Well, not as neglected as it was but Ben and Me is still one of Disney's most under-appreciated short films. And unjustly, because it is a treasure. It's animated beautifully, all the characters are well drawn, with a couple that are reminiscent of a couple from Disney's Cinderella(like a cat that looks like Lucifer) and it is hard not to admire the sumptuousness of the backgrounds. There is a music score that brims with energy too, and the dialogue has humour that amuses and it educates as well. The story is probably Ben and Me's biggest strength, it is cute without being too cutesy, it is good-natured in its funny parts and very warm-hearted. It is also very educational and there is a great lesson to be learnt without showing any signs of preaching, even at the end when we see how the declaration of independence comes about. The characters have engaging personalities and are in no way superfluous to the story, they are easy to relate to as well. Ben and Me is also brilliantly voiced, particularly by Sterling Holloway as mouse Amos who has the lion's share of the written material as well(considering that the story is told from his viewpoint). His voice-work is warm, witty and moves the storytelling forward rather than trying to over-explain(like a few shorts with Holloway narrating, The Pelican and the Snipe comes to mind). I prefer Hans Conried in villain roles but he is very distinguished here and like Holloway you recognise his voice immediately. Charles Ruggles is very endearing as Ben. So all in all, an animated treasure that ought be better known. 10/10 Bethany Cox
