Oliver & Company

Voices of: Joey Lawrence, Billy Joel, Cheech Marin, Richard Mulligan, Roscoe Lee Browne, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Dom DeLuise, Carl Weintraub, Robert Loggia, Bette Midler, Frank Welker, Jonathan Brandis
Directed by: George Schribner
Rating: G
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
1988

Times Seen:
Tim: 1


Summary: A kitten (Joey Lawrence) joins a gang of dogs to survive in New York City.

Review:

Tim: Most people would readily admit Disney's Oliver & Company is one of their lesser efforts. However, I'm going to take it further and declare it a fairly bad movie. It's just utterly forgettable in nearly every sense. For another studio, perhaps they could hang their hat on a movie list this, but Disney had continuously proven they can do better than what we get here. I didn't care for this movie.

The idea of adapting Oliver Twist to a modern day cats and dogs story for an animated children's movie isn't a bad idea at all. Anything based on Charles Dickens' work immediately starts with a leg up because he was so talented. However, the idea never materializes into an effective film. First and foremost, the characters are surprisingly thin, given the source material. Oliver works as a cat, but he was an utterly forgettable character. He's a cat and an all-around good guy, I guess. He doesn't have much to him. Dodger gets more depth to his character, but not all that much. He's charismatic, cool, street smart. We never really understand him more than this. Fagin gets brushed by too quickly, too. Then there's about a dozen other characters who are even further glossed over. It's bizarre how little impact any of the characters make. I asked my five year-old son the characters' names during the movie and had no idea, besides Oliver the cat. There's also some characters and situations that haven't aged well, including racial stereotypes and minor sexual harassment. These are embodied in Tito, who is played as comic relief. The problem is that none of the characters, not a single one, are great. This is a major issue with the film. Compare this to the better Disney movies and the iconic characters they created in those. There's no comparison with the paper thin characters here. The characters get lost in the story.

The story isn't all that great, either. I'm not sure why a loan shark needed to be in this film (and they made him a human, instead of an actual shark). But that whole aspect of the film felt off. My son had no idea what was going on, and I didn't have the energy to explain to him the dangers of accepting money from dangerous and unethical men. The kidnapping was a little tough, but at least I could explain to him why you never go with a stranger. The whole movie feels disjointed. The scenes on the streets of New York, the scenes with Jenny, the eventual loan shark showdown- it doesn't feel like the movie had a strong enough vision (which is odd because of the source material). It's how the story is told that fails. It doesn't seem to flow, but instead to jump around from scene to scene without a lot of momentum.

The hand-drawn animation works here. It feels old by 2020's standards, but it's engaging and feels more gritty and realistic, which is perfect for this kind of story. I have no fault with the animators. The music is decent, but it's not nearly as good as the music in Oliver!. "Why Should I Worry?" is catchy in an 80s way, but it can't compare to a classic like "I'd Do Anything". There's not a standout piece in this film.

The voice cast is good, it's not their fault the story and characters are so underwhelming. It's funny to hear Joey Lawrence as Oliver, knowing where his career would eventually go. Billy Joel was a bizarre choice for Dodger, but I have to admit I enjoyed his performance. The authentic New York accent probably helps, but his voice was smooth and unique and I thought he did a really good job. I like Cheech Marin and appreciated the energy he brought to his character, but it was a bit troubling nevertheless. Dom DeLuise has a terrific voice and I wish we heard more of him. Better Midler was good, and I enjoyed hearing Robert Loggia. As a whole, I don't have many complaints about the cast.

My five year-old son said he liked Oliver & Company but I didn't see a whole lot of enthusiasm from him. He'll forget the movie in a week. It might not quite be terrible, but it's thoroughly uninspiring. I didn't care for this movie and I know Disney can do better.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers