The Rescuers

It’s worthwhile comparing the opening credits to "The Rescuers" with theopening credits to its sequel (released thirteen years later). Thesequel’sopening is detailed, tastefully colourful and full of movement - it leapsand bounds through the Australian landscape, and its dominant mood isexuberance. The original is anything but exuberant. ITS opening creditstake place over a series of sombre seascape drawings - still drawings.These credits could not possibly have been more cheaply made; but theyhavetheir own charm and effect.

There is something fitting about the grey world of "The Rescuers". A pairof mice (professional rescuers) receive a message from a young orphan girlwho is being held captive by … and so on. This is not achandelier-swinging rescue story. The mice are tiny and largely helplessina world of big things; and if they succeed at all it must be by quietlywaiting their chance in the shadows.

The mice, by the way, are adorable. Really, they are. Largely it’s thevoices that do it - Eva Gabor as a rich Hungarian, and Bob Newhart as ashyAmerican floor-sweeper. Neither is self-consciously cute. Each is aninnocent but not a child. When the story concentrates on them rather thanthe Miss MacGuffin they are rescuing it is at its mostenjoyable.

There is no doubt, though that the Disney studio was exhausted at the timeit made this movie. There is one superb piece of animation - MadamMedusa,the villainess, perhaps the high point of animator Milt Kahl’s career.Other character animation here and there is good too. But thespear-characters of the story have been done with what looks like almostnoeffort; and many scenes look as if they belong on television. Scale isoften ignored (there is a turtle slightly smaller than the mice) - andthisis a SERIOUS problem in this kind of fantasy. Overall there is a feelingofdeep weariness.

It’s worth seeing for the mice, though.

I had heard good things about this movie. Good things from people who,like me, aren't fans of any animated movies, Disney or otherwise. Theyconvinced me to buy a copy-now I have this bad quality DVD, and I'm£5.75 worse off.

Let's leave aside the quality of the picture-after all, it only seemsto be the new releases which are of good quality. The movie is very,very bland. The basic story is a kid is kidnapped by this woman, andtwo mice go to rescue her. Very Disney-just a lot less entertainingthen movies like The Lion King and Aladdin. Maybe it's just aimed atkids-as a 24 year old, I was less then mildly entertained by this. Kidswould probably get a lot more out of it.

So, to the movie. The animation wasn't up to the standard of othermovies-the 70s animation style, which I always found unbearable. Thatmovie with the cats in it was the same-but I'm not reviewing that.

The subplot of Bernard, the male mouse, wanting to marry Bianca wasunnecessary. The bird/plane was almost unbearable to watch. Itliterally made me cringe when they started that part of 'comic relief'.Most movies don't have that effect on me. The villain, Medusa, failedto come across as threatening. As did her sidekick. And the icing onthe cake? The mice pop up and start up a conversation with this kid.And she doesn't even blink.

This, in my opinion, was nothing compared to the other movies fromDisney. The soundtrack, admittedly, was good. Not the best, but atleast the characters weren't constantly bursting into song. I'm sorry,that was the one redeeming feature for this movie.

Disney’s animated films have generally been good or better, while thestudio’s live-action offerings have veered from excellent (MaryPoppins, Nikki Wild Dog of the North) to downright terrible (Popeye,Condorman). The Rescuers is an animated film from 1977, butunfortunately it is a lesser cartoon feature. Compared to the likes of"Dumbo", "Lady and the Tramp" and "101 Dalmatians", the film issomething of a disappointment. None of the Disney cartoons are so badthat you can’t find some merit in them, but this one offers very littlebeyond a couple of lively sequences and some OK voice acting.

The story tells of the Rescue Aid Society, a bunch of mice from allaround the globe who dedicate their lives to answering distress calls.Their headquarters, naturally, is just under the UN Building! A bottlewashes up in New York containing a help message. Two brave mice,Bernard and Bianca, investigate this plea for help. They learn that ayoung girl named Penny has been kidnapped from an orphanage andspirited down to the southern bayous, where she is being forced by acouple of crooks to hunt in a pirates’ cavern for a priceless,long-lost diamond.

The animation is rather mediocre for a Disney film, and the story isn’treally all that interesting. Maybe the story could’ve been interesting,if handled with a bit more verve and energy, but as it is the pacing isquite slow. Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor are pleasant enough as the miceheroes, and the villainous role of Madame Medusa is carried off withsuitable menace. I’m sure The Rescuers is the kind of film which willprovide an hour or so of passable entertainment for kids, but I’m lesssure that it’s the kind of film they’ll want to watch over and overagain. From Disney, we’ve come to expect more….

Unfortunately, this film is based on two beautiful books, "TheRescuers" and "Miss Bianca" by Margery Sharp. What is unfortunate, isthat this film makes a complete mess of both of them, changing roundthe plots, locations and even the personalities of the characters.

Here is a bit about the film: The film is about a society called "TheRescue Aid Society" of mice, who receive a message from a kidnappedlittle girl named Penny and are determined to go and rescue her. Well,two mice are ready to rescue her, Miss Bianca and Bernard, these areboth their first missions.

Now here is the same bit about the film, this time pointing out what itis really like in the book: This film is about a society called "TheRescue Aid Society"(BIG MISTAKE: It is the "Prionser's Aid Society") ofmice, who receive a message from a kidnapped little girl (they heardabout it in "Miss Bianca", where the girl appears) named Penny (in"Miss Bianca" her name is Patience) and are determined to go and rescueher. Well, two mice are ready to rescue her, Miss Bianca and Bernard,these are both their first missions (Bernard had had a mission beforegoing on his first with Bianca).

