The Rescuers [1977]

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Starring: ~ Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor Geraldine Page Joe Flynn Jeanette Nolan
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Product Details:

Studio: Walt Disney Home Video

Region: 2

Number of Discs: 1

Format: Animated, PAL

Rating:

Sales Rank: 1083

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	Children's > Animation > Disney
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Customer Reviews:

An all-time favourite (05 September 2008)
This film is not a very famous disney, however it is one of mine and my sisters favourites!
Funny, happy and tear jerking, this film is fantastic and a classic that can be watched over and over again.

A DISNEY CLASSIC!! (14 July 2008)
I loved The Rescuers as a child, it was my favourite Disney movie. I bought it on dvd for my son two weeks ago(he's 3) and Its still a hit!! By far one of the best Disney films ever made. They just dont make them like this anymore.

Lovely innocent fun (11 November 2007)
I write these reviews for the Disney classic's not as I have something short to do, but as I re-discovered all my old Disney tapes under my bed, in practical mint condition too. And so, for the 3rd Sunday night in succession, I continued to go back to my childhood!
The Rescuers is perhaps Disney's finest example of how to warm your heart without the perils of 'Disney-fication' (in other words, very cheesey!). But not only this, it may have been a peak for the innocence of the audience at the time. I say this only because I'm disillusioned with kids films these days that rely on 'a joke a minute' to make it a hit. And indeed, critics these days do review Pixar/Disney films of humour - not quality of the outcome.
And for this, The Rescuers puts most modern films to shame by focusing on a very simple and heart warming plot that leaves you feeling like you've gone back in time - not because it's old, but because this was how animations used to, and should be like.
The storyline is easy to follow - a small society of mice have one job; to help people in distress. One night, they receive a message in a bottle calling for help, and with our heroin French mouse (making it easier on the ear than the compulsory yank voices) the most eager to take on the job, she brings along her friend, a Janitor mouse normally, for their adventure. And so the story unfolds.. who sent the letter? How do they find the victim?
All the events they encounter seem to just unfold nice and smoothly, making it a typical 'summer-nights' film, as I can just about remember from when I was little. The animation is also typical of the time, and resembles the same directing and quality of animation as Robin Hood. Indeed, Robin Hood itself didn't look as clean as previous, and newer films of the time, but after studying Disney-fication at University (as a module.. not a course!), it's actually clear that this was just a style of the 70's; untidy lines on close up's, more ambitious movements, and lots of zoom/close up's. But of course its also down to the fact that it was by now becoming expensive to still animate with paint and brush, which is why Snow White of the 1930's was, truly, a one off beautiful film, even by today's standards.
Technicality aside, it fails to become cheesey or annoying, for most of the elements that make a film that way are left out. It's not a wacky or 'silly' film, its just nice and innocent. And thats something, unfortunately, I can't say these days, as even the last film to truly focus on story was Toy Story in 1995.
So, while their may be other Disney's out their with more convincing art-work and packed humour, The Rescuers is a refreshing film that shows us where we've gone wrong these days. Definitely worth buying if you appreciate heart-warming films!

Great film but the picture quality needs serious improvement (30 October 2007)
Movies like The Rescuers are simply not made anymore. Nowadays, it's all CGI with retarded, unfunny jokes, with no real seriousness or conflict to be found. The Rescuers has all that it says in the tagline - Mystery, Fun and Intrigue! Despite what others say, this truly deserves to be called a masterpiece.

The very idea of two little mice saving an orphan girl sounds very juvenile and slushy - but here, it isn't. The Rescuers combines dark themes such as child exploitation to light refreshing comedy which does not detract from the seriousness of the whole film. Benard and Bianca are very admirable characters, and the swamp creatures are hilarious. Madame Medusa is an excellent villainness. She's intimidating and funny at the same time. There are plenty of colourful characters, Brutus and Nero, the two crocodiles, Orville the albatross and Penny, the sweet yet strong spirited little girl.

