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[adamwatchesmovies]

Home on the Range (2004)

People still talk about Lilo & Stitch. Sometimes you even hear some discuss the merits of Brother Bear. No one talks about Home on the Range. Was the second-last theatrically-released Disney Animated really THAT bad? No. I’d even recommend it for young audiences. Just know that for everyone else, it's mostly unremarkable.

When their farm is threatened with foreclosure, cows Maggie (voiced by Roseanne Barr), Grace (Jennifer Tilly), and Mrs. Calloway (Judi Dench) make it their mission to come up with the money by capturing wanted outlaw Alameda Slim (Randy Quaid).

Bits and pieces of the 45th Disney animated feature film are likable. The main characters, for instance. Jennifer Tilly is consistently funny as Grace. Having a trio of cows in this western adventure is a nice departure from the stories we're accustomed to from the studio. The visuals aren't revolutionary, but there are a couple of well-drawn scenes, with a noteworthy one that recalls the "Pink Elephants on Parade" insanity of Dumbo. It's the highlight and with the way it plays out, Home on the Range might be worth seeing - once - just for that sequence. There are also a couple of nice sight gags here and there, including some pretty good ones with the villain.

All that said, this is not a particularly strong picture. It contains many dated or odd elements. The story isn’t fresh. You can't quite put your finger on it. There’s something about Home on the Range, its character designs, the peg-legged rabbit Lucky Jack (Charles Haid), and the selfish horse, Buck (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) that doesn’t pop.

The obvious flaws include the abundance of "generic animated jokes”. I’m talking about characters given silly quirk that don’t really make any sense and do not deepen them or make them more interesting in any way. A perfect example is Buck. Why does he know Kung Fu? For no reason except to have a bunch of silly scenes for the kiddies where he jumps around screaming Hi-yah! The film is made for children, yes. That’s the problem. Children is the only audience this will appeal to. Adults Can still watch Snow White, Fantasia, Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast and never feel like they're stuck babysitting someone. Why can’t Home on the Range, be on the same level?

I wouldn’t have even guessed that this was a Disney movie if it hadn’t known going in. Home on the Range doesn’t contain that magic. It’s a child-friendly animated movie about some funny talking farm animals, that’s it. I was initially going to collect every single Disney animated film, but after seeing Treasure Planet - it's just ok - and then this one, I think I’ll just stick with the ones that have truly stood the test of time. I still don’t think Home on the Range is all that bad. I’m even going to give it a mild recommendation because it’s watchable, even enjoyable if you’re in the right mood. It just isn’t very strong overall. (On DVD, February 16, 2015)