is rough and doesn’t have the flow of even mediocre Disney titles like “The Fox and the Hound” (1981) or “The Aristocats” (1970). Disney’s “101 Dalmatians” (1961) purposely used a more limited and rough style, yet it still focused on making the characters, at the very least, have life and personality. The motion of the characters still flowed. The animation in “Oliver and Company” feels lifeless and too depressing.
Most of the character drawings aren’t very appealing. Georgette (Bette Midler) is one of the more frightening characters to fill the Disney line-up. It doesn’t help that I don’t like poodles, but that’s besides the point. When she sings and shows her cannine teeth, I grimaced. Marin’s character of “Tito” is actually funny and cute, but when you hear all of his stereotyped Latino lines, you wonder how the film got away without offending people. Billy Joel’s role as Dodger plays up on his
New York
The music in the film is forgettable, though admittedly, Joel’s “Why Should I Worry?” is bouncy enough to be entertaining. It sounds the same as some of the songs from his “An Innocent Man” LP. I come from the dark side of not really liking Joel’s music. He has produced a few songs that I’ve enjoyed over the years. But once you realize how much he’s taken from Bob Dylan and The Beatles, you appreciate Joel less.
The flatest song on the soundtrack is by Huey Lewis, “Once Upon A Time In
New York City
Disney animated films made prior to “Oliver and Company” usually had some good singers and songs. Maurice Chevalier had his charm on “The Aristocats.” Mary Costas could sing very well in “Sleeping Beauty.” Cliff Edwards lent his voice to Jiminy Cricket with so much charm in “Pinocchio.” Most of the songs and singing in “Oliver and Company” aren’t memorable, and it’s no surprise you don’t hear them piped over the P.A. system at the Disney theme parks.
The movie uses a grimy production design. The backgrounds of
New York City
The word “classic” cannot be placed on this movie, no matter how much Disney’s home entertainment plasters it on the DVD cover. Despite my dislike of the movie, it is a time capsule of the era. Katzenberg eventually helped found DreamWorks. Disney would continue on making animated movies. And Don Bluth’s creation, “The Land Before Time,” would spawn endless video sequels. Was the era innocent? Maybe through rose colored glasses.
Bill Kallay
Special thanks to Click Communications
Photos: © BVHE. All rights reserved.
The 1988 animated feature is now available on DVD in a 20th anniversary edition.
Former Disney executive, Jeffrey Katzenberg, clearly had an imprint on this movie. Taking a simple idea, like the story of “Oliver Twist,” and combining it with an all-star cast, pop songs and pop references, he was essentially creating the template for future animated movies he’d oversee at DreamWorks. His alleged dislike for animation shows in “Oliver and Company.” The movie is flat and bleak, and it doesn’t have the charm of most Disney animated films. It’s almost as if outsiders invaded the Disney studios at the time, and in a sense, they did.
The movie was the first animated feature from the newly invented Disney Studios that reflected the new regime’s mindset. Make movies quickly, cheaply, and hire actors whose careers weren’t what they used to be. Disney did this with “Down and Out in
When “Oliver and Company” was released, I was excited that Disney was trying to return to its animation roots. The last film the animation division made was “The Great Mouse Detective” (1986). Prior to that, the much maligned “The Black Cauldron” (1985) was considered weak on nearly level (I still think it’s a decent movie that should be seen on the big screen to be fully appreciated).The story of an orphan kitten getting mixed up with a bunch of dogs worked in 1988, but has the film held up? In my humble movie opinion, nope.
I saw the film theatrically that year and thought it was cute, for lack of a better term. I thought it was better than Don Bluth’s “The Land Before Time” released that same year. There were some cute jokes by Cheech Marin like “Gang war!” At the time, I thought the animation was a fresh departure from the elaborate Disney animation palette. The use of contemporary singing artists like Huey Lewis and Billy Joel added some freshness to Disney’s reliance on more stable songs that would test time (“When You Wish Upon A Star”). But after leaving my local AMC theater complex, the movie was erased from my mind. I asked myself, “Was it really that good?” Once the movie hit home video in those days of VHS tape, I didn’t rush out to buy it like I would other Disney movies. It was one of those movies that I didn’t buy on LaserDisc to add to my Disney classics collection. It wasn’t even considered as a DVD purchase when my daughter was old enough to watch movies. And once she saw it, she could barely sit through it.
Disney had experiemented with all types of animation since the studio was founded. The limited and plain animation of “Oliver and Company” shouldn’t be put in the spotlight for the film’s weaknesses. But it should, because this is baseline animation that even Disney steered away from. At its best, it’s top flight television animation of the day. The animation is rough and doesn’t have the flow of even mediocre Disney titles like “The Fox and the Hound” (1981) or “The Aristocats” (1970). Disney’s “101 Dalmatians” (1961) purposely used a more limited and rough style, yet it still focused on making the characters, at the very least, have life and personality. The motion of the characters still flowed. The animation in “Oliver and Company” feels lifeless and too depressing.
Most of the character drawings aren’t very appealing. Georgette (Bette Midler) is one of the more frightening characters to fill the Disney line-up. It doesn’t help that I don’t like poodles, but that’s besides the point. When she sings and shows her cannine teeth, I grimaced. Marin’s character of “Tito” is actually funny and cute, but when you hear all of his stereotyped Latino lines, you wonder how the film got away without offending people. Billy Joel’s role as Dodger plays up on his
The music in the film is forgettable, though admittedly, Joel’s “Why Should I Worry?” is bouncy enough to be entertaining. It sounds the same as some of the songs from his “An Innocent Man” LP. I come from the dark side of not really liking Joel’s music. He has produced a few songs that I’ve enjoyed over the years. But once you realize how much he’s taken from Bob Dylan and The Beatles, you appreciate Joel less.
The flatest song on the soundtrack is by Huey Lewis, “Once Upon A Time In
Disney animated films made prior to “Oliver and Company” usually had some good singers and songs. Maurice Chevalier had his charm on “The Aristocats.” Mary Costas could sing very well in “Sleeping Beauty.” Cliff Edwards lent his voice to Jiminy Cricket with so much charm in “Pinocchio.” Most of the songs and singing in “Oliver and Company” aren’t memorable, and it’s no surprise you don’t hear them piped over the P.A. system at the Disney theme parks.
The movie uses a grimy production design. The backgrounds of
The word “classic” cannot be placed on this movie, no matter how much Disney’s home entertainment plasters it on the DVD cover. Despite my dislike of the movie, it is a time capsule of the era. Katzenberg eventually helped found DreamWorks. Disney would continue on making animated movies. And Don Bluth’s creation, “The Land Before Time,” would spawn endless video sequels. Was the era innocent? Maybe through rose colored glasses.
Bill Kallay
Special thanks to Click Communications
Photos: © BVHE. All rights reserved.
DVD Quick Glimpse
MOVIE
Dreary Disney animated movie that hasn't aged well
TALENT
Director: George Scribner
Cast: Billy Joel, Bette Midler, Cheech Marin
FEATURES
"Making of" and vintage Pluto cartoons
RATING
G
DVD
Picture: Good
Sound: Good
GEEK OUT
Time capsule from the late-80s
TECH SPECS
Aspect Ratio (1.66.1)
Dolby Digital 5.1
DVD RELEASE DATE
February 3, 2009
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