Banjo the Woodpile Cat (1979)
Banjo the Woodpile Cat Review
Banjo the Woodpile Cat is a 1979 animated short film directed by Don Bluth. It’s a solid first effort for the director.
It was made during the production of ‘The Fox and the Hound’ when he left the Disney studio to purse his own animation career. So obviously this first effort of his is very Disney-like in style and substance as he was working for them during this time and it reminded me way too much of ‘The Aristocats’ in particular as it steals some plot points from it. I did find the story to be a standard kid fare, but it was well crafted and quite moving and charming.
The animation is surprisingly good for such a small budget and both the characters and particularly some of the imagery in the alley and the dream sequences look splendid. I did like the titular protagonist and some of the sidekicks he meets along the way are fine too, but none of them stands out in a more memorable manner. The music is pretty strong though and accompanying the story so well.
Banjo the Woodpile Cat needed more inspired storytelling, but in terms of animation it’s terrific and it was a solid first effort for Don Bluth.
