The Aristocats (1970)
After Walt Disney's death in 1966, Walt Disney Animation Studios struggled to find a distinctive voice and identity leading to, what many consider to be, one of the weakest points in the studio's history when it comes to output and quality. This identification feels mistaken, however, as despite an incoherent voice, the studio ended up releasing multiple charming and distinctive features that have gone on to find re-evaluation and new fanbases celebrating their unique charm. One of the films often overlooked from this time is The Aristocats. Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, The Aristocats is a somewhat simplistic tale of a family of cats that nearly get killed by their family butler, Edgar (Roddy Maude-Roxby), who is trying to take the cats out of the picture so he gets the family fortune from the will that is supposed to be going to the cats. Sadly for Edgar, his murder attempt fails and the cats journey back home helped by feral cat named J. Thomas O'Malley (Phil Harris).
When it comes to story, it is hard to imagine one being much simpler as The Aristocats. Similar to The Jungle Book, Disney's previous animated release before this film, the narrative is quite formulaic with the film being split into multiple repetitive sections with only a light overarching plot keeping the film together that builds to a climax that feels rather irrelevant to most of the film. Over and over again, the cats encounter unique obstacles and characters on their way home that are meant to fill runtime rather than provide thematic depth or purpose. While The Jungle Book largely connects due to its unique iconography and instantly iconic characters, The Aristocats doesn't have this luxury as its setting and array of characters are far less interesting.
What the film does have going for it is the natural positive reaction many will have from seeing cute cats do cute things. The characters throughout the film are adorable with the animation style being a near carbon copy of the style used in The Jungle Book. This style allows for great physical showcases of personality that does wonders in creating a likable cast of characters. The voice performances are also huge highlights here with Phil Harris giving the best performance of his career. While Harris will always be most known for his work as Baloo in The Jungle Book and Little John in Robin Hood, his outing as J. Thomas O'Malley carries a swagger and attitude that none of his other performances were able to have and he really does steal the show. Even if these characters are basic, they are undeniably charming and help make the feature an enjoyable watch.
When it comes to distinctive misses within the feature, there are a few. To try and break out of the more basic narrative the film sets, the focus does return at multiple points to Edgar and specifically the other animals that live at the house who try to solve the mystery of what happened to the cats and who is responsible. The focus of these segments often go to a mouse named Roquefort, voiced by the iconic Sterling Holloway. These segments nearly universally fail to land and continuously break the flow of the film and the cute adventures by the main cast of characters. Edgar is also one of the weaker Disney villains. While trying to murder a family of cats easily makes him a detestable villain, his character never fully evolves or becomes an iconic persona as so many other Disney villains have accomplished and thrived as a result. It also is worth noting that the film, as with plenty of Disney projects, have aged rather poorly with its depictions of other cultures with offensive stereotypes being present enough to warrant the film having a set warning played before one watches the feature on Disney+.
While The Aristocats is far from being a disaster, it is easy to see why the film has failed to have much of a legacy in the present. While the animation is cute and the film creates an incredibly likable main cast of characters each with their own unique personality and presence, the narrative is incredibly basic and lacks any deeper dimension when it comes to purpose or poignance. With a live-action remake coming soon with Questlove attached to direct, maybe The Aristocats can find new life in the future, but as of now, the film remains one of the more forgettable entries in the Disney catalog.
When it comes to story, it is hard to imagine one being much simpler as The Aristocats. Similar to The Jungle Book, Disney's previous animated release before this film, the narrative is quite formulaic with the film being split into multiple repetitive sections with only a light overarching plot keeping the film together that builds to a climax that feels rather irrelevant to most of the film. Over and over again, the cats encounter unique obstacles and characters on their way home that are meant to fill runtime rather than provide thematic depth or purpose. While The Jungle Book largely connects due to its unique iconography and instantly iconic characters, The Aristocats doesn't have this luxury as its setting and array of characters are far less interesting.
What the film does have going for it is the natural positive reaction many will have from seeing cute cats do cute things. The characters throughout the film are adorable with the animation style being a near carbon copy of the style used in The Jungle Book. This style allows for great physical showcases of personality that does wonders in creating a likable cast of characters. The voice performances are also huge highlights here with Phil Harris giving the best performance of his career. While Harris will always be most known for his work as Baloo in The Jungle Book and Little John in Robin Hood, his outing as J. Thomas O'Malley carries a swagger and attitude that none of his other performances were able to have and he really does steal the show. Even if these characters are basic, they are undeniably charming and help make the feature an enjoyable watch.
When it comes to distinctive misses within the feature, there are a few. To try and break out of the more basic narrative the film sets, the focus does return at multiple points to Edgar and specifically the other animals that live at the house who try to solve the mystery of what happened to the cats and who is responsible. The focus of these segments often go to a mouse named Roquefort, voiced by the iconic Sterling Holloway. These segments nearly universally fail to land and continuously break the flow of the film and the cute adventures by the main cast of characters. Edgar is also one of the weaker Disney villains. While trying to murder a family of cats easily makes him a detestable villain, his character never fully evolves or becomes an iconic persona as so many other Disney villains have accomplished and thrived as a result. It also is worth noting that the film, as with plenty of Disney projects, have aged rather poorly with its depictions of other cultures with offensive stereotypes being present enough to warrant the film having a set warning played before one watches the feature on Disney+.
While The Aristocats is far from being a disaster, it is easy to see why the film has failed to have much of a legacy in the present. While the animation is cute and the film creates an incredibly likable main cast of characters each with their own unique personality and presence, the narrative is incredibly basic and lacks any deeper dimension when it comes to purpose or poignance. With a live-action remake coming soon with Questlove attached to direct, maybe The Aristocats can find new life in the future, but as of now, the film remains one of the more forgettable entries in the Disney catalog.