Oliver & Company (1988)

Directed by George Scribner. Starring (voices) Billy Joel, Dom DeLuise, Joey Lawrence, Cheech Marin, Robert Loggia, Bette Midler, Natalie Gregory, Richard Mulligan, Roscoe Lee Browne, Sheryl Lee Ralph, William Glover, Taurean Blacque. [G]

Animated Disney feature revamps “Oliver Twist” for contemporary NYC, transforming Dickens’ orphan hero into a stray kitten who falls in with a too-cool-for-school mongrel named Dodger (voiced by recording artist Billy Joel) and his gang of canine thieves working for a pathetic petty crook human named Fagin. Can’t quite find the right tone for the hodgepodge material—these city streets are mean and grungy, but it’s all pure fantasy, from the animal hijinks to the prosperous appearance of a young girl to instantly grow attached to the fuzzy kitty—and the fragmented story has no discipline. It keeps introducing new characters and throwing in songs without the time and effort to make them stick; Oliver’s plight takes him from outsider to insider to adoptee to kidnappee in the span of just a few scenes, and somewhere in there, he managed to become much admired by the doggy crooks, much loved by the aforementioned little rich girl, and much loathed by a pampered poodle with Bette Midler’s voice. Dodger never gets over the hump from a grinning, sunglasses-sporting caricature to become an endearing scamp (he’s like a cellophane recreation of Tramp plastered with kid-cool stickers), but Cheech Marin’s hip, motormouth antics as a hot-blooded Chihuahua earn a handful of smiles. Adequate family entertainment for those who don’t want to be bored, but also don’t mind being repeatedly reminded of better movies/stories. Co-written by James Mangold, his first film credit. Joel and Midler sing one song each on the soundtrack, while another tune (“Once Upon a Time in New York City”) is performed by Huey Lewis.

54/100