User blog:StrangerAtaru/Franchise Ideas - The Aristocats

Personal Thoughts: This…is probably the weakest movie of the period. Maybe the weakest movie of the entire canon, but at least the worst of the pre-Little Mermaid content IMHO. Sure there are still some interesting ideas here but it just never was my bag.

Characters

-Must-Haves: Really the key ones here are the main five: mother Duchess, the kittens Toulouse, Marie and Berlioz, and O’Malley the alley cat. The movie centers around them, they’re the main focus, so I think we’re good to go with them and don’t really need anyone else.

-Other Possible: There are a lot of characters in this movie and most of them we can probably do without. The there are two, maybe three, I could see get in eventually that aren’t of the titular “Aristocats” and O’Malley:

-Scat Cat is easily one of the scene-stealers despite only appearing the second half of the film, with probably the hippest song Disney had ever done pre-“Friend Like Me” in “Ev’rybody Wants to be a Cat”; and everybody probably wants him due to that alone.

-Roquefort is one of the better allies and one that at least tries to find Duchess and the kittens…he doesn’t do much otherwise but he does try and you have to admire him with the connection and thus can connect him with Duchess, the kittens and Scat Cat due to this. (maybe O’Malley but only due to the climax)

-Edgar…while probably one of the goofiest Disney villains, is still a Disney villain and one with some unique elements to him being a butler, cook and having a scooter to ride around on if need be. Not every Disney villain has to be in the game, but it is a pro.

-As for the rest…Madame, the owner of the cats, is possible but considering one of my attractions and how most of the “owners” never really matter to the story, especially if they’re adults; let alone how she isn’t in focus, really doesn’t seem like that high a choice. And then there are the likes of Frou-Frou the horse, the Gabble sisters, Uncle Waldo, the other members of Scat Cat’s band, Madame’s accountant…yeah…probably not. On the other hand there’s Napoleon and Lafayette: they’re rather pointless leading to two goofy chase sequences with Edgar to show how incompetent he is, but they’re at least two characters that could interact with Edgar or each other so they probably feel more likely than any others aside the above.

Attractions: There are really two key locations I can see as attractions: Madame’s House, where Duchess and the kittens live and which is set up to take in Scat Cat and other alley cats at the end; and O’Malley’s “Pad”, where he and Scat Cat hang out prior to the end. There is also “the countryside”, probably the place where Duchess and the kittens are abandoned where you can also have Edgar go to for “being chased” or to “clean up evidence” and to refer back to Napoleon and Lafayette. (without having them)

Other Things: Two words: Marie Merch. Considering how much one of Duchess’ kittens brings bank to them (especially in Japan), not having plush Marie or Marie Ears would be a crime. Maybe “Crème de la Crème a la Edgar” in human form would be cute too.