Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Sniff Out The Fox and the Hound 2, a Sequel a Cut Above the Rest

The Fox and the Hound is a good movie, unusual among Disney animated features for its dark tone and the ethical questions it raises. It's a high-quality film, but I find it rather depressing. Not so its sequel, last year's oddly subtitle-less The Fox and the Hound 2.

There are many Disney features in which the main characters start off as children (or pups, or kittens, or whatever) and wind up adults halfway through the film or so. This leaves the door open for lots of cheapquels involving cute cuddly young characters, generally facing far less monumental problems than they will once they're grown up. Here, hound Copper (Harrison Fahn) is still a pup who trips over his own ears. He's not much of a hunter, and because Tod (Jonah Bobo), the fox kit who is his best friend, is still under the care of kindly Widow Tweed, Copper's cantankerous owner Amos is less likely to take a shot at him, and his crusty old dog Chief (Rob Paulsen) doesn't pose much of a threat.

Though his life may not be in great immediate danger, Tod is still on Amos' radar, so his friendship with Copper is problematic and leads to a chaotic scene culminating in Copper's banishment to a barrel that serves as a doghouse. Poor Copper feels like he can't do anything right. And then the fair comes to town, and suddenly the world seems much brighter...

That's when Copper meets with a group of singing dogs and discovers that he too has a voice of gold. After prima donna Dixie (Reba McEntire) goes off in a huff following an argument with star vocalist Cash (Patrick Swayze), he invites Copper to be her replacement. None too pleased, Dixie begins plotting to regain her starring role, enlisting the aid of Tod, who just wants his friend back.

The songs are enjoyable and very country-flavored, and the dynamics of the group, with its Johnny Cash-like leader, his diva-ish ladylove, a duo of dim-witted crooners and a sassy old granny, are entertaining. The story is thoroughly engaging with plenty of comedic moments that don't seem out of keeping with the original, especially those involving the reluctantly romantic Widow Tweed and Amos Slade. Also hilarious: the hapless talent scout from the Grand Ole Opry, led by an ambitious but oblivious young girl scout. The animation is top-notch, with expressive characters and nuanced landscapes. As offerings from the Disney Sequel Factory go, this one's pretty darn good, and at only an hour long it's no great sacrifice of your time if you happen to disagree.

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