Our Time Has Gone

♫ Our time has gone, we're gonna
Walk in the sun,oh
I've packed my hopes,
We're ready to roll,
We're on our way
With a little faith we can
Step from the shadows and
Tell everyone
Turn the spotlight off
Now our time has gone..

Are you ready to wish upon a star?
Well I'll be ready to follow my own heart
Are you ready to be set free?
Well I'll be ready to reach out for that dream
Just over the horizon

Can you feel the power now?
The night is ours
For you and I
There comes a time
To hold our heads high
Make a little history
Each time we dare to dream
Tell everyone
Turn the spotlight off
Now our time has gone! ♫

(Our Time Has Come - by James Ingram & Carnie Wilson (Cats Don't Dance OST)

** I'm aware that that's NOT how the song actually goes. I purposely cut verses out and replaced certain words to fit the scenario**

"In the dead of night, they flee.
Escape from the pressure and prejudice of celebrity life.
Never to be seen or exploited by Hollywood again.
They're going home.
Don't feel bad for them guys...they'll be around..
You just have to look a little harder for them."

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Well, i said I'd do it; so i did! Unfortunately, i couldn't fit ALL the characters from the list into the image, i only had an A4 size paper to sketch on. But i was able to fit seven awesome characters from severely underrated animated films. Most of these movies are even viewable on Youtube, and i will talk about each one as i see them. So lets get started..

1. DANNY (CATS DON'T DANCE 1997)
I avoided this film for a very long time, mostly because the title alone sounded silly to me. Also because i knew virtually nothing about it, so it slipped under my radar. That is until a few weeks ago, on a whim i decided to watch it and...i really enjoyed it! It's one of those films where you just sit back and enjoy the ride. It's pretty predictable and cliche right from the start, but the characters and animation are so enjoyable that you don't really care. And do i even NEED to say how hilarious the Villain is? A horriblely bad tempered Shirley Temple parody with a larger than life body guard to do whatever she commands, how can that NOT be entertaining?? It was pretty well received by film critics upon its release, but it failed to rank up the numbers. It was soon considered a box office bomb, and has been buried in time ever since.
This movie is not really deep or complex in any way, but it's not trying to be. It's just a really fun movie. You won't gain anything from watching it, but you won't feel like you've wasted your time either. If you have an hour and fifteen minutes to spare, i say check it out if you haven't already.
Here's a Youtube link to the full film: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTBF_e…

2. CHARLIE B. BARKIN (ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN 1989)
A great film! This (in my opinion) was Don Bluth's last good movie before his films started to get...weird. Before he threw in the towel and admitted defeat to Disney, and then started copying their formula to try and keep his studio relevant and profitable. Sorry Bluth, it didn't work. 

3. BARTOK (ANASTASIA 1997)
Ok, i have seen this movie; but not for a very long time. So i don't remember much of it, at all. Sorry, i can't say much about this film either. I mostly added this one because it was requested so many times. I'm also aware this movie (character) got a spin off film for the franchise, but has since been forgotten.
The rest of the movies on this list i have seen (recently) so i'll be able to talk about them more than this one.

4. DODGER (OLIVER & COMPANY 1988)
This film is probably one of the most forgotten Disney films of all time, right up there with Great Mouse Detective, Song of the South, The Black Cauldron, and many others. There was never a sequel, no TV series, no commercial re-releases, very little merchandise and very little popularity. Is it a truly wonderful Disney movie? Well, no it's not BRILLIANT by any means, but i don't think it really deserves to be forgotten like this. Much like Cats Don't Dance, it's just a fun movie. It's not complex or visually stunning, but it has good characters and story; but mostly it's just for fun. Not much else to say, give this little classic a bit of attention, it deserves it.

5. SNITTER (THE PLAGUE DOGS 1982)
I've talked about this film WAY too many times, so i won't say too much about it now. I love this movie, but i can't recommend it for everyone to see. To appreciate this movie, you need to understand; it's not a happy film and it's NOT a kids movie. Made by the same company and based off a book with the same author as Watership Down, i dare say that Plague Dogs is more disturbing than WSD. Oh yes, and i meant that. This isn't saying much about it, if you want to know more about this movie; i wrote a more detailed review on it a year ago if you want to read it: www.deviantart.com/?qh=§i…
Having said all this, it's a very powerful and emotional piece that i think deserves more love than it gets. If you want to see a film with great characters, decent animation, an infamous reputation and a very controversial ending - i say check it out.

Full movie link is here if you want: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBxfOv…

6. FRANCIS (FELIDAE 1994)
I warned you about The Plague Dogs, so i really need to warn you about this film too! It's a great movie don't get me wrong, but heed this warning it's VERY disturbing. I often compare these two films becasue they both have a talent for disturbing their audiences, but in different ways. Plague Dogs is more subtle, the atmosphere is often calm and the pacing is slow; which is how the film often catches it audiences off guard with its most disturbing moments. Felidae on the other hand is about as subtle as a brick to the face! There is a lot of gore and death all throughout the movie, it's a murder mystery with cats; but they don't sugar coat it at all. And you know what, kudos. I respect this movie for having the balls to show something real for once. If you're sensitive to gore, adult themes and (animated) animal suffering, then i wouldn't touch this movie with a ten foot pole. But if you can see past all that, i know you'll enjoy it. It's a great movie, it was disturbing as all hell; but i'm glad i saw it.
Youtube link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiKn-v…

7. LUNE (JUNGLE EMPEROR LEO 1997)
I saw this film once, and i don't remember much of it. I'm not even sure i have the character details right here, is it Lune or Kimba? Both look identical, so i don't really care. I remember it being a decent movie, and beautifully animated! Though, i was confused as to whether or not it had anything to do with the Kimba universe. And certain deaths in this movie really took me by surprise! I can't say much about this, again i don't remember much. I really need to rewatch it. Check it out though, it's beautiful.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHbSI7…

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And there's the list! Thanks for all the suggestions and i hope you get some joy out of this, perhaps you'll even discover a little animated gem