Sections

Old `Oliver' offers no new twists

When "The Little Mermaid" came out in 1989, it launched a new era for Disney's animated features. It was followed by such money-makers as "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," "The Lion King" and last summer's "Pocahontas." Not only did these films all become enormous blockbusters, they also redefined the meaning of a Disney animated movie. With sleek new animation techniques and the kind of stories and characters that kids and parents alike can enjoy, Disney's new breed of summer 'toons have come a long way.

And apparently to show us just how far they have come in the past eight years, Disney has re-released "Oliver & Company," one of their most obscure animated features. It is easy to see why it became Disney's most successful animated feature at the time of its release in 1988: It signaled Disney's first tentative steps toward computer animation and includes some truly exciting musical numbers. But when viewed in the context of today's vastly superior technology, the animation looks flat.

Moreover, the story is flat. Based on Dickens' "Oliver Twist," the film tells the story of Oliver (Joey Lawrence), a helpless, orphaned kitten in New York City. This fact is important, since the film reminds you again and again where it's taking place, apparently because New York is such a scary town. But don't fear, East Coast-ers, the real reason for the attention to location is actually to celebrate the city.

"Oliver & Company" does a good job of maintaining the original character names from Dickens' classic, but that's about the only real similarity. The story is pure rehashed Disney: Oliver finds a home with a band of rough, weary dogs led by the street-smart Dodger (Billy Joel). Their master, Fagin (Dom DeLuise), is a poor, likable guy who owes money to Sykes (Robert Loggia), a random bad guy. It's never clear exactly who Sykes is, but judging by his so-slick-it's-ugly black car and the shadows he is always lurking in, it becomes clear he is some sort of evil personified.

Oliver gets taken in by a lonely little rich girl who lives on Fifth Avenue, and the two become fast "friends." From there the plot shifts into high gear. Dodger and his gang attempt to "rescue" Oliver from what most pets would consider heaven; in the process, they discover a way to get the money Fagin needs: They'll kidnap Oliver and ask for ransom from the little rich girl.

Of course, everything works out in the end. In contrast to the novel's characters, the film's Fagin, Dodger and the gang are not bad guys; they're just trying to survive. But the film does cleverly indicate that Fagin is not necessarily a sympathetic character either. The obvious bad guy, Sykes, is defeated, and we're left with that happy feeling that accompanies the rolling credits of all Disney movies.

The vocal talent behind the characters in "Oliver & Company" thankfully breathes a great deal of life into the story. Joey Lawrence of "Blossom" fame ("Whoa!") was considerably younger eight years ago, and his voice is almost totally unrecognizable. But he suits a kitten just fine. Billy Joel provides a thick New York accent for Dodger, sounding more like Tony Danza at times than like himself. Joel is a surprisingly good actor, though, and his lone song is the highlight of the movie.

Cheech Marin provides manic comic relief as a feisty Chihuahua in Dodger's gang, and Bette Midler is typecast as Georgette, a pampered pet poodle with a massive ego.

Usually the showcase of an animated feature is the animation, but here the pictures are dull and lifeless. This is probably due to fact that this was a transitional movie for Disney, using considerable amounts of computer generated imagery and video-aided animation for the first time. At the same time, they chose to create the backgrounds using antiquated techniques, which give them the undetailed, nondescript look of television cartoons. This creates a confused look to the animation, which was corrected and perfected in subsequent Disney films.

In 1988, "Oliver & Company" was a huge success, and it ushered in a new era for Disney in which anything could happen, even an Oscar nomination for Best Picture ("Beauty and the Beast"). At best, it is a glowing tribute to New York City, and at worst, it is merely entertaining. While it may not live up to today's standards, "Oliver & Company" is still an adequate children's movie in the classic Disney style, complete with a warm, fuzzy feeling.