I spent a lot of time shitting on the last few Disney movies, and I do think that was entirely fair of me to do, but it's nice to get to this one and see at least a little bit of that old Disney feel come back. Make no mistake, it's not there entirely, but a lot of things about this movie make it feel like it more belongs in the Disney catalog in ways that the last three films that felt like they were trying to emulate Pixar, or even other 2D animations like Home on the Range and Emperors New Groove did.
I may get some odd looks for this, but the Disney movie it most reminds me of is Oliver and Company. Specifically the themes of a more poor yet upbeat and fun lifestyle, only instead of the streets of New York you are looking at the Bayoo's of New Orleans. There are certainly differences, but even the music here largely feels like it's cribbing a little from 'Why Should I worry', a severely underrated Disney Song. It's not so much that I would call it copying mind you, but the similarities are there.
Also, much like Oliver and Company, the strengths of the movie kind of end there. It handles its atmosphere very well, and you do get this kind of joyous look at a life lived wonderfully in a less than ideal environment (Financially speaking that is). That said, the show also has some themes of hard work being necessary to achieve your dreams, something else the show handles mostly well. It does undermine itself a little when the money is just kind of... given to her near the end. There is more going on here than that, but I don't want to hammer away at every single theme of the show.
Where the show kind of lets you down is a problem with a lot of Disney's worst movies, and that is the characters all feel one-note. You can boil them down to their archetype and not be missing out on anything about them as a character. Similarly, the plot is about as predictable as it gets, there isn't a twist you aren't going to see coming. By and large, the movie's cast lets it down and stops it from becoming one of the greats.
It's a shame because a big exception to this is The Shadow Man, Dr. Falcier. A Voodoo man borrowing his powers through dark dealings, I would rank him among the best villains in Disney's library. A perfect foil to our leads, he is underhanded and resentful of living life at the bottom of society. The way he mixes what looks like common street con antics and actual black magic is an absolute treat to watch. This all culminates in one of the best songs in any Disney movie, Friends on the Other Side. This video has everything that made a lot of their older songs great with its fantastical visuals, it's one of those songs that would justify the rest of the movie even if it were bad.
I'm not going to say those are the only good things about the movie, but they are the only things that stand out. The show does still look really good, I”m glad that by this point their 2D animation skills aren't lacking. It's a pretty movie from beginning to end.
Despite the issues with characters (except for The Shadow Man) and a lacking story, the good elements still make it a fun watch. The villain is a great foil, the humor can be a bit hit or miss but overall I enjoyed it, backed up with one of the best songs in all of Disney. It may not be one of the classics, but it's a good return to Hand Drawn animation for the company.
