The Aristocats - 9 stars out of 10

The Aristocats - 9 stars out of 10

"The Aristocats" is a hidden gem amidst the Disney Canon.  I never expected to love this film as much as I did but I anticipate going back to it many times over the years.  It has that classic Disney look with the 1970's animation that defines a great era in Disney's history.  The high quality of this film is a direct reflection of the four years that it took to produce and the classic look is the workmanship of five of Walt Disney's "Nine Old Men" (the famed group of animators who drew all of the early Disney films).  It is the style that we see in "Robin Hood" and "Jungle Book," focused on creating  realistic character movements instead of being flashy.  It is fun to see Paris brought to life, but not nearly as fun as it is to see the cats moving exactly like, well, cats!  The characters are not iconic like Simba or Sebastian but they are incredibly lovable.  The innocence of Duchess combines with the smooth operation of Thomas O'Malley for great chemistry while the kittens are just so adorable that you can't help smiling.  Even Edgar, the villain, is lovable in a bumbling sort of way!  One might say that the lack of a sinister villain like Jafar or Ursula is a shortfall of the film, but I think that it allows the film to focus on the love story while Edgar creates conflict but does not dominate the storyline.  Regardless, the greatest part of "The Aristocats" is its line-up of voice actors.  Many of the greatest voices in Disney animation appear in this film, perhaps as a tribute to Walt since this was the first Disney film made after his death.  When you get together Phil Harris (Baloo) as Thomas, Sterling Holloway (Pooh) as Roquefort, Eva Gabor (Miss Bianca in The Rescuers) as Duchess, Pat Buttram (Chief in Fox and the Hound) as Napoleon, George Lindsey (Trigger in Robin Hood) as Lafayette, Monica Evans (Maid Marian) as Abigail, Carole Shelley (Lady Cluck from Robin Hood) as Amelia), Bill Thompson (Mr. Smee/White Rabbit) as Uncle Waldo, and cameos by Thurl Ravenscroft (too many roles to list) as Russian Cat and Paul Winchell (Tigger) as Chinese Cat, you will be jumping out of your seat as you hear all of these beloved Disney voices reunited.  And these are all mixed in with other incredible actors of the time.  This film is a joy to listen to.  The music is not the most memorable but it all perfectly fits the film, highlighted by Scatman Crothers in "Everybody Want to Be a Cat"!  I expected a cheesy, kid-focused cartoon but instead, I found a sophisticated work of art.  While we each have our favorite Disney film from our childhood, "The Aristocats" is unfamiliar enough that it will catch you by surprise and make you fall in love with Disney all over again.