Maddening, but brilliant (possible spoiler)

Rating: 8/10 (8 December 1999)

A mediocre film in Disney's history, but absolutely brilliant in the context of 1999. Gleefully violent and filled with shocking innuendo, the plot makes up for neglible plotting with the almost BAMBIesque creation of a believable anthropomorphic universe. The animated movement is sublime, and makes almost all live action films look clunky; the colour and characterisation is a pleasure - the death of Clayton is one of the best things ever in Disney. There are the usual complaints - hair-pulling score, neo-fascist bildungsroman narrative; the muddled conservatism that confuses distrust of patriarchy and celebration of matriarchy with dollops of Social Darwinism. Worst of all is the idea of a Disney film railing against cultural exploitation. This mixture of squirm-inducing ideology and breathless aesthetic joy makes for a very disturbing viewing experience.