The Fox and the Hound

G

Released Jul 10, 1981

1 hr. 23 min.

Kids & Family

Drama

Animation

List

75%

28 Reviews

Tomatometer

78%

250,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

After his mother is killed, Tod the fox (Mickey Rooney) is taken in by the kindly Widow Tweed (Jeanette Nolan). He soon befriends the neighbor's new hound dog, Copper (Kurt Russell). The two are inseparable, but their friendship is hampered by their masters and by the fact that they are, by nature, enemies. They grow apart as they grow older; Copper has become a strong hunting dog and Tod a wild fox. The pair must overcome their inherent differences in order to salvage their friendship.

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Critics Consensus

The Fox and the Hound is a likeable, charming, unassuming effort that manages to transcend its thin, predictable plot.

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Robert C

Makes my eyes well up every time. Good story and message.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/24/24

Full Review

ÐÑÑÐµÐ¼ Ð

Despite the fact that this film is too dark and violent, it is still a mini masterpiece for me personally, which I enjoy watching again and again

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

Full Review

Matthew D

A beautiful film about animal friendship, environmental peace, and human cruelty. Directors Ted Berman, Art Stevens, and Richard Rich's animated buddy drama The Fox and the Hound (1981) holds up as a moving picture that I still adore. It's better than I remembered as a child. It's very cute, but also so touching how it instills a moral sensibility to not hunt animals down as they have their own lives, they are just trying to survive like any person. The Fox and the Hound feels like a thematic sequel to Bambi, from the villainous hunters, sympathy for poor animals living in the forest, to the gorgeous watercolor background paintings. The hand drawn animation is stunning and so warm. I love the gentle vibe with a quiet Fall and Spring atmosphere from the melting snow to the changing of the color of leaves. I wish Disney would return to hand drawn animation some day. Writers Larry Clemmons, Vance Gerry, Burny Mattinson, David Michener, Steve Hulett, Peter Young, Ted Berman, and Earl Kress give us original author Daniel P. Mannix's story of a friendship between otherwise natural predator and prey in a hound and a fox, who become friends, until the hound is trained by a man to become a hunting dog. Seeing the hound find his place in the world and forget his friend is sad, but we see that humanity are the violent ones breeding animals to be killers. The fox finding his lover and a new home in the forest is sweet. I kept thinking about Bambi and Watership Down as there is genuine empathy for the suffering and joys of animals, while employing a sincere acceptance of death, age, time, friendship, kindness, and consideration for others in its themes. Mickey Rooney is surprisingly nice and playful as the forlorn fox hero Tod. Keith Mitchell sounds cute and playful as the young fox Tod. Kurt Russell is determined, fierce, and apologetic as the adult hound Copper. Corey Feldman sounds so tiny as young Copper. Pearl Bailey is welcoming, nurturing, and boisterous as the friendly owl Big Mama. Her singing is lovely and fits the scenic paradise of this pastoral piece. Jack Albertson is vicious, rude, and vindictive as the cruel redneck hunter Amos Slade. He's monstrous and irredeemable really from putting down bear traps to kill the fox or murdering dozens of animals for their fuzzy pelts. Sandy Duncan has a bright and sultry voice as the girl fox Vixey, who finds love and companionship in Tod. Jeanette Nolan is funny and sad as Widow Tweed. Pat Buttram's grumpy Southern dog voice for Chief is perfect. He's funny and fearsome as needed. Piglet's voice actor John Fiedler is super sweet and adorable as The Porcupine, who kindly invites the fox Tod into his home in the forest. John McIntire is mean and grumpy as The Badger. Dick Bakalyan's mobster voice for the little bird Dinky is hilarious. I adored Tigger voice actor Paul Winchell's silly vocal antics as the aloof woodpecker Boomer. Editors James Melton and James Koford do swift hard cuts and smooth dissolves for a tranquil pace and tone. The Fox and the Hound is one of Disney's most relaxed feeling films. Don Griffith's art direction is stunning from flowing rivers and waterfalls to the leaves on trees blowing in the wind or bushes rustling with a small animal inside. Composer Buddy Baker's orchestral music is striking for its understated soft classical selections that range from thrilling hunts, romantic melodies, to serene strings. In short, The Fox and the Hound is a lovely and quick 82 minutes full of gorgeous hand drawn animation, inviting characters, fun times, harrowing chases, emotional shifts, and sincere messages.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/26/24

Full Review

jose abelino f

Muy buena película la recomiendo

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/26/23

Full Review

Tabitha B

I used to watch this movie on repeat as a kid. And that scene when Todd is left in the woods breaks me down to tears every time, no matter how I old I get.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/11/23

Full Review

Dynamic trio A

My favorite Disney movie of all time. Super fun and enjoyable, and very wholesome. It manages to even out the wholesome and fun moments, and the sad and depressing moments perfectly. It's an amazing film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/28/23

Full Review

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Ted Berman

Director

Richard Rich

Director

Art Stevens

Director

Mickey Rooney

Adult Tod

Kurt Russell

Adult Copper

Pearl Bailey

Big Mama

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Rob Humanick

Slant Magazine

A work of both learned, assured poise and triumphant freshman determination, not far away from other benchmark-status works like Snow White or Pixar's Toy Story.

Aug 10, 2011

Full Review

William Thomas

Empire Magazine

All charmingness aside, this cute but rather thinly plotted yarn exposes the cracks that were present in the pre-renaissance Disney empire.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 3, 2008

Full Review

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Against all odds, a tear or two is effectively jerked, and there was enough skill on display to encourage some hope for the new generation of Disney animators, who made their debut here.

Sep 3, 2008

Full Review

Mat Brunet

AniMat's Review (YouTube)

Sometimes, all you need to make a movie is two characters from opposing backgrounds forming an unlikely bond. It’s not enough to make a great Disney movie, but it still gets the job done.

Rated: 7/10

Jan 20, 2023

Full Review

Carson Timar

ButteredPopcorn

While it is impossible to claim the film is an all-time masterpiece, especially for this era of Disney, this is a thematically rich and crafted feature with real value.

Jan 14, 2023

Full Review

Richard Holliss

Starburst

The Fox and the Hound is a kind of an experiment... certainly a promising one, if a little disappointing.

Jul 27, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

After his mother is killed, Tod the fox (Mickey Rooney) is taken in by the kindly Widow Tweed (Jeanette Nolan). He soon befriends the neighbor's new hound dog, Copper (Kurt Russell). The two are inseparable, but their friendship is hampered by their masters and by the fact that they are, by nature, enemies. They grow apart as they grow older; Copper has become a strong hunting dog and Tod a wild fox. The pair must overcome their inherent differences in order to salvage their friendship.

Director: Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens
Executive Producer: Ron Miller
Screenwriter: Ted Berman, Larry Clemmons, Vance Gerry, Steve Hulett, Earl Kress, Daniel P. Mannix, Burny Mattinson, David Michener, Peter Young
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Walt Disney Pictures
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Drama, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 10, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $23.6M
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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