#249: The Aristocats
Release Date: December 24th, 1970
Format: Streaming (Disney+)
Written by: Ken Anderson, Larry Clemons, Eric Cleworth, Vance Gerry, Julius Svendsen, Frank Thomas, Ralph Wright
Directed by: Wolfgang Reitherman
3.5 Stars
I’m not a Disney fan per say. I saw a decent portion of their animated films growing up, but not all of them. Based on my cursory knowledge of the Disney cannon, it seems that their most ardent fans agree that there are two distinct eras that produced the best animated Disney films: Their ‘40s/’50s-Era Classics (namely Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady in the Tramp, and Sleeping Beauty) and their ‘80s/’90s-Era Revival (namely The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, and Tarzan).
Although separated by 50 years, both eras seem to capture a similar pathos that seemed so magical and unique to the Walt Disney brand.
But that doesn’t mean that the middle-era Disney films are without value. I saw most of those Classic and Revival-era Disney films as a kid, and yeah, they’re very good, but honestly, the two Disney films I watched the most were The Jungle Book (1967) and Robin Hood (1973).
As a young boy, I probably liked them the most because they were about funny, lazy animals just hanging out. They were hangout movies, really, less plot driven than other Disney fare, and looser. There’s less of that patented Disney feel to them. They’re shaggier, and although still family friendly, more suggestive. They’re just a good time (until, that is, Mowgli returns to his human village in The Jungle Book, which made me upset as a kid; chilling with Bagheera and Baloo in the jungle seems like so much more fun).
One of the Disney films that I had never seen though, until tonight, came directly between The Jungle Book and Robin Hood, and that is The Aristocats, from 1970. I don’t really have a great reason for why I had never seen it, other than we didn’t have it on VHS at my mom’s house growing up.
Now that I’ve watched it, I think the three movies make for a great trilogy. They share a similar vibe, a sort of friendly aimlessness. You can sense the counterculture movement of the 1960s seeping into all three films, too. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to picture multiple characters from all of these films getting together to share a joint, put on a funky record, and just vibe for the afternoon.
In the case of The Aristocats, the stoners would definitely be the charming alley cat J. Thomas O’Malley and his ragtag group of musician friends, including Scat Cat, the band’s lead vocalist and trumpet player. These groovy cats are trying to help a pretty dame named Duchess and her three kittens find their way home, where an evil butler kidnapped and then deserted them in the faraway countryside.
But don’t get too wrapped up in the plot. This movie is really just a fun little adventure with good music and a few good laughs.
Can you dig it kitty cat?
