By the 1980's, animation at Disney was pretty much dead. Walt's Nine Old Men had all retired and many talented younger employees – like Don Bluth, Tim Burton and John Lasseter – had either quit or been fired. However, CEO Michael Eisner, recognizing that animation was the cornerstone of the studio's success, tried to rebuild the shattered division.
Films like 1985's The Black Cauldron, 1986's The Great Mouse Detective and 1988's Oliver and Company kept Disney Animation rolling while they tried to recover the grace and brilliance that marked their classic work.
The latter film was a minor hit, paving the way for 1989's The Little Mermaid, but pales in comparison to the Mouse House's classic output. But still, Disney is marketing the film in a fancy Oliver and Company 20th Anniversary Edition DVD. Let's see how it racks up.
Oliver and Company: Charles Dickens Adaptation Stars Billy Joel, Joey Lawrence, Cheech Marin
As you might have guess from the title, Oliver and Company was a loose adaptation (Disney called it "inspired by") Charles Dickens' classic Oliver Twist.
This time, Oliver (Joey Lawrence) is a kitten lost in 1980's New York City (Disney's attempts to seem hip-hop n' happening back in the totally awesome 80's looks hilariously dated now). Oliver falls in with another stray named Dodger (Billy Joel . . . yup, that Billy Joel) who introduces him to his gang: Tito the chihuahua (Cheech Marin), Francis the educated bulldog (Roscoe Lee Browne), Einstein the less-than-brilliant hound (Richard Mulligan), and streetwise Afghan Rita (Sheryl Lee Ralph). They all answer to Fagen (Dom DeLuise), a desperate scavenger who owes money to the villainous Sykes (Robert Loggia).
During a heist gone wrong, Oliver ends up in the arms of Jenny (Natalie Gregory) a poor little rich girl whose neglectful parents are off in Paris. Jenny immediately takes Oliver home with her, incurring the wrath of pampered poodle Georgette (Bette Midler). This unleashes a whole raft of events that only vaguely match Dicken's tale.
Artistically, this film is a far cry from Disney's glory years. The backgrounds (many rendered with primitive CGI) look slapdash and hastily done, miles away from Peter Ellenshawe's brilliant work on Mary Poppins. It's clear that budget concerns hampered this film's development.
The voice work is solid but unspectacular: Joel does a decent job as Dodger, but Lawrence is no voice actor (he would later achieve pinup status on the TV show Blossom). Not surprisingly, Marin steals the show, essentially playing himself. The various tunes – even then, Disney management decreed that all animated films had to be musicals – are sung by Midler, Joel and Huey Louis. They're decent enough but not terribly memorable.
DVD Extras
There's a 1988 "making of" featurette about Oliver and Company. Not surprisingly, it talks about how it follows "in the tradition of" such Disney classics as Snow White and Pinocchio. It also features interviews with director George Scribner and lead animator Glen Keane (currently working on the upcoming Rapunzel).
The inclusion of images from classic Disney animated movies is unfortunate, since it shows how inadequate Oliver and Company is in comparison.
At one point, the narrator discusses how early CGI was used in the backgrounds, but quickly adds, "Don't look for computers to replace human animators at Disney." That line attained grim hilarity after the infamous "Tom Meetings" of 2002.
There's also a much shorter promo featurette, which includes footage from more recent films like The Lion King. Once again, it's painfully clear which films are genuine classics, and which ones aren't.
There are also two classic Disney shorts included in this DVD: 1941's "Lend a Paw" depicts Pluto's battle of conscience after a kitty he rescues starts horning in on Mickey's affections. It's dedicated to animal rights activists. 1950's "Puss Café" also features Pluto, this time battling two cats who decide to move into his backyard and help themselves to the assorted birds, fish and milk bottles.
The Final Analysis
Were it from any other animation studio, Oliver and Company would have been a much more impressive movie. But the film came from a Disney that was slowly trying to find its mojo after the dark years following Walt's death in 1966. Compared to what went on before, and what Disney animators would accomplish in the years to come, Oliver and Company is a sign of how far the Mouse House had fallen in 1988.
Of course, 1989 would bring The Little Mermaid, a film that heralded the Mouse House's "animation renaissance." It was a burst of creativity (and box office success) that would find its peak in 1994's The Lion King.
In that sense, Oliver and Company 20th Anniversary Edition represents an important milestone in Disney's rebirth. But that doesn't make it a classic movie. It gets a 5/10.
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
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