Under similar circumstances as Robin Hood, I decided to watch The Fox and The Hound again, and it's another movie that I feel has not aged that well with me.
The story offers some very solid messages that are actually worded quite uniquely for a Disney movie, such as "Time has a way of changing things". It benefits especially from how it can connect to people like me, where as we age we leave friends behind to find more. In an era of television animation that consisted of a transition from conflict-free fluff or Scooby-Doo clones to extended forms of product placement (toys, video games), it's most refreshing to see something actually worthwhile. The writing, similarly, nails the subtlety of the message through making Tod a generally naïve and arrogant, yet adorkable character, and Copper as a similarly headstrong understudy. There isn't really too much humor in this movie despite how hard they try to make the slapstick stand out (Dinky, Boomer, and Squeeks probably do only, like, 2 things to advance the plot in some form, which are respectively helping Big Mama with Tod and some symbolism at the end). In the scene where Tod makes a fool of himself trying to catch trout (trying to paw it rather than catch it in his mouth for some reason), he also utters what is probably the lamest G-rated misogynistic insult in any movie I have seen. Vixey and some other characters (Porcupine, Mr. Digger) feel underdeveloped, and I wished this movie received an actual sequel to help with adding to their character. Perhaps the biggest error is once Chief is struck by the train; in spite of being directly hit by the center of the locomotive's cowcatcher, hitting his chin on a sharp cliff, and falling dozens of feet into a shallow and rocky stream, he somehow only incurs a broken left back leg. At least, on the other hand, they nailed the emotion with Goodbye May Seem Forever and the surprisingly effective cliché of thunderstorm right after that.
The animation benefits a lot from this movie's unconfirmed American setting, but more immediately, Tod and Vixey look like real foxes (unlike Robin Hood and Maid Marian, they have white tail tips, black ear tips, and brown "socks" on their legs), and the lighting encapsulates the necessary moods of each scene. From gleaming meadows to gritty and secluded deep forests, Disney was trying quite hard with this movie. I counted only 3 pieces of recycled animation, and they're much more difficult to notice and in less important areas than Robin Hood is. They do still pull off some strange decisions with the effects, especially for the water. To simulate its movement from far away, these animators would place random descending sparkles where the water should be. In a similar vein to Hanna-Barbera, there are also times where they shade parts of the incoming scenery differently when the characters are supposed to interact with it; this is most noticeable during Slade's winter hunt. I do have to give it credit for one thing especially: hands down, it has the most intentionally scary film still in any Disney movie, when Tod snarls at Copper shortly before their fight. Tod also receives some rather risqué eyes when Vixey starts nuzzling him. For the most part, the animation is quite solid, and shows that Disney had a little bit of salvation before near-certain disaster struck them after their next movie.
While this movie is rated G, its action and occasional intimacy make PG a more appropriate rating for it. Quality wise, it's a great movie with barely any serious flaws. Watching it again compared to the previous time I did so, I've picked up on what flaws it does have, and thus it's not the gleaming surprise of the Dark Ages I once thought it was. It's still enjoyable to watch and it ends on a more than satisfying note, so it's worth it. Too bad its midquel is trash.
The story offers some very solid messages that are actually worded quite uniquely for a Disney movie, such as "Time has a way of changing things". It benefits especially from how it can connect to people like me, where as we age we leave friends behind to find more. In an era of television animation that consisted of a transition from conflict-free fluff or Scooby-Doo clones to extended forms of product placement (toys, video games), it's most refreshing to see something actually worthwhile. The writing, similarly, nails the subtlety of the message through making Tod a generally naïve and arrogant, yet adorkable character, and Copper as a similarly headstrong understudy. There isn't really too much humor in this movie despite how hard they try to make the slapstick stand out (Dinky, Boomer, and Squeeks probably do only, like, 2 things to advance the plot in some form, which are respectively helping Big Mama with Tod and some symbolism at the end). In the scene where Tod makes a fool of himself trying to catch trout (trying to paw it rather than catch it in his mouth for some reason), he also utters what is probably the lamest G-rated misogynistic insult in any movie I have seen. Vixey and some other characters (Porcupine, Mr. Digger) feel underdeveloped, and I wished this movie received an actual sequel to help with adding to their character. Perhaps the biggest error is once Chief is struck by the train; in spite of being directly hit by the center of the locomotive's cowcatcher, hitting his chin on a sharp cliff, and falling dozens of feet into a shallow and rocky stream, he somehow only incurs a broken left back leg. At least, on the other hand, they nailed the emotion with Goodbye May Seem Forever and the surprisingly effective cliché of thunderstorm right after that.
The animation benefits a lot from this movie's unconfirmed American setting, but more immediately, Tod and Vixey look like real foxes (unlike Robin Hood and Maid Marian, they have white tail tips, black ear tips, and brown "socks" on their legs), and the lighting encapsulates the necessary moods of each scene. From gleaming meadows to gritty and secluded deep forests, Disney was trying quite hard with this movie. I counted only 3 pieces of recycled animation, and they're much more difficult to notice and in less important areas than Robin Hood is. They do still pull off some strange decisions with the effects, especially for the water. To simulate its movement from far away, these animators would place random descending sparkles where the water should be. In a similar vein to Hanna-Barbera, there are also times where they shade parts of the incoming scenery differently when the characters are supposed to interact with it; this is most noticeable during Slade's winter hunt. I do have to give it credit for one thing especially: hands down, it has the most intentionally scary film still in any Disney movie, when Tod snarls at Copper shortly before their fight. Tod also receives some rather risqué eyes when Vixey starts nuzzling him. For the most part, the animation is quite solid, and shows that Disney had a little bit of salvation before near-certain disaster struck them after their next movie.
While this movie is rated G, its action and occasional intimacy make PG a more appropriate rating for it. Quality wise, it's a great movie with barely any serious flaws. Watching it again compared to the previous time I did so, I've picked up on what flaws it does have, and thus it's not the gleaming surprise of the Dark Ages I once thought it was. It's still enjoyable to watch and it ends on a more than satisfying note, so it's worth it. Too bad its midquel is trash.
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