rating:
(out of
4 stars)United States; 1977
Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, John Lounsbery & Art Stevens; produced by Wolfgang Reitherman; story by Larry Clemmons, Ken Anderson, Frank Thomas, Vance Gerry, David Michener, Ted Berman, Fred Lucky, Burny Mattinson, Dick Sebast
Starring (the voices of) Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, Geraldine Page, Joe Flynn, Jeanette Nolan, Pat Buttram, Michelle Stacy
'The Rescuers' is entertaining and funny, but misses some of the charm present in other classics, both before and after its 1977 release. I like its simple premise, based on two books by Margery Sharp, about little mice coming to rescue an orphan girl. I like its animation. I like many single moments, especially the ones around different animals like an albatross, a cat and a dragonfly. I like a lot, but I do no really love.
The mice are Bernard (Bob Newhart) and Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor), members of the Rescue Aid Society, although Bernard is actually just the janitor. The kidnapped girl is Penny (Michelle Stacy), taken by Madame Medusa (Geraldine Page), a mix between Cruella De Vil from 'One Hundred and One Dalmations' and Ursula from 'The Little Mermaid'. Disney intended to be Cruelle De Vil be the villain for this film as well, but luckily they changed it.
Medusa has helpers including Mr. Snoops (Joe Flynn, who died three years before the film's release) and two big crocodiles rightfully named Brutus and Nero. The mice find help in the already mentioned creatures and some others. The reason for Medusa to kidnap the little girl is a big diamond she has to find in a very narrow and dark cave.
'The Rescuers' is marked as the last Disney feature done by the "nine old men", the core of Disney animators. Two of its directors, Wolfgang Reitherman and John Lounsbery (who died one year before its release), belonged to this group. They were the key animators from the very first animated feauture film, the great start 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', and this is a good final episode.
It does not belong to the best of Disney, but it is a delightful piece of work. Compare it to many other family films and 'The Rescuers' comes out on top. A little underrated, it does make for eighty minutes of terrific entertainment.