Critical response
Upon its theatrical releases in 1988 and 1996, Oliver & Company received polarizing reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 52% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 56 reviews. Its consensus states, "Predictable and stodgy, Oliver & Company isn't one of Disney's best, though its colorful cast of characters may be enough to entertain young viewers looking for a little adventure." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 58 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
The music received nearly widespread acclaim from critics. Many critics, such as Joe Baltake of The Sacramento Bee, Desson Howe and Rita Kempley of The Washington Post, Bob Ross of The Tampa Tribune, and Ben Yagoda of Philadelphia Daily News, described the songs as catchy, delightful, and sappy. Beth Dunlop of The Miami Herald praised the range of the music, while Jack Daugherty of Record-Journal commended it as "one of the most contagious musical scores of any of Disney movie in recent memory." In a less favorable review, Andy Seiler of Home News Tribune said that the songs "rang[ed] from decent to the putrid".
"Why Should I Worry?" by Billy Joel and "Perfect Isn't Easy" by Bette Midler received universal acclaim. Many critics commended "Why Should I Worry?" and picked the song as a highlight, with Howe picking it as the catchiest song in the film. Others, such as Dave Jewett of The Columbian and Gannett News Service, either reviewed that the song sounded like Joel's "next hit" or deserved to become a single. Critics lauded "Perfect Isn't Easy" for being a show-stopper, deeming the song funny, memorable, and petulant. Other songs in the film were also highlighted. Along with "Why Should I Worry?", Malcolm L. Johnson of Hartford Courant described "Once Upon a Time in New York City" by Huey Lewis as a "boffo opening number". Bruce R. Miller of The Sioux City Journal also praised "Once Upon a Time in New York City", considering it an Academy Award contender. Strickler highlighted "Streets of Gold" by Ruth Pointer as one of the other songs that "stood out" in the film.
Most critics praised the vocal performances by celebrities. Joel's vocal performance as Dodger was generally praised. Animation historian Charles Solomon of The Los Angeles Times and Peter Travers of People praised his performance for giving depth, essence, and tension. Ross commented that Joel played as Dodger "perfectly", highlighting "his New York accent and wise-guy attitude." However, Miller criticized his vocal performance for having "no real character quirk or a storyline that deserves someone of Joel's caliber," declaring it as the biggest disappointment of the film. Marin's vocal performance as Tito received acclaim, with many critics highlighting his vocal performance. Miller commended his vocal performance for "giv[ing] life" and twists to the character, while Connery and Glenn Lovell of Knight-Ridder deemed it flawless and perfectly matched. Baltake and Lovell (along with Dom DeLuise's performance as Fagin) ranked it as the best vocal performance in the film. Midler's vocal performance as Georgette also received acclaim. Many critics highlighted Midler's performance, particularly in the musical number "Perfect Isn't Easy", with a few critics finding Midler's voice impression of Georgette similar to Ethel Merman. Vocal performances of other cast members were also highlighted, including Lawrence as Oliver, Robert Loggia as Sykes, DeLuise as Fagin, Ralph as Rita, Roscoe Lee Browne as Francis, and Richard Mulligan as Einstein.
The animation, designs, and its use of computer-generated imagery received mixed reviews. In positive reviews, some reviewers praised the animation for its details and style, including the backgrounds, characters, and the New York City setting. Others, such as Vincent Canby of The New York Times, Johnson, and TV Guide, found the animation superior to Saturday-morning cartoons and other animated television shows. Miller also lauded the computer-generated imagery in the musical number "Why Should I Worry?". In negative reviews, reviewers found the animation uninspired, with some dismissing the animation and backgrounds as bland, cheap, ugly, and uninviting. Lovell highlighted the inconsistency of the animation, noting that the scene located at the barge "manages the texture and rowdy appeal of some of Disney's animated triumphs", but it became "sketchier and more impressionistic" in scenes featuring the streets and the Foxworth's house. TV Guide found the computer-generated imagery "relatively stiff and inexpressive".
The film's plot also received mixed reviews, with many critics finding the storytelling "witless". In a divided review, Canby panned the screenplay as "not great", but deemed it serviceable enough to allow the cast to express their distinctive personalities. In less complimentary reviews, Johnson and Lovell commented that the story begins to decline in quality throughout the film. Johnson cited that after "Why Should I Worry?", the film begins to "sink into mediocrity", while Lovell stated that the story "begins to tread water" in the scenes located in streets and the Foxworth's house. Walters lamented the "uninvolving" story, highlighting that the "only interesting aspect of the story is how the dogs through their playfully deviant nature tell kids it's [okay] to steal as long as your motives are good and you do it with style." In favorable reviews, Baltake lauded the story as "one of the liviest for a Disney [animated film] since [One Hundred and One Dalmatians]." Scott A. May of Columbia Daily Tribune commended the story as appealing to a younger audience. Ross reviewed that the story "moves riotously if not smartly."
In 1991, film historian Bob Thomas wrote that some of the Disney animators he interviewed unfavorably viewed the film as "another talking dog-and-cat movie." Nell Minow of Common Sense Media gave the film three out of five stars, commenting that the film "has some scary moments, but kids will appreciate the way that Oliver takes care of himself and the way that the dogs take care of him, each other, and their human friend, the hapless Fagin."
