DVD Review: Oliver and Company (20th Anniversary Edition)
Filed under: – Animated, Cartoon, Classic, DVD, Disney, Movies
Oliver and Company: 20th Anniversary DVD Box ArtMovie Info:
Writers: Jim Cox, Tim Disney, James Mangold and Various others
Director: George Scribner
Cast: Joseph Lawrence, Billy Joel, Cheech Marin, Richard Mulligan, Roscoe Lee Browne, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Dom DeLuise, Taurean Blacque, Carl Weintraub, Robert Loggia, Natalie Gregory, William Glover, Bette Midler, Frank Welker
Rating: NR (G by the MPAA)
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Release Info:
Theatrical Release: November 18, 1988
DVD Release Date: February 3, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99
“Why should I worry?
Why should I care?
I may not have a dime
But I got street savoire faire”¦“
If you combine the 80s, one of my favorite movies growing up, and an all star cast that includes Billy Joel, Bette Midler, Cheech Marin, Richard Mulligan, Roscoe Lee Browne,Dom DeLuise, Frank Welker, Robert Loggia and Joey Lawrence”¦what do you get? Why Oliver & Company, of course! I’m a proud child of the 80s. Born in 1980, I was just the perfect age to enjoy this film when it was first released in November of 1988.
I’m almost certain I saw this movie in the theaters. From there, I wore my Oliver & Company VHS out. Disney hit a home run by combining music, animation and a child friendly story with a classic like Dickens’ Oliver Twist. Of course, as a kid, you wonder if Charles Dickens was inspired by the movie Oliver & Company, until you’re old enough to understand that his Oliver, Oliver Twist came first. Seriously, I must like the book (and subsequent movies, musicals, etc.) because when it came time to name my shih tzu, Ashtyn and I chose to name him Oliver Twist. We’re both fans of Dickens’ Oliver and the cute, cuddly tabby kitten in Oliver & Company, also named Oliver.
All the personal mumbo jumbo aside, Oliver & Company was one of my very favorite Disney movies growing up. Next to Lady and the Tramp and The Fox and the Hound, I’m unable to choose my very favorite Disney movie. These were the movies I grew up loving and though I love other Disney flicks like The Lion King and older classics like Snow White, I’ll always have a soft spot for Oliver & Company. This was back when Disney rocked every kids’ world with each subsequent film they released. Today, it seems like some of their movies are a bit hit or miss.
I could go on and on about my love for Oliver & Company. Seriously though, if you have kids or if you don’t doesn’t really matter. Oliver & Company is an awesome movie. It’s fun, lighthearted and family friendly. It reminds me of my childhood and waves of nostalgia rolled over me while watching this. It’s time to introduce a new generation to the Disney many of us from the 70s and 80s remember growing up with and watching. The release of Oliver & Company in it’s 20th Anniversary Edition is something I’d been looking forward to for quite a few months.
The Oliver and Company Plot
Oliver and Company is an animated adaptation of the book, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. This is a cool, 80s version of the story starring cats and dogs in lieu of people. The coolest cat (no pun intended) on the block is actually a dog named Dodger (Billy Joel) and he takes in a young, homeless kitten named Oliver who is voiced by a young Joey Lawrence.
Oliver and Company begins in a crummy part of New York in the 1980s. Oliver is the cutest cat in a box full of kittens that is being sold. He also seems to be the runt of the litter, so he’s the last one to sell. Finally, the person selling just plans to give him away for free. He ends up falling out of his cardboard box when it breaks due to a rainstorm. After an exciting stroll down the street and hiding on a car wheel to sleep, Oliver runs into Dodger, a stray dog who he helps steal hot dogs from a street vendor. Dodger takes the dogs and runs without giving Oliver his share.
Oliver follows Dodger back to his home where a group of rag tag orphaned dogs live. The home is run by a thief by the name of Fagan (Dom DeLuise). Dodger isn’t all bad as he shares the food treats he stole with Oliver with his group of friends. There is the Chihuahua, Tito (Cheech Marin) known best for his line, “If this is torture chain me to the wall!”, the Great Dane, Einstein (Richard Mulligan), the Bulldog, Frankie (Roscoe Lee Browne) and the Saluki, Rita (Sheryl Lee Ralph). Dodger recounts a horrific tale to describe how he got his meal, but when Oliver shows up they know he’s lying. Rita instantly takes a liking to the lil guy and they decide to allow him to stay around.
The dogs show off all the worthless crud they’ve stolen for Fagin. He owes money to a loan shark named Sykes (Robert Loggia). It isn’t pretty when people don’t pay Sykes. In fact, he decides to stop by to remind Fagan how much he dislikes being owned such funds. When Fagan is summoned by Sykes’ dobermans Roscoe and Desoto, the dogs stay behind to try and eat Oliver. Sykes has even worse news for Fagan. He has only three days to pay”¦or else.
