The Rescuers (1977)
Another Disney movie involving mice. Is it any good?
Brief Backstory
Still suffering from the deaths of Walt and Roy Disney, Walt Disney Productions tried their best with the Aristocats and Robin Hood. Walt Disney Productions continued to soldier on, releasing Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in early 1977, and The Rescuers later that same year. At the time of release, it was considered their best work since The Jungle Book.
Story
The Rescue Aid Society finds a message from Penny, a forced follower of the evil Madame Medusa to find the Devil’s Eye in the Devil’s Bayou. Bianca demands to take charge of the rescue and brings Bernard.
Random Facts
Some copies of the Masterpiece Collection release from the late 90s have a topless woman that’s only seeable for a few frames. I have never seen this, however I’ve only really seen this on the Walt Disney Classics release and on Blu-Ray.
For some reason Disney put this on home video AFTER the Rescuers Down Under.
Joe Flynn, the voice of Mr. Snoops, died quite a while before this came out.
Despite coming out in 1977, it’s likely that this was in the works since around 1971-1972.
The location of Devil’s Bayou has often been questioned. Some sources put the location in New Orleans, Louisiana or in the Florida Everglades.
Originally, the Rescuers was to have their own animated series, however Chip ‘N Dale Rescue Rangers was done instead.
Random Opinions
Waaa waaa my teddy gonna get wet. Gets annoying throughout the movie. Though when Madame Medusa keeps it “safe” from the hole that’s considered theft.
The Rescuers is probably one of the saddest Disney movies of all time. The opening credits music and some other scenes contributes to this.
Orville’s got some major road rage issues – even more so than Madame Medusa.
I wonder if Brutus and Nero went to the music store to buy some keyboards after the movie.
Madame Medusa looks like a whore, though I think that’s what they were going for back then.
Pros
- Great chemistry between Bernard and Bianca.
- Madame Medusa is a great villain, though not as good as Prince John in Robin Hood.
- Buddy Baker’s orchestration is top notch.
- The entire scene of Brutus and Nero trying to catch Bernard and Bianca.
- Trying to get the Devil’s Eye has always been an intense scene.
Cons
- Penny may be adorable and cute, but she bitches a lot about her goddamn teddy bear.
- Audio quality is poor compared to other movies in 1977.
- Bernard and Bianca’s eyes look weird. Is that a limitation of Xerox animation?
Rating: 8/10 – Great
Easily the best of the 1970s Disney animated movies, but the Rescuers Down Under was better.
One response to “The Rescuers”
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