Film Review #19: The Fox and the Hound

Talk about improving on the source material in every meaning of the word.  The film was based off of a nature book that was dark and interesting, but nothing very enjoyable at all.  I actually put the book down and asked myself ("What the F*** was this?)  This movie is a dark parable about the unexpected friendships life has in store for us, and is one of the best films Disney has ever produced.

Plot: A kit loses his mother to a hunter and is taken in by an old woman who owns a farm.  The kit, Tod, goes exploring around the area and comes across a hunter's puppy named Copper.  The two quickly hit it off and become good friends.  As they spend more and more time together, their friendship becomes stronger, even though everyone tells them that they're going to be enemies.

The hunter takes Copper with him and his older dog Chief on a hunting trip for the whole winter and the two grow apart.  When Tod goes to see his old friend, he is hurt when Copper tells him they cannot be friends anymore.  Through a misunderstanding, Chief is injured by a train and Copper blames Tod.  On top of that, the old woman decides to let Tod go into the forest where he belongs.  Copper and the hunter go on a manhunt for Tod, while Tod tries to adjust to having his life change without his friend and caretaker for the first time.

What's Bad?: The film could have been stronger.  In the novel, Chief does die and it makes Copper and Tod's rivalry more deadly to read, but at the same time, the emotional levels between Tod and Copper during their struggle is very powerful.

What's Good?: The rest of the film is a definite pass.  The relationship between Tod and Copper is genuine, as is the relationship between Copper and Chief.  The romance between Tod and a vixen was unnecessary.  The songs, although poor in comparison to the original Disney films, are okay, especially "Best of Friends" which is a really good song.

The tone is much darker than other films of the era, but it also has a sort of Don Bluth style attitude about it.  No matter how dark the story is, if you give it a happy ending, it's okay.

Overall: The story is a dark parable about friendships and the struggles to keep them going in the face of adversity.  It is one of Disney's finest, and a classic for all to enjoy.  Take that for what it's worth.

Report Card

Heroes:                                 A
Heroine:                               B
Villains:                                B-
Side Characters:                 B-
Songs:                                  B-
Musical Score:                    B
Animation:                         A-
Special Effects:                  B+
Themes:                             A+
Story:                                  A+ 

Final Grade:               B+