Entertainment :: Movies

The Aristocats

by Kevin Taft
EDGE Contributor
Wednesday Aug 22, 2012
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Disney’s 20th full-length animated feature "The Aristocats" arrives on crystal clear Blu-ray that deserves two paws up from this critic. Kind of a "101 Dalmatians" for the cat lover, "The Aristocats" takes place in Paris where an eccentric heiress leaves her entire estate to her hoity-toity cat Duchess (Eva Gabor) and her three kittens. But the goofy butler Edgar wants the estate for himself so he goes about arranging a cat-napping that is bungled when an alley cat named Thomas O’Malley (Phil Harris) and his "jazz cats" foil his plans. With songs by Disney legends Richard and Robert Sherman, "The Aristocats" is not one of the more popular Disney films, but it is well worth revisiting for its humor and classic style of animation. It looks colorful and bright on Blu-ray and its humor is pretty charming.

Packaged with a Blu-ray and DVD, there are a number of Special Features on both discs:

  • The Lost Open - an early storyboard version of an opening scene complete with a deleted character and demo versions of the songs "How Much You Mean to Me" and "Court Me Slowly."
  • "Oui Oui" Music Video - a bizarre "remix" of the music and lines from the film that seems like a random You-Tube find that will have you scratching your head.
  • Deleted Song - "She Never Felt Alone"
    The Sherman Brothers: The Aristocats of Disney Songs - a tribute to the songwriting duo.
  • The Great Cat Family (excerpt) - Animated excerpt that explains the history of cats.
  • The Classic Disney Short "Bath Day" - Minnie gives black cat Figaro a bath in this classic animated short.
  • Disney Song Selections
  • Virtual Kitten Set Top, The Aristocats Fun with Language Game, the Aristocats Scrapbook - (DVD only)

    "The Aristocats"
    Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack
    $39.99
    wwwdisneygo.com

    • Kevin Taft is a screenwriter/critic living in Los Angeles with an unnatural attachment to ’Star Wars’ and the desire to be adopted by Steven Spielberg. He can be seen in the flesh on the weekly PBS movie review series "Just Seen It."

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