This is the story of Mrs. Frisbie, a field mouse. She has just recently been widowed and is forced to care for her 4 children by herself. One of her son’s, timothy, has come down with pneumonia and must stay in bed. This is a problem because moving day is at hand and she must move her family out of the field before the farmer begins to plow his field. This leads Mrs. Frisbie on a marvelous journey to find help in moving her home so that it is safe from the plow.
Now this is not a coming of age movie but that is the only way I can describe it. Mrs. Frisbie has lost her husband and it shows on her face and demeanor. She is a little lost and you get a feeling of helplessness from her initial actions and dialogue. But throughout the movie she is growing and developing her inner strength. It’s this development that makes this story all the more special. You really want her to complete her mission. And as an audience you develop an emotional attachment to her.
The writing of this is well done. It tells the story without getting convoluted, corny, or distractive. Instead it keeps the movie flowing well from one scene to the next. You could even summarize this movie as one big mystery that takes the viewer along for the ride.
The flow of the movie is also well done. They bounce back between action and story telling. It is this flow that makes it an enjoyable movie from beginning to end. It is not a movie you will get bored with.
I love the voice acting. I have no real qualms with the sync of mouth and voice in the movie nor are there any actor’s voices that make me sick. And I love Dom in this movie.
The character development is fairly well done. Mrs. Frisbie (played by Elizabeth Hartman) is the first character you get to know and the hero of our story. As I mentioned she gives off a feeling of being lost at the beginning of the film. Later on you get to discover her inner strengths.
The crow (Jeremy, played by Dom DeLuise) is hysterical. Whereas Mrs. Frisbie plays the straight man, Jeremy plays the comedian that tries too hard. And Dom DeLuise is perfect in this role. Just the way he moves his voice makes you want to laugh and his mannerisms just match perfectly.
The other speaking parts were well done and well drawn. They each had their own character traits that showed in the vocalizations as much as in their mannerisms. These are not just rodents and birds. These are real characters that have something to say and I hate it when they put in a character that has nothing to say (Jar-Jar anyone?)
One of the disappointing things about the movie is all of the other rats that don’t have speaking parts all look pretty much the same. There is no originality or uniqueness to them. I think it would have been cool to have each one unique much like what Lucas did with Star Wars and try to take a stab at that toy market. Well a boy can dream can’t he?
I absolutely love the art animation in this movie. The amount of effort and time needed to draw each cell is amazing. From the characters to the background. It is beautiful. You really get to know the world you are visiting. Modern CG movies are beautiful but it just is not the same.
One thing I do not like about this release is it is only in full screen. There is no option for widescreen viewing. As soon I can get a hold of a widescreen version I will buy it.
Who is this for? This is mainly for children. I am sure adults will like it also but I don’t feel that is the target group.
Additional DVD material It is pretty bare bones, just a theatrical trailer.
The key players Director: Don Bluth Story by: Robert C. O'Brien (II) Screenplay by: Gary Goldman (IV), Don Bluth, John Pomeroy (II), & Will Finn Music: Arthur Morton Produced by: Rich Irvine (II) & James L. Stewart
Supersmart rats, a crow and an owl help a widowed mouse and her brood. Animated. Voices: Elizabeth Hartman, Derek Jacobi, Dom DeLuise.More at HotMovieSale.com
Get ready to meet some runaway rodents with an earth-shattering secret! Suspenseful and heartwarming, this beautifully animated odyssey stars Mrs. Bri...More at Buy.com
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