Everybody Wants to Be A Cat

Everybody around here, anyway. The Aristocats has done nothing but encourage this. Meowing and purring our way through the days, we are feline in our mannerisms down to the licking, the love of milk and walking around on all fours. Though I don't consider myself a cat person, I'll take it. It's better than going the Disney route paved with princesses and happily-ever-afters, which is just beginning to infiltrate Jooge's imagination thanks to a viewing of Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.

The Aristocats is one of the better Disney movies in my opinion for lots of reasons. First of all, it was born in the 70's, like all things great. The "evil villain" in the movie is merely the Butler Edgar, not too scary. Also, Duchess the mother cat is a strong female character, just like Madame Adelaide, her owner. It has great music, including some jazz. (Jooge sings "Scales and Arpeggios" at LEAST fifteen times a day). It's funny. (Jooge laughs out loud when George enters the scene at the beginning and when Edgar is trying to rescue his hat off the sleeping dogs). The voices, from the kids to the hounds and Roquefort, (Sterling Holloway is such a voice from the past for me) are RICH! One of the best things about the Aristocats is that it holds their attention, which for Avery is unheard of. Overall, if you are looking for a Disney movie without dying parents, super-scary bad guys and half-nude female leads and you haven't yet popped this one in the DVD player, give it a good look-see. To us, (for now) it's the creme-da-la-creme of Disney flicks.