Parents' Guide to

Oliver & Company

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Can't compete with Disney classics, but still fun.

Movie G 1988 74 minutes
Oliver & Company Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 13 parent reviews

MillenialMama
MillenialMama Adult
May 24, 2020
age 8+

Dated, dull, sad, scary, and not appropriate for kids.

This popped up on Disney+ and I was excited to watch a movie with my 5 year old and 2 year old that I remember enjoying as a kid. The main theme “Why Should I Worry” And first 10 minutes were enjoyable but after that it was pretty bad... I was surprised at how inappropriate it all was in 2020 standards. There’s a scary, sinister male villain, a little girl hanging out alone at night with a homeless male stranger, and the little girl’s parents aren’t in the movie ever (why would Disney even act like that’s safe or ok for a little girl to hang out with creepy dudes like that?). And at the end the little chihuahua dog is insinuating that he’s going upstairs to his new dog girlfriend Georgette’s place for sexy stuff. So not necessary. Disney, I know this is an old flick and thankfully standards have changed but I’m ashamed I even made my kids watch this. Please keep the inappropriate and sexy stuff out of kid movies. It’s so unnecessary, and kids are smarter than you think. Do better. I’ll stick to newer movies with better messages of true friendship, female empowerment, and not trying to hide adult themes / innuendo / and sexual messages in kid animated movies.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
2 people found this helpful.
Rarityfan
Rarityfan Adult
October 4, 2018
age 7+

It's NYC yo

If it wasn't for the many Oliver and Company AMV's on Youtube and Oliver and Company Deviantart this 30 year old animated movie would had been forgotten these days. Beautiful girl dogs and lots of violence including a too rushed running time, and a shame this did not make it to the row of many 2000's Disney sequels. The animation, music and songs makes it feels like you're in a long vanished time of NYC. Beside that NYC is big in consumerism, but all the old Oliver and Company toys, picture books and more had seemed to be gone these 30 years. I might be one of the very few that remember the free Oliver and Company comics you could get at the local Danish gas station for a limited time.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much consumerism
1 person found this helpful.
See all 13 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Loosely based on Dickens' Oliver Twist, this animated Disney release is the story of an orphaned cat named Oliver who is befriended by vagabond dogs led by the dashing rapscallion, Dodger. Oliver is adopted by lonely rich girl Jenny, whose prize-winning poodle, Georgette (voiced by Bette Milder), has a world-class case of jealousy. First Oliver and then Jenny are kidnapped for ransom, but are saved from wicked Sikes by the clever animals.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (13):
Kids say (24):

While not up there with the Disney classics, OLIVER AND COMPANY has some real pleasures. Most memorable is Dodger's "Why Should I Worry" musical number (written and sung by Billy Joel) with Dodger leaping and dancing through Manhattan traffic.

There are also some scary moments, but kids will appreciate the way that Oliver takes care of himself, and the way that the dogs take care of him, of each other, and of their human friend, the hapless Fagin (Dom DeLuise).

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how this animated story compares to the Dickens classic about Oliver Twist.

Movie Details

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