'The Adventures of Milo and Otis' comes to Blu-ray on a Region A locked BD25 disc, with little pre-menu junk, and a resume play feature. This is a film that has aged incredibly well, though it may be best viewed every few years, instead of on a regular rotation. What draws me to this feature is the daunting challenge that it represents, the amazingly complex performances and logistics behind them, and the absolutely embarrassing, yet endearing narration. Otis isn't a fast snorting little devilish fiend who did his best to imitate human emotion on a regular basis. This film doesn't remind me of my awesome little pug, as there is about zero commonality between the two. The logistics are also amazing, watching the critters scramble into boxes out of rivers, climbing trees fighting with snakes, or swatting at a bear a thousand times their weight. You see Otis swatting Milo away from an egg he's supposed to guard, and you really think the dog is thinking exactly what Moore is saying, the way these creatures are trained or manipulated in a number of memorably adorable scenes is just beyond comprehension. ![]() The interactions the animals have with each other, as Moore narrates their thoughts, it's too darned cute. 'Milo and Otis' is a fantastic film achievement, despite the potential (ahem, probable) ugliness behind it. Imagining the man in the recording booth making a fool of himself, it's really endearing. If anything, the narration is what appeals to me most, as the unpredictability of it, even having seen it a number of times, it's just too much. As Moore talks, he occasionally slips in grunts, barks, and other animal noises into his performance, and as ridiculous as it sounds, it's utterly charming and unique. However, with Dudley Moore providing the narration and each and every voice, it's impossible not to find yourself falling for the cuteness and innocence presented in this film. Had this film been presented any other way than it is here, it might not be tolerable, as it's a very slow moving movie. As the two friends traverse the elements and other dangerous animals, they grow into adulthood, and learn all there is about life, love, and friendship. Watching this film as an adult may bring up many different reactions than it did if you saw it in your youth.cats down waterfalls? crabs and lobsters clipping at critters? Snowy conditions? As a former pug owner, even the thought of one of these snout nosed little pups running around outside for too long sounds serious and dangerous, their respiratory system not being all that up to snuff.Īdapted from the 90 minute Japanese film, 'The Adventures of Milo and Otis' is 76 minutes of absolutely adorable wonder, as we follow a pair of farm yard best friends, a cuddly cat named Milo and a pug nosed pug named Otis, as they play and learn, before eventually setting off on a great adventure and a long journey home. The ugliness seems to be as memorable as the beauty that this film represents. ![]() Heck, there are even urban legends about the number of cats and dogs that didn't quite make it through the filming. This Japanese critter feature, filmed over four years and compiled from over forty hours of footage, is controversial, due to longstanding claims about animal cruelty to create proper conditions for particular scenes, and the sheer logistics of a bear swatting and batting at miniscule little house pets does make the mind wander. ![]() Now that you're depressed, thinking about a mass grave of animals featured in this film (or a mass feast.), you may be in the right mindset to watch the film again. ![]() Time sure flies, and, come to think of it, every animal in the film is probably dead by now, even the sea turtle. Is 'The Adventures of Milo and Otis' (aka 'Koneko monogatari') really already celebrating its 25th anniversary?! I remember watching this film when I was knee high to a grasshopper (alright, maybe I was taller than that.), and again decades later, and still found this quirky little animal feature to be a load of fun, with such adorable animals.
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