I'd like to know what the creators smoked before going through the storyboards for this one. It's definitely trippy. Also quite artsy. Not for children but entertaining for adults. A bit messed up but like all the Disney shorts, always astonishing how much story they managed to tell in five minutes.
12 Reviews
If ever there was a Fat Cat Corporation . . .
pixrox130 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
. . . it is the Dizzy Conglomerate. Therefore, the parable of LORENZO is somewhat startling. With its Dizzy Land, Dizzy World, Dizzy Cruise Ships and so forth, Dizzy is the poster boy for conspicuous consumption, which is exactly how LORENZO begins this brief story, feasting on succulent shrimp in a picture window as he taunts a quartet of starving cats on the other side of the glass. Then a black cat suddenly appears, noticing LORENZO acting as the epitome of selfishness, greed and gluttony. This cat of the people soon uses his powers as a witches' familiar to curse the morbidly obese title character, ultimately resulting in the latter's derangement, destruction and doom. It should not be lost on anyone that cats are the bane of mice and rats. Apparently one of them bewitched the denizens of Dizzy's Rodent Ranch, and sneaked this past the Walnut tree.
Traditional Animation hits a new benchmark!
tim-hodge4 June 2004
Tonight I went to go see "Raising Helen". I was pleasantly surprised to see this pre-show cartoon! I was taken aback. What an absolutely incredible piece of work!! An astonishing blend of traditional (2-D) animations and CG environments and painting techniques. But beyond the technical achievements, the story (based on an original idea by Disney icon, Joe Grant) was darkly hilarious!! Quite a style break for Disney, yet it wasn't edgy for edgy's sake. Totally satisfying. It was a perfect marriage of fun storytelling and great design and technique. Pure artistry. I will buy "Raising Helen" on DVD just to get this cartoon alone. I sure hope it will be available!
Disney got a little freaky on this one
DontBeAfraidOfTheDork5 August 2004
I saw this short film before 'Raising Helen", and was quite surprised by it.
The animation combined with CG like movements from background to background is really good, but the storyline leaves something to be desired. An obnoxious cat, gets a spell put on his tail, by a odd mystical black cat, so it comes alive and starts to tango with him. And after a while i was starting to get a little freaked out by what all this cat was trying to do to his tail to make it stop. (running it over with a train, drowning it, electrocuting it, and ultimately wanting to take a knife to it) This cartoon is defiantly a different direction for Disney, and is not for everybody.
The animation combined with CG like movements from background to background is really good, but the storyline leaves something to be desired. An obnoxious cat, gets a spell put on his tail, by a odd mystical black cat, so it comes alive and starts to tango with him. And after a while i was starting to get a little freaked out by what all this cat was trying to do to his tail to make it stop. (running it over with a train, drowning it, electrocuting it, and ultimately wanting to take a knife to it) This cartoon is defiantly a different direction for Disney, and is not for everybody.
Dark and grotesque
TigerPanache13 March 2018
Horrible. If I saw this as a child I would be terrified. Definitely should not be rated G, and no parents should be duped into thinking this is suitable for children because it's by Disney. Watching this as a child would be a traumatic experience.
Very enjoyable...but more so for adults
planktonrules19 December 2015
"Lorenzo" is an interesting sort of experimental film but even though it's from Disney, it's an animated film that no doubt would appeal more to the adults out there than kids. This is because the film is set to very loud tango music and the usual sound effects and style are absent. This isn't a complaint...it's still a very nice cartoon.
The story begins with a very spoiled cat enjoying the life of luxury--and not caring the least for the poor and hungry cats just outside his house. When a cat missing a tail comes by, Lorenzo is sure to rub it in that he has a beautiful and long tail. And, because of this, he is taught a lesson as the tailless cat is magical...and makes Lorenzo's tail come to life on its own. Lorenzo is terrified because the tail wants to do his own thing and so he tries a bunch of funny (and brutal) methods to get rid of the pesky tail. A cute story about karma.
The story begins with a very spoiled cat enjoying the life of luxury--and not caring the least for the poor and hungry cats just outside his house. When a cat missing a tail comes by, Lorenzo is sure to rub it in that he has a beautiful and long tail. And, because of this, he is taught a lesson as the tailless cat is magical...and makes Lorenzo's tail come to life on its own. Lorenzo is terrified because the tail wants to do his own thing and so he tries a bunch of funny (and brutal) methods to get rid of the pesky tail. A cute story about karma.
