Today’s quick review: The Aristocats. Duchess (Eva Gabor) and her kittens (Dean Clark, Liz English, and Gary Dubin) are the pampered pets of Madame (Hermione Baddeley), a wealthy old woman. When Madame’s butler Edgar (Roddy Maude-Roxby) learns that she is leaving her fortune to her pets, he kidnaps the cats and strands them in the countryside, where Thomas O’Malley (Phil Harris), a smooth-talking alleycat, offers to escort them back to Paris.
The Aristocats is an animated family comedy set in Paris in the early 1900s. The Aristocats follows a family of sheltered cats as they embark on a rough journey to get back home. Lush animation, charming characters, a pleasant story, and a dash of romance make the movie an enjoyable watch. While its charms will not appeal to everyone, the film showcases some of the best aspects of Disney’s classic animated films.
The Aristocats’ talent lies in the way it brings its characters to life. Duchess and her kittens have a playful, nurturing relationship that makes them a joy to watch, while O’Malley’s street savvy is just the thing to guide them through the French countryside. Even the minor characters are given the chance to shine, turning an otherwise ordinary series of animal perils into a journey full of life and excitement.
The Aristocats holds a very specific kind of appeal. Its animation has just the right level of detail to capture the characters in motion, its story is a light adventure with just a touch of danger, and its characters are easy to love. Those looking for a richer story with deeper conflicts and more action may find it a little thin. But those looking for something beautiful and unabashedly optimistic will find it to be a refreshing watch.
For a classic animated adventure featuring the vocal talents of Eva Gabor, try The Rescuers or The Rescuers Down Under. For a modern CGI animated adventure about a lost pet, try Bolt. For one that shows off a different side of Paris, try Ratatouille. For a more serious movie about a rich young woman who gets to see the outside world, try Roman Holiday.
[7.1 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065421/). I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for gorgeous animation and a charming story.