When I was younger, I really enjoyed The Aristocats, a flick I hadn't seen for many years, until last night. On a nostalgic whim, I decided to revisit it, to see perhaps why I liked it so much. As it turns out...well, I can see why it gets something of a mixed-to-negative repute on the Internet. With me...it's a "meh" piece. I didn't hate it, and there are likeable moments (such as the energy of Duchess and O'Malley dancing, or when that black kitten took a spin on the ivories). But that gets complicated by factors I found extraneous and annoying (those goose sisters, those two dogs, the way overdone chase scenes, etc.) and that, honestly, it's really just a story where stuff just kinda happens. I don't hate it, but I'm not exactly being wowed by it in the same way as I was as a child. (Which, I suspect, was probably due to the superficial reason of KITTIES!)

That said, I did find Duchess charming, in a respect. I remember thinking she was pretty back then, citing her blue eyes and Eva Gabor's performance. I still agree with that, also liking her accepting, curious approach to things. So why not give her a shot? I may not love the movie as I did when I was a child, but it wasn't a waste of time, either.

Duchess © Disney