Disney´s 24th animated film, The Fox and the Hound is about the unlikely friendship between two inherent enemies. It begins with an orphaned fox cub named Tod befriending a hound puppy named Copper. When the two grow up, they´re forced to decide between this friendship and their natural instincts. The plot is a bit contrived at times, but it´s still a fun movie. It´s always been a favourite of mine, perhaps because the ending is unusually bittersweet for a Disney movie.

The Fox and the Hound was released at a difficult time for Disney. Previous features had become increasingly unimaginative and dull, and many of the artists had started to become alienated from the management. Disney´s woes culminated in Don Bluth leaving the studio over creative differences to start his own company, taking many of their top animators with him. The result was the release of The Secret of Nimh, a wonderful film that was vastly superior to any of Disney´s contemporary features. Bluth´s success forced several changes to be made at Disney. Beginning with The Little Mermaid, the last decade has seen a vast improvement in the studio´s work.