THE ARISTOCATS. Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman; written by Larry Clemmons and others; produced by Wolfgang Reitherman and Winston Hibler for Walt Disney Pictures. Animated. Rated G.
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The Aristocats (originally released in 1970) is probably no one's favorite animated movie. But it's not exactly rock-bottom, either. A good movie for very young children to see, it's fairly short (one hour, 18 minutes) and contains nothing that could possibly frighten even the most timid or sheltered toddler.
There are several exciting, though scarcely violent, chase and fight scenes to keep the little one's interest up. But be warned that there are slow stretches, too, where demands for popcorn, etc. may surface.
The story involves a family of cats (inexplicably fatherless) who are doted upon by their rich mistress in turn-of-the-century Paris. Edgar, the greedy butler, overhears that the cats are to inherit the lady's wealth upon her death, and only upon their deaths will the money revert to him.
Determined to get the jump on his inheritance, Edgar kidnaps the cats. But he doesn't seem to intend murder; he just tries to get them out of the way. Too clumsy to effect the cats' permanent disappearance, he eventually gets what's coming to him.
Actually, the most entertaining characters in The Aristocats are the animals other than cats. A pair of British geese strolling through the French countryside are quite funny. And so are the two farm dogs, Napoleon and Lafayette, who give chase after the hapless Edgar—not because they disaprove of his catnapping, but just on general principle.
The cats are cute, and their voices are well-spoken. Eva Gabor is mother cat Duchess and Phil Harris is O'Malley, the alley cat who befriends Duchess and her three kittens. But the cat characters, perhaps except for the kittens, are bland and are given little that is amusing to say. Tiny tots will like them, but their parents will do well to stay awake through some of the scenes.
Comparison of The Aristocats' with some other Disney features is rather interesting, since this movie is the first animated one entirely produced by the studio after Walt Disney's death in 1966. The romantic plot involving Duchess and O'Malley is very similar to that of Lady and the Tramp (1955), although the dogs in the earlier movie were more appealing characters.
The villain Edgar, although he's hardly threatening enough to be called one, bears a physical resemblance to one of the henchmen in 101 Dalmations (1961), who was much more villainous. He, after all, was planning to kill 99 puppies.
If you only make it to one cartoon movie a year, I suggest you wait until this summer, when Snow White will be re-released (50 years after its debut). This 1937 classic, while being downright scary in parts and thus not as suitable for the easily impressionable, is much easier for adults to sit through.
May 6, 1987