Fagan heads into the city the next day to sell his stolen trinkets. As he is doing that, the dogs try to scam a limo driver named Winston (William Glover). He is driving Jennifer Foxworth (Natalie Gregory), a rich little girl whose parents are out of the country, at the moment. When Oliver and Tito try to steal the radio in the limo, Jenny discovers Oliver and decides to keep him. He goes from being an orphan to living in a beautiful, expensive house. The only problem is that the purebred poodle of the Foxworth’s, Georgette (Bette Midler) hates her new, feline companion.
The dogs believe that Oliver has been kidnapped and try to get him back. Oliver is happy with Jenny though. The dogs find a way to kidnap him back, and take him to Fagan’s. In the meantime, Tito finds love with Georgette, which is unfortunately quite one-sided. With Oliver gone, and a gold tag from Jenny still on him, Fagan decides to make Jenny pay a ransom to get Oliver back, so he can pay Sykes. Little does he know this wealthy little girl is about to head out into the city, alone with only her dog Georgette to save her beloved kitten, Oliver.
Storyline/Plot: ★★★★★
Replayability: ★★★★★
Acting: ★★★★★
Directing: ★★★★★
Audio/Visual:
Oliver is sporting a 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, though it has a problem or two to report. It appears to be of similar quality ti the 2002 release. While nothing is wrong with that (it’s passable), it would have been nice to see a remastered version that was free of grain and compression errors. The problems here are small, but they are noticeable and that’s a shame as Oliver is an excellent movie. It seems that Disney would have tried harder to make this a more exciting venture for their fans. Hopefully, when this is released on Blu-ray they will go out of their way to make the quality shine.
The music and audio is handled by a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, which sounds similar to what was available on the 2002 release. It wasn’t like upgrading the audio would have been necessary as the audio sounds fine. It sticks to the front a little more than it should, though the sound is robust during the scenes containing city streets and musical numbers. In addition to English Dolby Digital 5.1, there are also Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in both Spanish and French.
Visual: ★★★½☆
Audio: ★★★★☆
Bonus Features:
If you have the 2002 release it is going to be hard to recommend purchasing this one, especially when it comes to the bonus section. There is only one new bonus between the two discs and it’s a game. As you may know, DVD games are usually not the most advanced or enthralling undertakings. Still it is available and for what it’s worth some kids should enjoy it.
“Oliver’s Big City Challenge” is one of the better DVD games I have come across. It includes seven levels and gives you a chance to utilize the main gang in the movie as you go through each level. Kids should be able to breeze through most of the levels without a problem. The only downside is when you win there is no reward of any kind, other than an end to the game.
A small sing-along section includes the songs “Why Should I Worry” and “Streets of Gold.” However, it’s important to mention that the songs, “Streets” in particular, does not include all of the song verses. It’s sad that there was a lack of a more complete sing along section because as a fan of the movie, I had higher hopes, but this should be fine for younger children who just want to sing with the show.
Backstage Disney offers a good amount of material, though if you own the 2002 release none of this is going to be that new to you. In “The Making of Oliver & Company” you receive a semi-promotional look at what it took to make this amazing film. Things like the debut of Billy Joel’s voice acting career is brought up, as well as the use of computer graphics, which were newer at the time this movie was made.
A tiny featurette is found in, “Disney’s Animated Animals,” which is too short to offer anything of real purpose. The real gem in the bunch in this section seems to be the Oliver and Company Scrapbook. This section includes a number of storyboard drawings along with character design and other shots. It is incredibly interesting to look at art and scenes that were made for the movie but then tossed aside, only to not be included. This section is wrapped up with the theatrical trailer and the short, “Puss Cafe,” which serves to be quite amusing.
The Publicity Materials section includes a few items worth looking at if you have not seem them. These include both a trailer that’s a minute and a half, long with a 30 second television spot. A longer trailer is also available that was used for the films re-release. This is the better of the two trailers in this section as it shows off the musical charms of the movie. Finally, “Return of a Classic” offers two minutes worth of information on Disney re-releases of gems such as Oliver.
The “Fun Film Facts” offers some text information and trivia. There isn’t much here that you can’t find on the Internet, but it puts it all in a neat and easy format, so you won’t have to go hunting for it if you’re interested.
“Lend a Paw” is the bonus sections second included short and it allows you to watch Pluto rescuing a cat from an icy demise. To bad for Pluto, as the kitty ends up moving in on his territory soon after. I’ve seen the shorts and classic cartoons on other discs before, but they are still funny. It just would have been nice to see something new here.
Finally, you recieve a handful of previews for Pixar’s Up, Pinocchio: Platinum Edition, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Air Bud: Special Edition, and Space Buddies. Additional previews can be found in the sneak peek section where you will find some trailers for My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, Bolt, Imagination Movers and the Blu-ray presentation of Monsters, Inc.
Bonus Features: ★★★½☆
Bottom Line:
I loved Oliver and Company when I was little and I still love it today. This is a movie I feel comfortable sharing with my kids and I enjoy watching it with them, too. Too often these days I’m just not into those shows and movies kids are watching. Oliver and Company is a classic. If you don’t own it you should. If you own the 2002 special edition of Oliver and Company, you may not want to upgrade as there isn’t much difference in the two releases. Still, Oliver and Company – 20th Anniversary Edition is highly recommended.
