On the most part, The Aristo-Cat is very good and entertaining. Sadly it is rather let down by the second half, the pace starts to lag here, while the outcome is predictable and gives the sense that the cartoon had run out of ideas. The bulldog is a decent enough character but the least memorable and funny character of The Aristo-Cat, kind of too much of a plot device for some sort of conflict for Pussy. Pussy however is a very strong character, for one whose screen time is relatively short, he is highly amusing but you feel sorry for him at the same time. The mice Hubie and Bertie are very funny and interesting too, though they are in the part of the cartoon that doesn't quite do their talents justice. The animation is wonderful though, bright, colourful, fluid and detailed. The highlight is Pussy's breakdown, a startling and brilliantly strange sequence, it's been said that it is one of the best breakdowns/mental collapses in cartoon history and personally there is no dispute there. The music has nearly always been a large part of any animated short(Looney Tunes and Disney are especially true to this), that's true with The Aristo-Cat as well. It sounds beautiful and full of energy and character, the use of pre-existing classical pieces are enough to delight any fans of classical music(raising a very proud hand here). The dialogue and gags in the first half are hugely entertaining, and while the story is very thin structurally the first half is paced well, second half not so much, and has its charm. The voice work is terrific, you can never go wrong with Mel Blanc, one of the gods of voice acting. On the whole, definitely recommended though the second half doesn't quite live up to what was so good about the first. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This cartoon tries, but it just misses the mark. Something about it simply doesn't quite gel, which is a shame. It has some good moments, but the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Because I want to discuss a few details, this is a spoiler warning: The short starts out promisingly enough, with the pampered cat of a rich dowager making the life of the butler, Meadows, an unhappy one. First, the cat squirts grapefruit juice in his eye and then causes him to slip on a bar of soap, each time laughing hysterically. So Meadows quits.The cat panics and begins searching for food and reads that cats are supposed to eat mice. He and Hubie (Hubie is a mouse) spot one another simultaneously and both are terrified. Hubie realizes the cat is frightened and learns that the cat doesn't know what a mouse looks like, so he introduces his pal Bert (another mouse) and then clues Bert in on their new "friend's" ignorance. They then convince him that a bulldog is actually a very large mouse. The cat tries to eat the bulldog, in what is probably the best visual scene in the short.Immediately after this scene, the short falls apart, probably because the cat then sees pictures of a mouse and a bulldog and realizes he's been tricked. At this point, the funniest premise in the short (a cat who doesn't recognize either mice or dogs) is removed as a plot device and nothing tangible is left to carry the rest of the short. for a good example of a much better use of the same characters where this mistake wasn't made and the short is infinitely the better because the funniest concept wasn't abruptly yanked away, watch Cheese Chasers, done eight years later.The ending to this short partially salvages the cartoon, but it could have been so much better than it finally turned out. Still, it is worth seeing for the characters. This short is available on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume 4, which is highly recommended.

A pampered cat is left in the care of the butler by his wealthy owner. After a few final humiliations by the cat, the butler quits and leaves the cat by himself. Unable to feed himself the cat looks up a book which tells him cats eat mice. He isn't sure what he is looking for and is unaware when two mice convince him that the local bulldog is a mouse and that he should easily catch and eat it.The set up to this short is quite interesting and should have led to a better cartoon, but, once the mice point out the dog then the cartoon seems to just die on it's feet. The action is standard and shows no imagination and not a great deal to laugh about. The film has a total lack of substance which, in something 4 minutes long, is a problem.The cat and dog characters are pretty weak but the mice are wise-asses and pretty amusing. Again it was just a shame that nothing of great value was done with them.

THE ARISTOCATS is a brilliant film by Chuck Jones which utilizes ingenious backgrounds and dynamic cutting, via John McGrew's extraordinary layout, to create a new kind of animation. The Jones and McGrew partnership in design extablished a new rhythm of stylization that certainly led to the modern UPA work.