Before Pixar dazzled us with their groundbreaking CG 3D animated movies, there was one company that would capture our hearts year-after-year with endearing 2D animated features. In the 20th century, Walt Disney owned the world of animated feature films. They created characters that, however abstract or fanciful, always found a way into our hearts. Walt Disney taught us that no matter how much of an underdog we were, our dreams could still come true.
Oliver and Company, the twenty-seventh animated feature from Disney, is a classic Disney tale of a hero from the wrong side of town who you magically fall in love with. The story is written in the vein of Oliver Twist, and set alongside the backdrop of New York City. Oliver and Company features a stray cat named Oliver, who is befriended by a gang of doggy thieves, lead by Dodger (Billy Joel) and cared for by the unlikely thief Fagen (Dom DeLuise). When Oliver finds a home with a wealthy master, Fagen seizes the opportunity to ransom Oliver.
Oliver and Company is one of Disney’s lesser known animated features. Billie Joel does a brilliant job voicing Dodger. But, despite having Billie Joel as the lead actor and singer, the musical score is hardly on par with later features like “Beauty and the Beast” or “The Lion King.” What it did do was serve as the basis for the next several Disney features. After testing the waters of blending animation with award-winning musicians, Disney developed the framework that would guide them through their next decade of feature films.
The story gets off to a slow start, when Oliver first meets Dodger. The older dog uses Oliver to steel food for his gang of thieves. Once, the rest of the doggy criminals show up, the humor begins. Most of the comedy comes from Cheech Marin, who voices Tito, the rough dog with an eye for love. Tito falls for Georgette (Bette Midler), a dog from upper crust side of town. The movie is filled with superb visual gags which helps the story find humor even at dull points.
The 20th Anniversary DVD is packed with some amazing bonus features.
Bonus Features:
- Oliver’s Big City Challenge Game: Embark on a point-and-click adventure through Oliver and Company. This game will be fun for children, while adults will find the games tedious and boring.
- The Making of Oliver and Company: Go on a classic journey backstage at Disney, and see animation done from the traditional perspective.
- Shorts - The 20th Anniversary DVD comes with two humorous shorts featuring Pluto. The first is the Academy Award-Winning “Lend a Paw.” In this short, Pluto rescues a kitten and saves the day. In the second short, “Puss Café,” Pluto must protect his house from two hungry stray cats.
- Sing-Along songs: Fans of karaoke will get a chance to show off their vocal skills and sing songs from Oliver and Company.
Title: Oliver and Company (20th Anniversary Edition)Starring:Taurean Blacque, Roscoe Lee Browne, Natalie Gregory, Billy Joel, Joey Lawrence
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Release Date:February 3, 2009
Rating: 7.4 / 10
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