Disney's animated films have generally been good or better, while the studio's live-action offerings have veered from excellent (Mary Poppins, Nikki Wild Dog of the North) to downright terrible (Popeye, Condorman). The Rescuers is an animated film from 1977, but unfortunately it is a lesser cartoon feature. Compared to the likes of "Dumbo", "Lady and the Tramp" and "101 Dalmatians", the film is something of a disappointment. None of the Disney cartoons are so bad that you can't find some merit in them, but this one offers very little beyond a couple of lively sequences and some OK voice acting.
The story tells of the Rescue Aid Society, a bunch of mice from all around the globe who dedicate their lives to answering distress calls. Their headquarters, naturally, is just under the UN Building! A bottle washes up in New York containing a help message. Two brave mice, Bernard and Bianca, investigate this plea for help. They learn that a young girl named Penny has been kidnapped from an orphanage and spirited down to the southern bayous, where she is being forced by a couple 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't really 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 is quite slow. Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor are pleasant enough as the mice heroes, and the villainous role of Madame Medusa is carried off with suitable menace. I'm sure The Rescuers is the kind of film which will provide an hour or so of passable entertainment for kids, but I'm less sure that it's the kind of film they'll want to watch over and over again. From Disney, we've come to expect more....
The story tells of the Rescue Aid Society, a bunch of mice from all around the globe who dedicate their lives to answering distress calls. Their headquarters, naturally, is just under the UN Building! A bottle washes up in New York containing a help message. Two brave mice, Bernard and Bianca, investigate this plea for help. They learn that a young girl named Penny has been kidnapped from an orphanage and spirited down to the southern bayous, where she is being forced by a couple 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't really 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 is quite slow. Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor are pleasant enough as the mice heroes, and the villainous role of Madame Medusa is carried off with suitable menace. I'm sure The Rescuers is the kind of film which will provide an hour or so of passable entertainment for kids, but I'm less sure that it's the kind of film they'll want to watch over and over again. From Disney, we've come to expect more....