Oliver and Company Discussion

[Kenai]

I enjoy anything with animals in it. I collect animal movies. I also like Cheech. And the soundtrack is pretty good. I didn't like it that much when I first seen it on video about 6 or 7 years ago. But I recently bought a copy and I absoultely loved it.

Yeah, the soundtrack was very catchy. I wish today's Disney soundtracks were more like it. (they're too preteen)

[streetsofgold]

One of my all time fav movies is this film. I even did an essay on "how to build a good climax in a film" and used the film as an example of this.


I love anything 80's, and I feel disney at the time wanted to get "hip" or "streetwise". Of course, this being disney, they got the vocal talents of billy joel and a song by huey lewis, 2 cats who were no offence, pretty MOR for kids or teens.

But infact I love Billy Joels voice in this, its underated and should be up their with robin williams, tim allen etc... as great voices for an animated cartoon.

"whoa". All these years I had no idea Joey Lawrence (from tv show "blossem" and had a few hit songs like that aweseomely catchy "Nothin' my love cant fix") was the voice of lil' ole oliver

I love the songs too. I got the CD. "streets of gold" "why should I worry" "Once upon a time in new york city" brings tears to my eyes it really does!

Anyway, it may be part of the "dark years", but I love it, and personally rate it as proberly my fav disney movie. No joke.

[brownie]

I saw this movie once as a kid, and I remember disliking it.

About a month ago, I rented it, and I disliked it even more. Bleugh. Probably my least favorite Disney film.

[Lazario]

It's definitely a boring movie. So many moments just have me nearly falling asleep. Like the supposed to be cute moment where Fagen is telling the dogs a bedtime story. For some reason, all I can think about is "how the hell are they going to make that money in 3 days?" It happens after that scene with the villain (I can never remember his name) in the car and it's very intense, but then they try to forget about it by relaxing and listening to the story... But can the audience do the same thing? I didn't think it was a good idea at all, not when I'm sitting there thinking the movie should get on with it. For some reason I always forget what happens and am waiting to see how they set out to start trying to make that money. Too many times the movie ignores this situation to do something else and I can't get my mind off their main problem.


There was a moment in the movie, when Tito the dog says "if this is torture, chain me to the wall!" and I said to myself - 'oh my God, that's Disney's first bondage/S&M reference.' Talk about having a dirty mind - it didn't occur to me until the next time I thought about it that they were most likely making a reference to prisoners in dungeous who are chained to the wall. It's still an amusing thought though. But on that thought, Tito did have a very masochistic relationship with Georgette - every time she'd hit him or smack him around, he'd be like "what a woman."

[anger is pointless]

anyone remember the fast food (mcDonalds i think) oliver & co. finger puppets?

yes i had three of them oliver dodger and georgette when i was little but i lost them im gonna buy another set soon though

anyway i saw oliver and company back in 1988 and i loved it so much i saw it three times

oh if i remember correctly the original soundtrack had why should i worry rephrased (the ending song) but the rereleased doesnt i wonder why it isnt on there

[Finchx0rz]

I was around for the '88 release but I don't have any memory of seeing it in the theaters, if I did at all. (I did get to see it in '96, though.) I watched the preview for it on the Cinderella tape and for years I went crazy from never finding it at video stores.

[Lazario]

I think I might have seen this in '88 when it came to theatres. But I remember it was playing at my local theater when Primal Fear was out. I watched the beginning of Primal Fear and got bored, so I wandered into Oliver & Company and watched some of that in there. The only time I've ever watched half and half movies at the theater.

[Lars Vermundsberget]

I "was there" in 88 or 89 and saw Oliver & Co in the theater - my first "Disney classic". That still doesn't make it particularly "special" to me, though.

[bambifan56]

I've seen bits and pieces of this, but wasn't sure if I wanted to buy it, is there a special edition DVD coming out soon, or is the current edition worthy?

[Kenai]

I've seen bits and pieces of this, but wasn't sure if I wanted to buy it, is there a special edition DVD coming out soon, or is the current edition worthy?

That Special Edition DVD's been out for the past 2 or 3 years now. Lots of extras for an 80's movie on DVD. Certainly more than what the Great Mouse Detective offered sadly.

[PixarFan2006]

I remember seeing this when it was rereleased in the mid 90s. i liked it as a kid and i still think it's okay for a disney movie.

[nikki828]

I first saw this as a kid in the late 90s, I think my friend had the tape and we watched it one day. I haven't seen it in a while but I do remember loving the movie. My favorite character is definitely Tito, he was hilarious and he's one of my favorite animals in a Disney movie. And I almost cry thinking of the beginning when Oliver's the only one in the box and it starts raining. I'd really like to see it again, maybe they'll play it on Toon Disney one day.

[Fruit Bat]

When I was about eight, I was obsessed with this movie. It was one of those Disney movies that I went through a phase of watching it every day.
I remember making my friends play it with me during recess, and I was always Tito. I would go around talking like him all the time.
And I remember my eight year old self finding the songs exhilarating.
Though when I watched it when I was older I didn't think it was that special, and I found Tito completely obnoxious. At any rate, I do have a lot of nice memories attached to it. I haven't watched it in so long.

[BrandonH]

I don't know if I saw this in '88 or '96, but I didn't remember a thing about it. Watching it on DVD for the first time was a real treat.

I'm a child of the 1980s, so the music was wonderful to me. "Why Should I Worry" is a catchy tune, but my favorite song is the opener, "Once Upon a Time in New York City."

I tend to like the more offbeat characters, so Francis and Einstein were my favorites in Dodger's gang. All of them are colorful and likable, but those two have something special.

I'd put it somewhere in the Top 20 of the DACs, but it's a five-star experience as a standalone film.

[DisneyChris]

I have the film's 1997 VHS and I think it's a pretty good film. "Once Upon A Time In New York City", "Why Should I Worry?" and "Good Company" are all very good songs. It's certainly a nice prelude to the four awesome musical masterpieces that would follow it. Not thinking of an upgrade currently though, I'd rather wait for the possible 20th Anniversary Edition 2 years later.

[bambifan56]

I need to sit down and see this, "Why Should I Worry" is one catchy song.

[feedmelinguini]

Well, I believe that when Oliver & Co. was released, Disney had not yet developed the pattern of releasing a VHS of the film by the next year, since that didn't seem to happen until The Little Mermaid.

If memory serves, I seem to recall it having more to do with a legal dispute between Billy Joel and Disney.

Anyone remember anything about this?

-Lon

[Lars Vermundsberget]

I really don't know, but Disney hadn't started that "pattern" before "Oliver", either - I don't think The Mouse Detective was released on video until 1990-91 or so.

But it seems likely that there was some sort of trouble, since it didn't appear on video until 96 or 97.

[Finchx0rz]

I recall TGMD being released on video around the time <b>The Fox and the Hound</b> was.

[bambifan56]

I caught Oliver & Company on ToonDisney today, I really enjoyed it, good character development and some very catchy tunes. I'd recommend it highly.