DIG THESE CATS...and all that JAZZ!
Rating: 7/10
Running Time: 78 minutes
US Certificate: G UK Certificate: U
On DVD
Given the subject matter, Id love to say The Aristocats was the cats whiskers (its about cats, you see?) but its not, so I wont. Fittingly though, this last Disney movie to be given the nod by Walt himself is one that all ages will be able to get a bit of enjoyment out of. You might say its good, but its not purr-fect – and thats the last cat pun in this review. Honest.
Eva Gabor provides the voice of Duchess, the posh pussy whose idyllic life with owner Madame Adelaide and her three kittens in 1910 Paris suffers a bit of a jolt. You see, when butler Edgar discovers the old biddys plans to leave all her worldy wealth to the four moggies, he decides its time for the cats in question to meet with an accident. So he drives them off to the countryside and, in a scene thats bound to get him in deep soapy bubble with the RSPCA, dumps them in a stream. Boo! Hiss!
Thankfully, Duchess and co are soon befriended by cat-about-town J. Thomas OMalley (Phil Harris), who likes to serenade the ladies with songs about how much he likes erm himself. Hes a bit like Craig David actually, only with less ridiculous whiskers. Anyway, despite the romantic connection being the equivalent of Audrey Hepburn falling for John Goodman, Duchess and OMalley are soon making eyes at each other, and the pair set about leading the kittens back home.
By far the best thing about The Aristocats is the big jazz number Everybody Wants to be a Cat. The sentiment is a load of old nonsense, obviously who in their right mind would want to be a cat? but youll struggle to find a musical interlude more likely to get your foot tapping in any Disney flick.
It's Got: Scatman Crothers filling in a vocal role originally intended for Louis Armstrong.
It Needs: Butter on their paws. Does that work?
DVD Extras A Making Of featurette, an Everybody Wants to be a Cat sing-a-long, OMalleys singing and painting game, scrapbook stills gallery, and a cartoon short titled Country Cousin (which is about a mouse doing something or other). DVD Extras Rating: 7/10
Summary
Cool for cats.