Rereleased on video 30 years after its initial release, this classic Disney movie about a motherless cougar looks great, if not quite perfect. Originally filmed in 1967 in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest, ... more » the scenery and wildlife are absolutely spectacular. The story is somewhat formulaic, but entertaining just the same. A forester named Jess adopts an abandoned cougar he names Charlie, nursing him from an eyedropper and enduring many sleepless nights in the process. As Charlie grows, he's a fixture in the local logging community, where mischief abounds and laughs are plentiful. When Charlie enters his teenage years, his natural curiosity and playfulness begin to hinder the logging process, and Jess is forced to release his beloved friend. Highlights include several comic chase scenes between Charlie and a terrier named Chainsaw, an amazing logrolling sequence in which Charlie shows off some fancy footwork, and a toboggan ride that Charlie and his viewers will remember for a long time. All in all, this 75-minute adventure-comedy is perfect for the whole family. (Ages 5 and older) --Tami Horiuchi« less
"Charlie the Lonesome Cougar - a great family movie, right? Well, this is typical Disney fare with the animal story line and the great outdoor settings. And, I was pleased (and actually surprised) to find it available on DVD. The disappointment with me was two fold. First, the quality of the picture left something to be desired. While the picture is clear there are too many instances of scratches and splothes showing up during the movie which detracted from the beauty of the scenery. Secondly, the DVD version I watched had several minutes edited out. Maybe the imperfections in the original movie could not be fixed but I'm disapointed that I purchased this DVD, and without warning I ended up with a shorter, edited version. If you like this kind of family movie, get it. However, be prepared for a less than perfect, shorter version of it."
Great!!!
Doctor Quartz | Huntington Beach, CA USA | 12/05/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This one is fun. Couger Mayhem and Couger Love. My six year old loves this one. It's the kind of movie that is fun to watch on Sunday night with a bowl full of popcorn."
Good Old Fashioned Entertainment!!
Gregory Nyman | Winchendon, MA United States | 08/04/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This movie has stood the test of time, and it is a throw back to an era when Disney could make a film like this and let it stand on its own merits, instead of making many of the kinds of films it does today.
This is good old fashioned entertainment, and it focuses on "Charlie," and follows his escapades in the Northwest. It is both funny, suspenseful, sad, and maddening, as we see this cougar do the most outlandish things, because, of course, he is a cougar.
A great family film and highly recommended!!!"
Definite winner
Doctor Quartz | 11/19/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What a treat it was to purchase this VHS for my young children and find such a blast from the past for myself. This wholesome movie brings smiles to the faces of everyone that visits our house (adults and kids alike) and watches it. Light story, good laughs, super narration, beautiful scenery, simple message - animals belong in the wild. The kids watch this one at least once a week, and we've had it almost year. Great buy, money well spent."
Charlie aids those lingering in adolescence
Sara Regan | Portland, OR | 04/28/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Had I not found Charlie in the lonesome winter of 1994, I might have been stuck in the doldrums forever...THIS MOVIE CHANGED MY LIFE! Charlie's coming of age in the stunning setting of the great Northwest inspires me as much today as it did back in the trying times of the 20th century. With each viewing, I come a little closer to fully comprehending the intensity of Charlie's cuteness as a cub, and the hilarity of his madcap behavior as a scalawag teen roaming the great log drives of bygone days. Just TRY not to wince as he jumps into the ground beef at Potlatch's Bean Pot, or sets the floating kitchen on fire! Poor Jess Bradley was really asking for it when he took on a wilcat as his partner in forestry. And the emotional soul-searching of Charlie's later orphan years is heartrending. Action and drama aside, relish the total lack of political correctness in the old growth cuts, and the nubile nurse who utters nary a word in each of her pastel-clad appearances. Perfect vintage Disney. You aren't truly American until you've heard the theme song!"