Movie Review: "The Fox And The Hound" (1981)In a time when Disney Animated Studio domination on the U.S. domestic market started to fade by restreating, initiative feature director Wolfgang Reitherman (1909-1985) known for animating "Cinederalla" (1950) and then directing the popular animated movie classics "The Jungle Book" (1967) and "Robin Hood" (1973) comes this highly-unlikely story of the title-given two speaking-out animals in an Arkansas-forest-region in a united state of nowhere, when the spectactor must indulge into the struggle of life for finding balance by meeting unlikely friends, battling them, forgive them, learning further lessons to grow-up and then keeping out of trouble before a show-stopping, over-the-edge, grizzly-bear-hunted showdown destructs any hope of former Disney pleasures.Even though this evening-filling, fairly-paced animated feature by an directing trio, including writer Ted Berman (1919-2001), externalized producer Richard Rich and Art Stevens (1915-2007), a former animator for "Peter Pan" (1953) among others in favor of Disney Animation Studios as being lucklily a protegé of at that time still-dominating as co-producing Wolfgang Reitherman, who together could deliver in "Star Wars" -owned summer season of 1977 with entertaining "The Rescuers", but here break off the magic bow from a sacred tree for Walt Disney Pictures in giving-in to melodrama without one song sung by any character, especially due to the unless professional-synchronising actors Kurt Russell and Mickey Rooney (1920-2014), who share a portrayal of a hound, getting drilled to hunt for trails in the woods for food-purposes in order to feat shot-gun swinging not-in-the-slightest sympathical character of Amos Slade, given voice by look-a-like Academy-Award-winning actor Jack Albertson (1907-1981), who eventually dealing with trash-white designed, but decency-spreading neighbor of high-talking too-old single character of Big Mama, cowardly engaged by talented voice-gifted Afro-American entertainer Pearl Bailey (1918-1990).Additional trademarking feature, concerning this controversial animated feature by Walt Disney Animation get neglected as an unspectacular, almost in-audible soundtrack composed by Buddy Baker (1918-2002), who cannot save the major league animations as high-peak effort of the entire animation department with analyzing human as animal behaviour, mimics and gestures in dedicated detail to fulfill a simple-enough story of rivals by nature, when in today'sworld a blue police bunny & red crime-embracing fox is needed - totally recalling "Zootopia" (2016) - to blast international box offices.© 2018 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC)

The concept of this story could have worked as a dialogue-free Fantasia piece, but Disney's attempt to mold it into a "family movie" spoils whatever credibility it might have had. Tod (short for toddler) is a newly-orphaned baby Fox adopted by Big Mama, who lives out in the wilderness. He soon meets his neighbor Copper, a bloodhound owned by a cantankerous old codger who mistreats and kills animals for fun. Tod and Copper are supposed to hate each other, not as much as I hated suffering through this.There are some lovely forest backdrops and occasional atmosphere in its favor, though this ranks close to the very bottom of Disney's animated movies. Why on Earth was 147-year-old Mickey Rooney cast as the voice of Tod? Who in their right mind thought that this was a good idea? Kurt Russell also has very recognizable vocal chords but casting him as Copper simply doesn't work. The score by Buddy Baker (who?) is obnoxious, loud, intrusive, and does the film no favors. Several character concepts are obviously Shanghaied straight from Winnie the Pooh. Strange to think that this is the first Disney movie to utilize CGI animation though, if only very briefly.I just didn't feel that there was much at stake to give a damn about any of this. The Fox and the Hound really is one of Disney's laziest "efforts". As I said, a Fantasia segment that sticks close to Daniel Mannix's novel or even a Silly Symphonies short would have been better than this tedious bore. I can't believe it took EIGHT writers to adapt this into such a weak screenplay. Most certainly the kind of movie you watch on a grey Sunday afternoon in February.

This film, despite the flaws that several critics give it, is one of my favorite Disney movies so far. In fact, it started my fascination with red foxes due to its combination of light and dark. This is more of a PG film, as I was genuinely horrified by pictures of Tod snarling at Copper, not to mention thematic elements, peril, and animal/firearm violence. That is one of the main reasons why I just adore this movie, but it is simultaneously an era of change for Disney, as Don Bluth left during development and a combination of old (Wolfgang Reitherman) and new (John Musker, Ron Clements, Glen Keane, John Lasseter, Tim Burton, Brad Bird, and even Joseph Barbera and Iwao Takamoto) faces would contribute to the animation. The songs are slightly forgettable but are still very fun or provoking to listen to (particularly Goodbye May Seem Forever), and despite the failures of Dinky, Boomer, and Squeeks as comic reliefs, the drama more than makes up for it. You will not regret seeing it, even if you don't like foxes or some of the big name actors in the film (Paul Winchell, Mickey Rooney, Corey Feldman, and Sandy Duncan are some examples).

The simple story about a fox and a dog has many things to teach us about compassion, friendship, and acceptance.It's tough to try to find something bad about this film, maybe one could argue that the animation isn't as good as in later Disney films but I think many would agree that it is much more charming. The hand-drawn look has something that really stands out and adds a more human touch. Looking at the later Disney iterations where everything is a perfect line at a perfect angle gets really old for me personally and it stabs me in the eye instead of letting the imperfect be imperfect. But I guess that goes for most of modern culture where everything is made to be as perfect as possible. If you look at the static music of today for example and compare it to the groove which jazz and funk musicians of the 40s and 50s you'll know what I'm talking about... That utterly charming "human" quality... This film has a ton of it.However,I don't think I've ever been inflicted with so much emotion from watching a film. I honestly cried my heart out! It's a lovely film with lots of character. It doesn't rely on gimmicks(as so much of the modern Disney films do) rather it relies on strong writing with no scene being unimportant.A shining gem from the past that taught me several heartfelt lessons.