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Film Title: Oliver and Company

 Best for ages: 7 and up.

Movie Website: Click Here

Year Released: 1988

Rated: G (US)

SYNOPSIS

   A homeless young cat named Oilver is growing up in New York City.  He has not friends and is having a hard time growing up on the streets of New York during the 1980's.  He meets up with a gang of dogs who take them in as one of their own. The dogs are not the best of animals as they steal for their owner, a guy named Fagin who owes money to another guy who goes by the name of Skyes, a shipyard agent and loan shark of soughts who give Fagin three days to come up with the money. While at a pawn shop Fagin tries to sell some junk to get the money, but knows he need more. Outside the dogs notice a limo pulling up and distract the driver while Oliver and Dodger try to steal the radio. But things go wrong and Oilver is found by a girl named Jenny who parents own the limo.  She takes Oliver into her care and back to her home where he lives like a king. But the dogs think he has been cat napped and come up with a plan to rescue him. when they do so they find that Oliver does not really want to be back with them.  But Fagin comes up with a plan, to hold Oliver for ransom. He sends a letter and map to Jenny, who in turns comes down to the docks looking for Oliver. When Fagin realizes she is just a girl he gives her Oliver back.  But Skye will have none of it and kidnaps Jenny to hold her for his own rewarding ransom from her rich parents. Fagin realizes that he needs to help the girl so Oliver and the dogs set out on a quest to rescue Jenny from Skyes evil clutches.

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VIOLENCE/GRAPHIC CONTENT/language

   I really don't even know where to start with all the bad things that are in this movie. I mean you have a lot of fighting among the dogs, Oliver and the villains of the film and the fact that the dogs and their owner are thieves does not help much either from a moral point of view. Oliver is no angel at first, attempting to steal hot dogs from a vendor, and does so in a way with help from Dodger who refuses to share with Oliver.  You have Fagin pawning stolen goods, Oliver and Dodger try stealing a car radio. Fagin puts Jenny in dangerous situations when he holds Oliver for ransom and makes her sneak out of her home along with her poodle to find him at the docks. By doing such a thing Jenny gets kidnapped by Skye who is a dangerous and greedy character who holds Jenny for ransom. Skye unfortunately meets an untimely death in the film as well when his car is hit by train. Being a Disney film this is shown in such a way that it's not an over the top death, but just implied. During that scene however there is a big car chase where Jenny life is put in danger as she is thrown onto the hood of the car. Oliver saves Jenny by biting Skyes hand, but Skyes Dogs are killed by Dodger who throws them onto the third rail of the railroad tracks where they are both electrocuted.

   There is no bad language in the film, but some insults are thrown around by some of the characters. Other than that and the things listed above, there are a few minor things here and there. Most of the film is sugar coated to a point where the violence and content is in the context of being that cartoon kind of violence. But it is something of a concern especially for young children. There is some smoking in the film as well, the hot dog vendor has a cigar in his mouth. So it's something else to add to the list.

OVERALL VIEWS

   Oliver and Company has animation that reminds me a lot an updated version of Lady and The Tramp, but has the feel of that pencil animation of 101 Dalmatians. Think of the animation as a mixture of both those styles. The actors and musicians who leaned their voices to the film include talent such as Joey Lawrence who is the voice of Oliver, and singer and New York native Billy Joel as the voice of Dodger. Other characters are voiced by stars such as Cheech Marin, Richard Mulligan, Dom DeLuise, Robert Loggia, Roscoe Lee Browne, Taurean Blacque, and Bette Midler to name a few. Its a film that has a good story with an ending that brings all the bad things about the film into a perspective of the characters ending up doing the right thing in the end. So I give it credit for that.

   Oliver & Company was a film that in 1988 was made for only four and a half million dollars and grossed almost seventy four million dollars in theaters in the U.S. making it a hit for Disney. Which was good because it was the The first full animated Disney "musical" since The Fox and The Hound which was released in 1981.  It was also  the first Disney film to have its own department set up expressly for the purpose of generating computer animation. For fans of this film this is actually a bonus to have the film come out on DVD. The VHS copy was delayed almost eight years before it saw the light of day. So the fact that it's getting the full treatment on DVD the second time around (It was released on DVD in 2002 as well.) is a real treat for Disney fans.

   The DVD has many features which include an all new Oliver's Big City Challenge game, a Backstage Disney feature "The Making of Oliver & Company, two short films "Lend a Paw" and "Puss Cafe" as a well as some sing along songs and more.

   Oliver and Company is a decent film from Disney and while the animation and the violence and content is sugar coated in that Disney cartoon way. It's still a concern for some parents.  There are scenes and things in the film that I really picked up a lot on.  Sure there is a lot of good music numbers and fun dancing scenes. But you then have the scenes that involve real life situations and some out of control crime. I think to be on the safe side it's best that a child over the age of seven be allowed to see this film, but it should be the parents reasonability to help them better understand the story and why some of the characters are doing the things they are doing in the movie. It has a fun little story with a positive ending, but I found that there are a lot of negative things in the film that parents should be cautious about.

BUY THIS MOVIE.