Chris Bailey (1) (1962–)

In an animal-centric retelling of the classic tale of Oliver Twist, a lonely kitten named Oliver is taken into a band of dogs led by the charismatic Dodger and helps try to pay off their owner Fagin's debts to an evil loan shark named Sykes. However, Oliver is adopted by a young girl named Jenny, who is in turn captured by Sykes in order to be held for ransom, leading to a rescue attempt by the animals to save their new friend.

I've always had a soft spot for Oliver and Company; while not all the characters are necessarily unique, the ones that are -- such as Billy Joel's Dodger and Cheech Marin's Tito, who steals every scene he's in -- make the film what it is. While it isn't the most original of stories, it doesn't overstay its welcome and runs for a good 74-minute runtime, making it a pretty short and easy watch. It's also got some good songs, especially the classic "Why Should I Worry?" It's not a groundbreaking Disney release by any means, but it's definitely a fun and rewatchable one that has stood the test of time. Definitely recommended.

Content Concerns: Nothing too objectionable, although there is a real sense of stakes in the film, something not really commonplace in Disney movies.

(July 30, 2023)… (meer)