The Aristocats

Voices of: Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Sterling Holloway, Scatman Crothers, Paul Winchell
Directed by: Wolfgang Reitherman
Rating: G
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Adventure
1970

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A family of wealthy cats is abandoned in the countryside and must team with a carefree cat to get home.

Review:

Tim: Disney has delivered so many classic animated movies over the years, but it's track record is a little up-and-down. The Aristocats is certainly one of those lesser efforts. There's nothing explicitly wrong with this movie, but there's not a ton to like, either. It's a decent movie, but an absolutely forgettable one.

I suppose the story does offer an interesting take on different economic and social classes. The cat family is obviously wealthy, among the elite. They find themselves miles from home, in the countryside, and must rely on the kindness of strangers to help them (although they're surprisingly resourceful for a family that must have lived a sheltered life). This aspect of the film is interesting, but the movie never pulls on that thread long enough. The movie would have been better had this been a more essential aspect of the story. The idea was there, but it's never fully realized. Without digging deeply enough, we just have this rich cat family who are dealing with problems that come from their wealth (and the scheming betrayer who wants to steal their wealth). I'm not sure why this would be appealing to younger viewers. As I watched the decadence of the cat family's life, I felt no connection to them. I watched this movie with my four year-old son and it didn't appear that he had any connection with them, other than a general enjoyment of cats. The characters are underdeveloped. You couldn't claim anyone in this film would be anywhere near the top 2-3 tiers of Disney characters. Truly, I can't remember a single character's name- they are all so forgettable. Rich mom cat, her three kids, and the alley cat. That's about all I have. Their story isn't especially interesting, nor are the characters themselves. This movie immediately puts itself at a severe disadvantage.

The story is okay, it's basically a road trip story of these cats trying to get home. They have a series of adventures, some hijinks ensue, they meet new and interesting people, they learn a few things. The plot could have used some work. It's not bad, it's just fairly blase and not all that interesting. Some of the characters they meet feel worthwhile, others are less so. The music is fine- a few of the songs are a bit catchy, but there's really not a classic among them. Disney has been responsible for so many terrific songs, this movie falls flat in that department. There's some troubling racial aspects to the film, too. Obviously they were more acceptable in 1970.

As I said, there's nothing inherently wrong with The Aristocats. The 20th Disney animated movie does offer up a different plot to some of the others. It's an original idea for sure. However, nothing about the film is all that compelling. It was executed well, but it's obviously a lesser effort. It was fine watching this movie, but neither my son nor I especially cared for it. It's thankfully quite short, at 1 hour, 18 minutes. I didn't mind watching the film as a grown-up (I'd seen it at least once and likely more as a child), but there's nothing here that makes me want to see it again (except I probably will, when my daughter is older).

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Rescuers, Lady and the Tramp