Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.
This is my submission into the Kid’s Favorite Write-Off.
Now as some of you may know I do not have any kids of my own [that I know of] so I had to delve deep into my childhood memories and come up with something that I highly enjoyed reading, watching or playing with as a kid.
One of my fondest memories growing up was spending the day with my Grandmother. My Grandmother always spoiled me rotten and it was a joy to get to spend the day with her. One particular day in ’83 when I went over she had a gift for me, a copy of the movie The Secret of NIMH. Of course I had to watch it right away and it was probably the best movie I had ever seen in my life. Over the next couple of years I must have watched that movie a hundred times all over my Grandmother’s. At about the 101st showing the movie broke and the tears began, my Grandmother tried to console me as best she could, but my favorite movie was gone forever. That is until my mother bought me a new copy that my Grandmother insisted I be allowed to bring home with me [I am pretty sure my Grandmother was insanely sick of that movie, but never said anything to me.]
Now that I am older I still have a copy of the movie. To be truthful I have only watched it a couple of times when my younger siblings have come by. I have caught it on TV a couple of times and always find myself watching and laughing. When I popped it into the VCR last night to watch it in preperation for this write-off I was pleased to note that I enjoyed now almost as much as I did back when I was a kid.
The Plot
The movie was created by Don Bluth [Whom formally worked for the Disney Co.] and it revolves around a family of mice [a widowed mother and her three children] that live on a farm. Mrs. Brisby [the mother] travels one day to Mr. Ages [and old and cranky mouse] to get medicine for her youngest son Timmy who is sick. On the way home with the medicine she meets Jeremy [Voice of Dom DeLuise] a wise cracking and clumsy crow who is obviously smitten with Mrs. Brisby. While they are chatting Dragon, the farmer’s cat, attacks them, but with the help of Jeremy they escape unharmed.
When Mrs. Brisby finally gets home she discovers that moving day is coming sooner than usual this year. Moving day is when the farmer gets out his tractor and plows and unless Mrs. Brisby moves her home she will be plowed along with the weeds. Unfortunately she cannot move until Timmy is well and he will not be well before the tractors come. This prompts her to go seek the wisdom of the “Great Owl” who many seek yet few return. Upon finding the Owl she is told that she must seek out Nicodemus [The oldest and wisest of the Rats] and the Rats of Nimh who are the only ones that can help her move her home to safety [the “lee of the stone”]. The rats of Nimh are actually genetically enhanced rats that escaped from the laboratory called Nimh.
The rats are somewhat of a myth to her. She had heard great stories of how they have electricity and tools, but has never actually seen them. She travels to the rose bush and makes her journey to see them. Along the way she has a close encounter with a large rat with an even bigger stave [pole with an axe on it]. After narrowly getting away she bumps into Mr. Ages who demands to know what she is doing. She convinces him to take her to Nicodemus because she needs help.
Unknowingly she has walked into a civil war of sorts between the rats. Some rats want to leave the farm because they feel it is wrong to steal electricity from the farmer while others feel they should stay. Jenner [the villain in the story] feels that Nicodemus is the only person stopping him from staying where they are. Jenner hatches a plan that will kill Nicodemus and insure that the rats stay put, but it may also kill Mrs. Brisby and her kids in the process.
My Thoughts
It is unfortunate but it seems that now a days unless an animated movie has “Disney” before the title it gets very little attention.
Don Bluth has put forth some very fine movies that always seem to get looked over. The animation, and stories in his movies is always top notch and rival anything Disney has to offer.
The animation in this movie is still wonderful even by today’s standards. The settings are full of details and the characters each have their own personality. Put that together with a great [and original] plot and you have a heck of a movie.
One great thing about the movie is the comic relief. Jeremy is hysterical in most scenes, although it is done just enough. This leaves room for a lot of drama. The aunt is another great character and I always found myself laughing at her antics.
Putting aside the comedy the movie has a lot of heart. The things Mrs. Brisby do for her family is amazing. Just going to see the great Owl is a feat in itself seeing as how mice are right on top of the Owls main course aspirations. Other great characters are Jenner the evil rat. Of course being a cartoon the bad guy is always pure evil.
I think what makes this film great though is the realism. In most animated movies I have watched no one ever really gets hurt. Even when the villain dies at the end you never actually see it. In this movie not only does Mrs. Brisby get hurt but in the end fight between the villain and the good guy soldier [Justin] both get cut and slashed as they fight. I think it adds just a little more realism to the movie knowing that the good guys are not invincible. Don’t get me wrong its still a kids movie with very “cartoony” type injuries, but it’s a little more real than say Simba jumping into a brier patch and coming out with nary a scratch.
One last thing to note is the song in the movie. Written entirely for this movie it is a very nice song with great lyrics that fit in perfectly with the movie.
See this movie with your kids and I guarantee you will come away with a smile on your face.
Don’t forget to read the Write-Off reviews from these other great writers!!
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
Don Bluth's THE SECRET OF NIMH is an exquisitely drawn colorfully animated feature about Mrs. Brisby a brave mother field mouse who struggles to save ...More at Family Video
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