Home On The Range will go down in history as the final hand-drawn animation film of it's kind that Disney will ever create. With Home On The Range Disney is now officially closing up this classic shop. Which is somewhat ironic in that this Cow-biography is for the most part a fun send-up that holds it's own with most of Disney's hand-drawn classics. It all makes for something of a bittersweet experience. Ironic, to be sure, because this film will be a box-office success and though it won't win over every critic in the world, I enjoyed myself beside my 5 and 6 year old daughters, if somewhat vicariously.

Perhaps if everybody supports this film they might change their mind about scrapping this cherished American institution. With all the fuss you hear on talk radio right now about job out-sourcing you'd think that computers taking over the job of Disney's artists might raise some sort of hew and cry, but most likely nobody's going to notice or care all that much. I think CGI is great, but I think the absence of the human touch in Disney's future is a bit of a saddening harbinger.

In any case I found myself sufficiently entertained by this last gasp and I would've given quite a bit to have been on an extension when whoever called Roseanne Barr to pitch the idea of her lending her vocal talents to a fat cow. But it's just this sort of brilliant voice casting that has made so many of these Disney Classics come to such wonderful life. From Louis Prima in the Jungle Book and goodness - Robin Williams, John Goodman, Danny DeVito alas I could go on and on. True this element of animated films won't change significantly, unless of course that some sort of Curse befalls Disney's decision to go CG.

Though not the best animated feature that Disney has drawn up, the voice casting here is absolutely inspired. Roseanne rocks as a former Show-Cow who is the lone survivor of a massive cattle rustling courtesy of the dastardly Alameda Slim and the Willy Brothers. A classically clueless crew of identical triplets, lead by Slim (voiced by Randy Quaid, who, you have to admit is easier on the ear than he is on the eye). In the aftermath of the crime, Roseanne's Maggie is consigned to a dairy farm called a Patch of Heaven. A business ran by the no-bullcrap Mrs. Calloway (Judi Dench) who's a lot more interested in the bottom line than some has-been "Show Cow."

Along the way we hear from Jennifer Tilly as a pretentious "new age" cow, Steve Buscemi as a shady character who's been around the pasture, and a deadpan horse voiced by Disney vet Patrick Warburton (Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove.) The plot is simple as are all of the Disney classics - a Patch of Heaven is quite suddenly faced with financial woes in the form of foreclosure, and it just so happens that the sum needed to bail the business out is just about the same amount as the reward money offered for the apprehension of the Willy Brothers gang.

I needn't give you anymore information than this film, I wish it would have been an unqualified success just to increase the irony, but it's not on par with recent Pixar productions, still it's good enough to keep the adults from getting fidgety and it does a pretty good job of sending-up about every cliché you can think of from the genre of Western Movies.

It's always such a delight when a film can walk that fine line that allows it to entertain and amuse all movie goers who are familiar with the English language, and this last round-up for the Disney gang comes pretty close. It would have been more satisfying had this legendary institution bowed-out with a total classic, and though sadly this isn't quite the case, well parder, I'm gonna give 'er a thumbs up, anyhoo! Adios Art.