The animation is typical scratchy 70s style, but the backgrounds are really top-notch, especially in the swamp scenes. They portray a foreboding atmosphere that works well in the appropriate scenes. The paintings shown in the opening credits were inspirational. There are not many songs in The Rescuers, which is probably one of the reasons why it's such a serious film. The soundtrack is fits in well, and nobody bursts into song. 'Someone's waiting for You' is one of the fews songs that moves me to tears. It is just so touching and beautiful.

Sure, it's not entirely loyal to Magery Sharp's books, but who cares? You might as well just get mad at 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail,' because that doesn't stay loyal to the original Arthurian legend.
So in short, I love this film.

However, I only rate this four stars because of the DVD.
The extras are quite good - the highlights being a True Life Adventure about aquatic birds and a funny little short called 'The Three Blind Mouseketeers.' There's also a featurette about Disney villains and some concept art, which are also quite good. The only real letdown is a pointless, low-tech two minute game that failed to keep my interest (and I'm usually a real sucker for DVD games). But all in all, the bonuses are a nice addition to the film.
As for the film itself, this is the reason for the deducted star. The picture quality is terrible. Not only is it dirty and grainy, but Disney seem to have 're-mastered' the film by making the image darker. The colours seem washed out and dull, with not enough attention to detail. In one scene, Madame Medusa's skin appeared to be grey! The Rescuers would look stunning if the colours were allowed to show there full potential, but, as it is, the picture is worse than my old video tape.

I'm ashamed at how Disney has treated this film. I find this so much more fun and enjoyable than the likes of Tarzan, The Jungle Book or Finding Nemo. This is one of my Mum's favourites, this is one of my favourites, and it is beloved by many fans who are eagerly awaiting a Platinum Edition with superior sound and picture quality. But if you can't wait that long, you might as well pick this up now.

A charming, if rather simple, classic (09 June 2007)
"The Rescuers" is a sweet little film, slightly shorter than some other Disney films. The overall plot is quite charming, if a little simple (and, at times, flimsy: it is never made entirely clear why Penny the orphan girl was chosen above all other children on the planet to help find the Devil's Eye diamond). While children will love it, adults may find themselves becoming bored after a while due to the lack of high action scenes and songs. However, it succeeds in being sweet without becoming too saccharine, which is impressive for a film starring an orphan and a pair of talking mice. While the heroes don't really stand out as all-time classics, they are quite inoffensive and, I suppose, it is relaxing to see a Disney film where the characters are all heart without any internal conflict. The minor characters were mildly entertaining: I thought the best one was Evinrude, the dragonfly who keeps a boat, and it was a clever move on the part of the writers to give his buzzer the same sound as a motorboat.

The villain, Madame Medusa, is a particular highlight. She's in a similar vein to other Disney villainesses of this time - take Cruella deVille and Ursula, for example - but she's still extremely enjoyable. Even better, her goal throughout the film is to steal the Devil's Eye diamond and make her fortune from it; this is something which is believable, solid (contrast this with the schemes of other Disney villains, involving vague, wishy-washy things such as "revenge" and "power"), and manages to be memorable. With her red hair, pet crocodiles, and love of jewellery and make-up, she's a little bit fabulous! She is one of the more striking Disney villains and, like a pantomime dame, the viewer loves to hate her.

The visuals are only so-so, although I have to admit that I'm not overly-fond of the artistic style of many Disney films of the '70s and '80s anyway. It does have its moments though: the scenes inside the Rescue Aid Society are wonderful, with all the details of the scavenged human belongings making up the mouse furniture. One item I remembered from watching this film as a child, and made sure to look out for again, was the wristwatch which became a wall clock. Another great scene was the one set down in the cave, which had a suitably spooky atmosphere. The music was only average as well, unfortunately, with the "Rescue Aid Society" song being the only one which sticks to memory.

The DVD extras are so-so: there's a classic Merrie Melodies cartoon on there which is very nice, but other than that there's only a documentary on sea-birds which only bird-enthusiasts will love (although it does have a decent soundtrack and attractive cinematography) and a music video. Overall, three out of five stars.