Frank and Ollie (1995)

Waste of time

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Done by 1 of Frank's sons.This film is a must for Disney fans.Very interesting.We learn about the last of the Nine Old Men of Animation Sad they are all gone now Frank passed away in 2004, Ollie in 2008.I thought a personal note of interest to me. Frank lived for a time in my home town when he was young. This city is nothing to brag about.Besides learning about them you of course get behind the scenes Disney facts from the early days.You see Ollie & his personal train. Just like Walt had at his home. They lived right next door to each other.We Disney fans sure do miss them.

The problem with documentaries is that, short of "The Sorrow and the Pity" and "Nanook of the North," most of them are only interesting if you have a fascination with the subject. Me, I'm into dinosaurs, flight, and movies. But I guess most of all I'm interested in animation, so "Frank and Ollie" is right up my alley, even though it could be argued that a movie like this (written, directed, and produced by Frank Thomas' son, Theodore) isn't really important or in any way art.First of all, this isn't really a Disney picture, despite the fact that Disney released it--there is not the same tone of self-congratulatory propaganda (i.e. Disney is Great/Remember the Magic) that Disney-done documentaries such as the Making of Fantasia featurette from the Fantasia DVD (in which, other than the descriptions of the techniques, the only interesting thing actually said is that Leonard Maltin used to watch the Rite of Spring section in Science class) tend to have. This is evident in the first few minutes of the movie, when various nude drawings the animators drew in college are shown. This is as much a documentary on the two animators (as mundane as some of their details may be) as it is about Disney.One of the most interesting things revealed by Frank and Ollie is how all the animators used to draw caricatures of each other to get their creative juices flowing (and to blow off steam).Again, a movie like this is only interesting if you enjoy the subject. I don't like basketball, so I don't care for Hoop Dreams. But if you enjoy animation of any sort, "Frank and Ollie" might just suit you fine, too. 9/10.

This was the documentary on Oliver Johnston and Franklin Thomas, the two men responsible for what Walt Disney is remembered today- Character Animation. In this film we find out how these two men became friends and how through that friendship raised character animation to the standard it is done today in the movies.The good-The documentary goes through the duo's history. It shows some of the classical figure drawings as well as rough pencil drawings of famous Disney characters-Bambi and Pinnocchio included.The bad-John Culhane,what a bloated, pompous asshole. I love the work that Frank ad Ollie did in the Disney movies but the way this guys interpreted it was almost to a Godlike degree. I cant stand this guy on film. Supposedly Milt Kahl, one of Disneys best animators, designed the character of Mr.snoops in The Rescuers with this windbag in mind.Rent this film to se who is actually responsible for Uncle Walt's fame-and I don't mean Mickey Mouse. Then afterwards, read The Illusion of Life. The quintissential book on Disney Animation written by the same to men who the documentary is based on.

'Frank and Ollie' is the touching story of Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two of the original Disney animators. Lifelong friends and collaborators they tell the story of how their beginnings at Disney animation and the classic films they worked on together. Using archival footage, interviews with Frank and Ollie's respective wives and current Disney animators, the film brings to life the rich picture of the unique and enduring friendship of these talented animators.