Oliver & Company (1988)
Based on the 1838 book Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.
Intro song (“Once Upon a Time in New York City”). In 1988 New York City on Fifth Avenue, several kittens are left in a box outside a shop. All but one, an orange tabby, are adopted. Wandering the streets by himself in search of someone to adopt him, the kitten meets a laid-back mongrel named Dodger, who agrees to help him steal food from a hot dog vendor. Dodger then reneges on the deal and flees with the hot dogs. The kitten pursues Dodger all over New York City (“Why Should I Worry?”). Dodger eventually arrives at a barge, where the kitten watches him share the hot dogs with a gang of poverty-stricken dogs—Tito the Chihuahua, Einstein the Great Dane, Rita the Saluki, and Francis the bulldog. The kitten accidentally falls into the barge, startling the dogs; however, while they are annoyed, none of them harm him. Fagin, the bargeman and petty thief who owns the dogs, is indebted to Sykes, a nefarious loan shark and criminal. Sykes arrives and gives Fagin an ultimatum; repay the money in three days, or suffer violence, possibly even death. Sykes's two Dobermans, Roscoe and DeSoto, harass Fagin's dogs and threaten to eat the kitten, until he scratches DeSoto's nose, earning Fagin and the dogs' respect. Roscoe warns that they will try to exact revenge.
The next morning, Fagin goes to pawn some of his stolen goods, while the dogs and the kitten try to steal more money for him (“Streets of Gold”). Through a theatrical ruse, the animals stop a limousine belonging to the wealthy Foxworth family, but the attempt to rob the limo fails, and the kitten is taken by the child Jenny Foxworth, who lives with the family butler, Winston. Jenny, missing her vacationing parents and desiring a companion, adopts the kitten and names him Oliver. Georgette, the Foxworth family's spoiled, prize-winning poodle sings (“Perfect Isn’t Easy”) and is disgusted by Oliver’s presence. Oliver makes himself at home in Jenny's house (“Good Company”). With the help of Georgette who wants to get rid of Oliver, Dodger and the dogs manage to steal Oliver back from the Foxworth household, returning him to the barge. Fagin recognizes from Oliver's new collar and gold name tag that he had been adopted by a wealthy family, and desperately decides to hold Oliver for ransom. His anonymously written ransom note reaches Jenny, who sets out alone to get Oliver back at the pier.
Jenny and Georgette meet with Fagin, who is shocked to be dealing with a little girl whose "ransom money" is a piggy bank. Bothered by his conscience and Jenny's tears, Fagin gives Oliver back freely. Sykes, whom Fagin had informed of the deal beforehand, is watching from the shadows and kidnaps Jenny, intending to ransom her while declaring Fagin's debt paid. Dodger rallies Oliver and the other dogs to free Jenny from Sykes, but Sykes and his Dobermans confront them as they attempt to leave. Fagin saves the group with his motor scooter, and a chase ensues throughout the streets and into the subway tunnels. Jenny falls from the scooter onto Sykes's car; Oliver and Dodger go after her and battle Roscoe and DeSoto, who fall off the car and are electrocuted on the third rail of the subway. Fagin leaves Tito to drive and saves Jenny, while Dodger and Oliver are thrown from Sykes's car onto the pavement of the Brooklyn Bridge just before an oncoming train strikes Sykes's car, killing him. Tito drives the scooter to safety, and Jenny and Oliver are reunited.
Later, Jenny celebrates her birthday with the other dogs, Fagin, and Winston. Oliver opts to stay with Jenny, but he promises to remain in contact with Dodger and the gang (“Why Should I Worry?”).
TRIVIA
Popular singer Billy Joel plays the character of Oliver.
Technology
Similar to previous films, Oliver & Company features the use of CGI for certain background elements such as Fagin’s motor scooter, the skyscrapers, cars, trains, and the subway chase.
Easter Egg(s)
During Dodger’s song “Why Should I Worry?”, dogs from Lady and the Tramp and One Hundred and One Dalmatians make cameo appearances