Okay idea and execution, but nothing too memorable
Horst_In_Translation20 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
"Lorenzo" is a 5-minute animated short film from over 10 years ago. This one won an Annie Award and was nominated for an Oscar, where it lost to Chris Landreth's take on Ryan Larkin. But back to this little Disney tale here. Mike Gabriel tells us about a fat blue cat who acts very boastfully, but runs into a little black cat with magic powers. From that moment on, the title character's tail has its own identity. After some fighting and dancing, Lorenzo decides enough is enough and tries to cut it off. Will he succeed? Lots of wild music and dancing sequences in here, but in terms of the story, I was really hoping for more, even if it's only a 5-minute film. It may be a good lesson to animators in terms of style and technique that give it almost a film-noir look, but for general audiences, it is not that interesting really. Thumbs down.
Simply stunning
cloudbri14 December 2019
When Disney still took risks
Rectangular_businessman22 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
It's such a shame what Disney has become in the later years.
If anything, the company seems now a victim of its own success, not daring to make any risk, producing sterile, joyless movies with very little personality and zero creativity, both from a narrative and visual standpoint.
Modern Disney would never make a short like this again.
Some reviews point out how "dark" and "Un-Disney" this movie is, but that is precisely what made it such a memorable watching experience.
A very stylish black comedy with a rather impressive animation, originally destined to be part of the sadly cancelled third installment of Fantasia.
I'm afraid we would never see Disney getting as beautifully macabre as this ever again.
8.5/10.
If anything, the company seems now a victim of its own success, not daring to make any risk, producing sterile, joyless movies with very little personality and zero creativity, both from a narrative and visual standpoint.
Modern Disney would never make a short like this again.
Some reviews point out how "dark" and "Un-Disney" this movie is, but that is precisely what made it such a memorable watching experience.
A very stylish black comedy with a rather impressive animation, originally destined to be part of the sadly cancelled third installment of Fantasia.
I'm afraid we would never see Disney getting as beautifully macabre as this ever again.
8.5/10.
Sweet Justice
Hitchcoc20 July 2019
The setup is a fat spoiled cat who flaunts his unearned advantages in front of skinny little felines. He is especially proud of his magnificent tail. Especially when a tailless cat shows up. But this cat has something Satanic about him and takes it upon himself to teach our big guy a lesson. The animation is striking, full of color and movement. The threatening of the cat is quite frightening.
A "tail" of humility
TheLittleSongbird4 June 2019
Watching Disney films (animated and live action), shows and cartoons shaped my childhood, a couple of their films were among my first ever even ('Cinderella', 'Peter Pan' and 'The Lion King', still love all three). As a young adult most, not all mind, still hold up between very well and brilliantly. It is very sad though that with exceptions their output now does not have the same magic, like for instance 'Phineas and Ferb' is pretty much the only show on the Disney Channel worth watching from personal opinion.
Don't consider 'Lorenzo' one of their best short films or among the best they've ever done, but found myself surprisingly liking it very much after giving it the benefit of the doubt, after not expecting too much. From the description, was honestly expecting something that may be well made but was not very funny, charmless and potentially distasteful with a titular character that could veer on the wrong side of obnoxious. Didn't find it to be any of those things, other than the well made, really did think that something entertaining could be made out of an annoying sounding cat with a tail of its own but 'Lorenzo' manages that feat.
The story is slight and could have had a little more momentum to begin with.
At times, the music is a touch too intrusive.
However, the animation is just fantastic and blends the different animation styles expertly, while executing the animation styles with astonishing detail and colours full of vibrancy and atmosphere. The music a vast majority of the time is very catchy and is an entertaining fit, anybody who loves tango music will be in heaven. Can understand why 'Lorenzo' won't be for all tastes tonally, am going to join the camp of those that found it very funny and surprisingly full of charm
Even if the lead character's methods are darkly brutal though also very funny and clever. To me though, those methods were not overly freaky. Neither did the story, which is compelling once it gets going, come over as mean-spirited to me, despite how it sounds like hearing about it. The lead character is purposefully obnoxious but this trait is not overdone, so he manages to be entertaining and rootable still as well.
