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The Rescuers marked sort of a stepping stone in my life, being the first Disney film that I ever saw, and apparently starting a trend of some sort because I have been a Disney fan ever since. But it was also a stepping stone for Disney themselves. Since the first of Disney's animated features, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1937, the studio had been led by a group that would become known as the "nine old men": Les Clark, Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, John Lounsbery, Woolie Reitherman and Frank Thomas. These are the men responsible for many of the iconic characters that we have come to love; from Pinocchio to Tinker Bell, Bambi to all 101 Dalmatians.
But now it was 40 years later and several of these great men were facing the future of their golden years. This was to be the last feature for three of the directing animators, Thomas, Johnston and Kahl, who all retired, leaving The Rescuers as the last feature that they would finish. In a sudden and tragic blow, John Lounsbery the director, passed away before the film was even finished, making a total of four final bows when the credits would roll. But what they left behind them was, and is still, one of the best loved Disney films of all time.
The young girl, Penny, along with her favorite companion, Teddy (as in bear), have found themselves in the clutches of the evil Medusa. This frazzled and frayed evil women is holding Penny hostage so that she can retrieve a piece of pirate treasure known as "The Devil's Eye Diamond". Needing a small body to enter the mouth of the treasures resting place, Medusa has no plans of letting Penny escape...or be rescued; by mice or men. To be sure that no such misfortune should befall her plans, Medusa has enlisted the aid of her partner, Mr. Snoops; a bumbling man of little whit and less hair. Also playing the role of guard dogs, are Medusa's two pet crocodiles, Brutus and Nero, who are more than anxious to gobble a few rodents and just about anything else that could fit in their mouths.
Armed with only the name of an orphanage from the bottled note, Bianca and Bernard are off on an adventure that will take them through the sky, through the waters, through the earth and most importantly, through a trail of clues that will require all their ingenuity to follow; and eventually straight to Medusa's doorstep in the murky Devil's Bayou. Luckily, they just may stand a chance with a great deal of heart and a little help from their friends: a cast of Cajun critters and Orville the Albatross who does nothing to calm down Bernard's fear of flying.
Based on the book, The Rescuers and Miss Bianca by Margery Sharp, it is the perfectly cast vocal talents that do a wonderful job of drawing the viewer into the feeling of the story. The glamorous and slightly out of touch with her own actions Miss Bianca is voiced by Eva Gabor (Green Acres), while the stumbling Bernard is an exact match with a stammering Bob Newhart (Bob Newhart Show). And long time radio personality Fibber McGee (here billed under his real name, Jim Jordan) has just the right panicked confidence to play Orville, who landings are only slightly more dangerously catastrophic than his take offs.
Beyond the voices is the music, and as is usual with Disney releases, the music is definitely taken straight from the times. Being 1977, the opening theme reminded me of the earlier James Bond scores, a little dashing, but mainly debonair. The original songs are also highly noteworthy; so much so, in fact, that The Rescuers received an Academy Award nomination for "Someone's Waiting For You". By now the sum of the tunes seems highly dated, but I think it simply adds to the mystery/noir/romance feel of this film, which is not often replicated elsewhere.
With a back catalog of never before released material as large as Disney's, it is a pleasant surprise to see these extras tossed in. Of course there is also the usual extras that one has come to expect, including: Sing Along Song "Someone's Waiting For You", A Rescuers Scrapbook (full of production secrets and never before seen material), and "The Ultimate Case" detective game. As mentioned before, there is literally something here for every age.
A true classic, and more importantly, a reminder that the Disney that I remembered as a child is just as magical decades later. Do yourself a favor and relive this one...if not for you, then for your children that missed it the first time around! There is always time for their Yu-Gi-Oh later.
-aaron-
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Hidden
in the walls of the United Nations building in New York City are the
offices of the Rescue Aid Society, a multi-national group of mice
(yeah, mice!) who respond to cries of help and dire situations.
Tensions in the hall of the R.A.S. are running high at the moment
because a bottle has been found washed up on the shores of The Big
Apple. Not just any bottle, mind you, but a bottle with a desperate
plea inside; a plea from a frightened young girl who has found her
way into some sort of danger and could use some help getting out.
Ms. Bianca, a jet-setting, strong-willed mouse cannot resist the call
of this poor little girl and quickly recruits the aid of the most
unlikely mouse in the room...Bernard. Bernard is not the adventuring
type; instead staying much too busy as janitor and handy man of the
R.A.S. meeting rooms and desperately trying to avoid every one of
the many thirteens he keeps stumbling across (Bernard is highly superstitious,
you see!)
As
a release, The Rescuers is done right. Plenty of exciting
moments await the whole family in the extras, just as much as in the
feature itself. Of note is the way that Disney is digging deeper
into their archives of their television broadcasts, both new and old,
to come up with additional extras lately. Examples of this would
be the episode of Disney True Life Adventure entitled "Water
Birds". Those who find themselves hooting and hollering
over the exploits of Orville, can now watch a little footage on slightly
more adept cousins of the flying-challenged Albatross. Same
goes for the too-short Under The Hat promo on Disney's villains, included
no doubt simply for its inclusion of Madame Medusa; admittedly not
one of Disney's more popular villains. Lastly, and in response
to the heavily featured mice population of the movie, the Silly Symphony
animated short "Three Blind Mouseketeers" is also thrown
in...just for fun