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The hunt for The Fox and the Hound is over. Based on Daniel P. Mannix's book, Disney's 24th animated feature is a bittersweet nature-versus-nurture story about two natural-born enemies who become friends in the innocence of childhood. One is a fox named Tod (Mickey Rooney), who is orphaned right after the opening credits. The other is Copper (Kurt Russell), a hound dog. "We'll always be friends forever, won't we?" Tod asks amid one of their idyllic romps in the forest. "Yeah, forever," Copper responds. But, as wise owl Big Mama (voiced by Pearl Bailey) later cautions Tod, "Forever is a long time, and time has a way of changing things." Before long, the animals are grown, and Copper is following his basic instincts. "I'm a hunting dog now," he tells Tod. When Copper's mentor, Chief (Pat Buttram), is injured trying to capture Tod, Copper swears revenge. The next time they meet, it will not be as the "Best of Friends" (this film's most enduring song). The Fox and the Hound ushered in a new era for Disney: It was the first to combine veteran animators with a new generation of artists, who do their elders proud. Among those who would later distinguish themselves include John Musker (The Little Mermaid) and Glen Keane (Tarzan), who animated this film's harrowing climax, in which a towering and ferocious grizzly bear attacks Copper and Tod. The distinctive voice cast includes Sandy Duncan as Tod’s love interest, Vixey; Jack Albertson as Copper's irascible and trigger-happy owner (no comic bungler, this guy means business in scenes that may disturb younger viewers); Jeanette Nolan as the Widow Tweed, who provides the young Tod with a home before returning him to the forest; and for comic relief, Paul "Tigger" Winchell as Boomer, a woodpecker, who, in the film's running gag, unsuccessfully pursues an elusive caterpillar. The Fox and the Hound may not rank in the pantheon of Disney classics, and it is more leisurely paced than the current crop of computer-animated films. But its simple story of friendship will resonate with young viewers. Unavailable for several years, The Fox and the Hound has been unleashed on DVD in this 25th Anniversary Edition with new extras, including the Oscar-winning Pluto cartoon, "Lend a Paw," the Oscar-nominated animated short, "Lambert the Sheepish Lion," and a featurette about the studio's changing of the guard, "Passing the Baton." Donald Liebenson

All Movie Guide

The Disney animated feature The Fox and the Hound tells the story of a friendship between traditional enemies. Tod is a fox whose parents have died. His best friend is a hunting dog named Copper. As Copper grows up, he learns that it is his job to hunt foxes. Tod's caretaker Widow Tweed takes Tod to live in a game preserve where he falls madly in love with Vixey. Copper and his owner eventually enter the preserve to hunt Tod, and eventually Copper must decide between duty and friendship. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Product Details

• UPC: 786936694550
• Source: WALT DISNEY VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Editions: Anniversary Edition
• Time: 1:23:00
• Sales Rank: 2,780

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