Luckily this film still remains to be pleasant, with good animation andbeautiful songs. Best for people who have not read the books (and thereare many of those people and those people should read the books). Sothere.

Young audiences of the mid-'70's made this animated tale from Disney,about two mice and their attempt to rescue an orphaned girl from theclutches of jewel thieves, a good-sized box-office hit. It is one ofthe Disney Co.'s better cartoon offerings from this period, though forgrown-ups it has little to offer beyond the frenetic action or thecurious penchant it has for lifting character traits and story devicesfrom "One Hundred and One Dalmatians". The star-voices (including BobNewhart, Eva Gabor, Joe Flynn and Geraldine Page) are terrific, and thefilm does get off to a rousing start, but it flags mid-way through.Followed by a belated, exceptionally thin sequel in 1990. ** from ****

I am one who thought it was a movie about two mice. How cute was what Isaid. I did not choose to watch because I was of the certain that itwas a movie for the children. On a day when I was alone, I watched themovie. This is because I wanted to watch some thing of light enjoyment.I am happy I did watch it. It is a nice cute story about two mice whomust do the travelling to rescue a little girl from a bad lady. I willnot do the spoilers in
here. This is because I am thinking you shouldwatch it for yourself. I like this movie. The animation is good. Themusic is good and sweet. I like Tomorrow Is Another Day. All the songsare good. I think I like the voices of the characters. Penny is adarling. The mice are good too. I like the backing grounds. They aredetailing every thing, and look real.

I gave this movie 8 out of 10. This is because the bird is not good. Ido not like the bird.

"The Rescuers " it's a great movie of Disney of the 70 ' . Theanimation is cute but with many details , but the best were thecharacters that were likable . Also ,the movie it's very entertainingand charming form beginning to end .

The movie follows a group of brave mouses , Beranrd and Bianca ,thathave the mission to rescue the orphan girl Penny ,of the evil thiefMedusa ,and for that they will have to travel into the jungle and facemany dangers .

I liked a lot this movie . It is one of my favorite movies of Disney,and I agree that it have all the elements to be considered a animatedclassic for all the family .Very Good !

Hilarious. Intrigue. Mystery. Two Little Mice. Great artwork and songs.The animation was O.K., but I thought it was too dark and creepy insome parts. Medusa was a good villain, but also very stupid. She pickedMr. Snoops for a sidekick. She has alligators for pets. She forces alittle girl to find a diamond, and everybody knows a little girl willeventually get tired of that and not want to do that anymore. Butobviously, Medusa does not care about that- the only thing she caresabout is having someone that is small enough go down into the hole andlook for the Devil's Eye, and Penny fits the bill. Lastly, she lives ina dilapidated old ship, that might sink or be overtaken with some othercrisis of misfortune at any time. I wish we would have taken the train!

This animated movie does do a convincing job at depicting what childrenshould never ever be put through, including going into hazardous, humidcaves in quest of diamonds. Geraldine Page's voice role as MadameMedusa leaves me to think that she wasn't a very likable actress orperson for that matter. I can cite her three appearances on thetelevision series "Rod Serling's Night Gallery" as an example, in theseries stories "Stop Killing Me," "The Sins Of The Fathers," and"Something In The Woodwork." Like her character in "Something In TheWoodwork," her character in this animated movie got her comeuppance!Her Madame Medusa role is one that would have been sufficient to earnher a slap across the chops! I am not saying this to raise the ire ofwomen's rights groups, I am only stating characters she has played arecold-hearted, uncaring, and mean spirited, not to mention annoying!

The lovely songs like "The Journey," "Tomorrow Is Another Day," and theOscar-nominated "Someone's Waiting For You," will be more than enoughto send you reaching for your Kleenex as a result of weeping. BobNewhart and Eva Gabor are superb in their voice roles of Bernard andBianca. He even sings well on "Rescue Aid Society."

One problem though, is that it's never explained why Penny waskidnapped besides the reason of her being small enough to retrieve theDevil's Eye diamond from a skull in a dark, humid, hazardous cave.Situations like this one of wrongful child labor and placing theirwelfare in jeopardy, even though this one was fictional, still make thehost of "America's Most Wanted," John Walsh, furious to this day, eventhough the case has now been solved about who murdered his son, Adam,in 1983.

The comic relief is used sparingly and in the appropriate places whereit is a welcome lift. Hopefully, Madame Medusa and Mr. Snoops gotarrested and executed. I found myself saying at one point viewing this,"Go to Hell, Madame Medusa!"

I can't fault this movie at all, other than to say the video I have isa bit grainy. The film is undeniably charming, based on the books byMargery Sharp, which I haven't read. Please stop criticising moviesbecause they are unfaithful to the books, because that is reallytiresome.

The animation was just wonderful, right from minute one. It matched themusic perfectly, and none of the characters were drawn stereotypically.I loved the fact they made the protagonists mice, which shows a lot oforiginality. I was laughing so much at the swamp animals scene, as itlooked so ridiculous.

The songs were outstanding, and beautifully song by Shelby Flint. I'veheard criticisms that the songs were lifeless and slow, but I stronglydisagree. The song at the beginning was beautiful beyond words, as wasthe one with Penny crying on the boat deck. They were truly emotional,and often misunderstood by people.

The characters were really funny, especially the two crocodiles, andOrville(especially when he cries "Mayday, Mayday!")Bernard wasbrilliantly voiced by Bob Newhart, likewise Bianca by beautifulHungarian actress Eva Gabor. Penny was really sweet, but thescene-stealer was Geraldine Page as Madam Medussa, who was such aconvincing villainess. She reminds me of Ursula from the LittleMermaid.

The script was both touching and funny. All in all, I recommend thisand the sequel (which isn't quite as good). 10/10.Bethany Cox