By Mario

Wow! Everytime I watch this movie, it never ceases to amaze me. It has all the right stuff--love, warmth, innocence, and emotion. Just like the cover says, this movie echoes the themes found in Bambi and Lady and the Tramp, two of the greatest Disney movies ever created. But it is never overshadowed by those two. Instead, it takes the best elements of both, blends them into its own unique story, and makes them better. At the movie's heart is a traditional story--a need for love and friendship. But as the story unfolds, it becomes something different, something Disney has never done before or ever will do again. Like Bambi, its simplicity is the key to its excellence. Here, there are no heroes or villains, no thoughts of justice or fighting the good fight. The conflict instead comes when two different worlds collide, and that love is changed. Now two equally likeable characters are at odds with each other because of a tragic mistake, not because of a good guy versus bad guy routine. Here is my final analysis.
Characters: Well-developed, no stock characters. Rating:5
Story: Unique, realistic, dramatic, dynamic. Rating: 5
Emotion: Friendship, sorrow, love, romantic affection, revenge, humor, forgiveness. Rating: 5
Ending: Heartfelt, powerful, dramatic. Rating: 5
Conclusion: I rank this as one of the top Disney movies of all time. This is my personal favorite and consider it to be their best.

The Fox and the Hound is basically a story about growing up and the frienship that existed between a hound named Copper and a fox named Tod. They were ripped between the friendship they had with each other, and the boundaries society put on their relationship. After all, the two were completely oblivious to the fact that they were meant to be mortal enemies. When Copper became an adult hunting dog and Tod a grown fox, the two had to end their friendship, because it would be dangerous. Tod was raised by a kindly widow, but she too was forced to abandon him and leave him in a game preserve because she feared for his safety, so she wanted to put him someplace that was as safe as possible. In the preserve, Tod fell in love with a beautiful female fox named Vixey and soon, the two were laughing and cuddling in the forest and quickly became life-long mates. By the end of the film, Copper and Tod had regained some of the respect they once had for each other. Even though the two would never see each other again, they would always recognize their friendship and so would never forget it.

The beauty of this film is the naturalism. It's lack of overblown musical numbers and lousy jokes, like in today's formulaic Disney film, really make it a gem and a true treasure in my opinion. It's bittersweet ending was ten times more effective than some of the fairy-tale, happy-go-lucky films that are just too musical, *hint The Little Mermaid *hint. The Fox and the Hound cuts through all that icing and really sets an example upon which most Disney movies should be judged. Unfortunately, The Fox and the Hound is not considered by most to be a true treasure. But it's always been considered that and much much more by me and at least one other person I know, who wrote the other review of this film.

No other Disney film even comes close to the majesty, beauty, and naturalism of The Fox and the Hound. This film is in a category all it's own, in addition to it being the number one film on my list! It would take quite an amazing movie to top The Fox and the Hound, and I seriously doubt that Disney has it in them to make a movie like this anymore, considering that the company has become so formulaic now. That's quite a shame. But it just makes The Fox and the Hound stand out even more. The Fox and the Hound will always be considered the best animated movie ever made by me. I love it more each time I watch it. No other Disney film has had that kind of impact on me. It says something about the quality Disney used to make as opposed to the quality of stuff they make now. The Fox and the Hound will always have the number one spot in my opinion and no other film will ever come near it. It will shine and remain a treasure forever!

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