Concluding, surprisingly very good. 8/10
Don't consider 'Lorenzo' one of their best short films or among the best they've ever done, but found myself surprisingly liking it very much after giving it the benefit of the doubt, after not expecting too much. From the description, was honestly expecting something that may be well made but was not very funny, charmless and potentially distasteful with a titular character that could veer on the wrong side of obnoxious. Didn't find it to be any of those things, other than the well made, really did think that something entertaining could be made out of an annoying sounding cat with a tail of its own but 'Lorenzo' manages that feat.
The story is slight and could have had a little more momentum to begin with.
At times, the music is a touch too intrusive.
However, the animation is just fantastic and blends the different animation styles expertly, while executing the animation styles with astonishing detail and colours full of vibrancy and atmosphere. The music a vast majority of the time is very catchy and is an entertaining fit, anybody who loves tango music will be in heaven. Can understand why 'Lorenzo' won't be for all tastes tonally, am going to join the camp of those that found it very funny and surprisingly full of charm
Even if the lead character's methods are darkly brutal though also very funny and clever. To me though, those methods were not overly freaky. Neither did the story, which is compelling once it gets going, come over as mean-spirited to me, despite how it sounds like hearing about it. The lead character is purposefully obnoxious but this trait is not overdone, so he manages to be entertaining and rootable still as well.
Concluding, surprisingly very good. 8/10
Beautiful and funny film showing just what traditional animation can do
llltdesq25 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This cartoon was nominated for the Academy Award for Short Film, Animated, losing to Ryan. There will be spoilers ahead:
Lorenzo is a very short (just over four minutes long) and incredibly funny cartoon which, if I understand correctly, was originally intended to be in the third Fantasia feature, which was shelved. It certainly would fit and would have been one of the highlights had they made the feature.
The plot is a simple one. Lorenzo is a spoiled and self-indulgent cat with a luxurious tail. First, we see Lorenzo, lounging and eating shrimp cocktail, with several bedraggled and obviously hungry cats watching him. Lorenzo mocks them by drawing a sad face on the window (there's no dialog in the short).
The cats watching Lorenzo scatter when a black cat comes out of the night moving towards them. The cat has the stub of a tail and a rather eerie and malevolent look to him. Lorenzo taunts him by waving his tail about and stroking the fur. Unwisely, as it turns out that the black cat casts a spell on Lorenzo's tail, bringing it to life.
Lorenzo's tail then grabs Lorenzo and makes him dance the tango with it. It's basically just that one joke from this point on, but it's a magnificent one and the visual gags are priceless! I won't spoil them by mentioning them here, but suffice it to say that Lorenzo isn't a happy kitty at all here! Stay through the ending and the credits, as there's a very nice bit in here.
This short has just recently been released on a Blu-Ray/DVD collection of recent Disney shorts (Walt Disney Short Films Collection) and it and the Blu-Ray/DVD combo release are both most recommended.
Lorenzo is a very short (just over four minutes long) and incredibly funny cartoon which, if I understand correctly, was originally intended to be in the third Fantasia feature, which was shelved. It certainly would fit and would have been one of the highlights had they made the feature.
The plot is a simple one. Lorenzo is a spoiled and self-indulgent cat with a luxurious tail. First, we see Lorenzo, lounging and eating shrimp cocktail, with several bedraggled and obviously hungry cats watching him. Lorenzo mocks them by drawing a sad face on the window (there's no dialog in the short).
The cats watching Lorenzo scatter when a black cat comes out of the night moving towards them. The cat has the stub of a tail and a rather eerie and malevolent look to him. Lorenzo taunts him by waving his tail about and stroking the fur. Unwisely, as it turns out that the black cat casts a spell on Lorenzo's tail, bringing it to life.
Lorenzo's tail then grabs Lorenzo and makes him dance the tango with it. It's basically just that one joke from this point on, but it's a magnificent one and the visual gags are priceless! I won't spoil them by mentioning them here, but suffice it to say that Lorenzo isn't a happy kitty at all here! Stay through the ending and the credits, as there's a very nice bit in here.
This short has just recently been released on a Blu-Ray/DVD collection of recent Disney shorts (Walt Disney Short Films Collection) and it and the Blu-Ray/DVD combo release are both most recommended.
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