Oliver & Compagnie

OK, I've seen this movie for the first time when I was 6 years old... This movie was actually made in 1988, the year I was born I haven't seen it in 11 years, and now I'm 17 I love this movie even more then I did before!

The songs are lovely, and the story is really heartwarming!! The dutch version of this movie is just as funny as the English is! My favorite character is Dodger, because he's the "cool street dog" and Oliver is just cute!!

I know I'm a real Disney freak and this movie really belongs to one of my favorites!!!

We've seen a musical version of Oliver, even an animated series, but an animated musical with a cast of dogs and kitten called Oliver set in New York, you'd think it would be a disaster. But, thanks to Disney magic, this film is a classic filled with songs that are never forgotten as well as that wonderful combination of comedy and family drama.

When a homeless kitten comes across a street-wise dog with a gift for song and stealing hot dogs, little Oliver finds himself the member of an exclusive gang of thieving dogs. But before he even executes his first crime, he is discovered by a lonely little girl in need of a friend. Chaos soon ensues as Jenny and Oliver get caught up in a kidnapping by the classic evil villain.

It's a fun filled romp to be enjoyed by one and all over and over again.

Oliver and Company is probably the least appreciated Disney movie ever, and yet it is excellent. I have loved it since I was very very young. I had a giant poster from its original release, and I would sing along to "Why Should I Worry?" and "Streets of Gold" while jumping around on top of couches, pretending I was Dodger and Rita. That's how "into" the movie I was. And I wasn't alone. My friends memorized the soundtrack, too, and we would persistently sing the songs in school. I guess there is just something very appealing about dogs getting around the city by jumping around on top of cars! And when we ran the sprinklers, I would wash my feet in them like Dodger-singing, of course. Oliver and Company is really, really good. It has superb voice talent and animation. Yeah, Tito's ear tear does switch from left to right at one point, but I would NEVER have noticed that...anyway, the story is not weak at all. It is unusual, granted, but then it's a weird twist on Oliver Twist. Most people love this movie. A few have bashed it for petty little reasons. Overall, there's nothing not to like. The music is outstanding. The character design is great. My favorites are Rita and Georgette. They're both very different but they're both very pretty. And they can sing, too. If you look at the backgrounds, at one point you can see dogs from other movies. During "Why Should I Worry?" there are Peg (she found a home!), Jock, and Trusty from Lady and the Tramp, and dalmatian who resembles Pongo. There are a lot of cute dogs in this movie who only appear for a second..like the two in the convertible during the WSIW reprise that Dodger and Tito gawk at until Rita pulls Dodge away. Sykes is one of the baddest bad guy ever-- He's got a scary car and scary dogs. This movie is funny, the chase scene exciting. Recommended.

Truth be told, Oliver & Company isn't one of Walt Disney Studio's most compelling titles, but it's still plenty of fun. It has a wonderful soundtrack featuring great talents such as Billy Joel, Bette Midler, Huey Lewis, and Ruth Pointer. All of the musical numbers in the film are well-staged, nicely animated, and have fun tunes to carry them along. "Why Should I Worry?", Billy Joel's song and the film's show-stopper of sorts, is the most popular. While I like that song a lot, my personal favorites are "Once Upon a Time in New York City", the opening song sung by Huey Lewis, and "Perfect Isn't Easy", Bette Milder's song to go along with the character she voices: Georgette, a spoiled poodle.

The story itself isn't quite as strong as it could've been (which is why I award the movie an eight as opposed to a nine or a ten), but it still offers a lot of sweet, charming, heart-filled, and suspenseful moments. The characters also aren't *all* the way there, but they're still good as they are, and their voice actors do their jobs well. Each character has traits that make them appealing, even if they aren't the strongest characters in the Disney canon.

I'll end by saying that Oliver & Company is a very enjoyable Disney feature. Children will certainly be entertained by it, especially if they love cats, dogs, and fun musical numbers. Adults can enjoy it too if they appreciate the worlds of animation and Disney enough. Because of the film's level of fun and charm, I give it an eight. If the story and characters had been even better, I would've given it a nine or a ten.

"Oliver and Company" is a wonderful and fun adventure! Despite a by-the-numbers plot, the film does its best to provide the fun and adventure that it can. Adding to the fun and adventure is the animation and, especially, the really charming animals. Come on, who does not want an Oliver toy!