The Rescuers
by John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman, Art Stevens
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, Geraldine Page, Jeanette Nolan, Joe FlynnDirector: Art Stevens, John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman
Brand: Disney
Producer: Ron Miller
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Unknown; Spanish (Original Language), Unknown
Format: Anamorphic, Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 76 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-05-20
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Product features:
- From Walt Disney s original team of legendary master animators who brought you THE JUNGLE BOOK comes a thrilling adventure and timeless tale overflowing with action, suspense, and extraordinary little heroes you can't help but love! Join the shy but brave mouse Bernard and his glamorous partner Miss Bianca -- two tiny heroes on a great big mission to save a young girl named Penny who has sent
Movie Reviews of The Rescuers
Movie Review: Thirty years ago today...
Summary: 5 Stars
It is hard to believe that Disney movies age, for most of them seem to be timeless classics, but there is a date on which this classic Disney animated masterpiece was first brought out to delight countless children and adults: June 22nd, 1977. The film has continued to be a winner for the thirty years that followed, and no doubt it'll continue to be a timeless classic animation for many more years to come. "The Rescuers" is right at the top among Disney's most dramatic, touching and even darker films. That's right, don't let the usual description about "two little mice" fool you, this film is anything but a happy, politically correct, kiddie movie about cute rodents, it tells a deep, serious story that may be overshadowed by that vague description and hides many elements some adults would likely frown upon when it is time to share them with children.
Based on two light-hearted children's novels by Margery Sharp ("The Rescuers" and "Miss Bianca"), "The Rescuers" tells the story of a little orphaned girl named Penny (voiced by Michelle Stacy). The girl had been kidnapped and taken away into a dark, gloomy riverboat in Devil's Bayou, in an uncharted island (No, it's not Louisianna as some want to insist). The girl sends out messages in bottles, one of which arrives in New York City, at the Rescue Aid Society in the basement of the United Nations building. The Rescue Aid Society is a mouse-run organization imitating the United Nations which sends out help for anyone in need, human, mouse or cat. After reading the heartfelt note inside the bottle, Hungary delegate Miss Bianca (voiced by Eva Gabor) volunteers to take on the mission, and with the condition that she will take along a male companion, Mr. Chairman (voiced by Bernard Fox) agrees to let her go; Miss Bianca chooses the shy janitor mouse Bernard (voiced by Bob Newhart). On their way, the two mice visit Morningside Orphanage and meet an old cat named Rufus who sends them on the trail of someone named Madame Medusa (voiced by Geraldine Page). Madame Medusa works at a pawn shop, which the two mice visit, and when the wicked woman receives a call from her partner Mr. Snoops (voiced by Joe Flynn), Miss Bianca and Bernard discover that she is indeed responsible for the disappearance of Penny and that she is looking for a great big diamond. Miss Bianca and Bernard must race to Devil's Bayou with the help of Orville the albatross, Ellie Mae and Luke, the muskrats and Evinrude, a dragonfly as well as other bayou critters, to meet and face the wicked Madame Medusa and her two ferocious aligators, Brutus and Nero and bring Penny safely home. Before doing that however, Penny, Miss Bianca and Bernard will have to survive underground inside a horrid pirate's cave where they must find the Devil's Eye, the world's largest diamond, before the tide rises drowning them all.
As an adaptation of Margery Sharp's classic novels, Disney's "The Rescuers" is sometimes criticized for not being a faithful adaptation of any particular Margery Sharp work about the brave Miss Bianca, still, the film manages to be true to the many elements that made the original works so wonderful. Simplicity, charm, sophistication... Disney's "The Rescuers" blends the real with the surreal, starting with a real-world place like New York City and a fictional non-existant uncharted island named Devil's Bayou, blending orphaned little girls with tales of valuable pirate treasure or using for setting a gloomy, dark place that might just be in its own world, since it often gives the feeling of being far from civilization. The characters are sophisticated and developed, without any particular greatness they often find themselves lost, such as when Bernard says "What can two little mice do?", just like we real humans feel sometimes, it's characters like these that are most indearing and have an easier time touching hearts. Madame Medusa is a human being, no supernatural powers and no real human strength, she's the perfect antagonist for an orphaned girl, a pair of mice and their critter friends. The story told here is simplistic, without pushing out any real moral (though you'll find plenty of morals and lessons throughout the film) or without relying on anything too elaborate to work. The simplicity of the characters and the story is what made both Margery Sharp's novels and Disney's film work, but in reality, both are anything but simplistic.
Fans of "The Rescuers" are to be saddened, at least so far, by Disney's neglect of the film. As of now, the only way to enjoy The Rescuers without the "restored pirate version" roaming the internet is with the 2003 DVD, which frankly leaves lots and lots to be desired (The same can be said about the pathetic sequel/rip-off produced somewhere in the early 90's). Lack of bonus features aside, "The Rescuers" is poorly presented with washed out, too-vivid colors, a miss-match of brightness and contrast, leaving a very dark picture that leaves out too many details. Rough lines, grain, dirt and all sorts of artifacts completely spoil the picture quality, leaving us with no more than less-than-decent picture and average sound quality. Definitely a thumbs up for an upcoming Masterpiece Edition, which we all hope will be seen soon.
Happy 30th Anniversary!
Summary of The Rescuers
From Walt Disney's original team of legendary master animators who brought you THE JUNGLE BOOK comes a thrilling adventure and timeless tale overflowing with action, suspense, and extraordinary little heroes you can't help but love!
Join the shy but brave mouse Bernard and his glamorous partner Miss Bianca -- two tiny heroes on a great big mission to save a young girl named Penny who has sent an urgent call for help! Taking off on the wings of their trusted albatross friend Orville, Bernard and Bianca soar to the marshy swamp of Devil's Bayou. There, they find themselves on the riverboat hideout of the hilariously evil Madame Medusa, who needs Penny to retrieve the world's largest diamond! With Oscar(R)-nominated music (1977 Best Song, "Someone's Waiting For You"), a snappy remastering, and bonus features with a multitude of surprises, THE RESCUERS is high-flying fun you'll want to share with your loved ones again and again!
- Product Measures: 0.61" x 5.34" x 7.5"
What can two little mice possibly do to save an orphan girl who's fallen into evil hands? With a little cooperation and faith in oneself, anything is possible! As members of the mouse-run International Rescue Aid Society, Bernard and Miss Bianca respond to orphan Penny's call for help. The two mice search for clues and, with the help of an old cat named Rufus, track Penny to the clutches of the evil Madame Medusa in a dilapidated ship in Devil's Bayou. It turns out that Medusa is using Penny to locate and retrieve the Devil's Eye Diamond--a stone she'll stop at nothing to possess. With a cunning plan, courageous acts, cooperation from local animal life, and lots of faith, Bernard and Miss Bianca help Penny find the diamond and escape from Medusa. The result of their adventure is that Bernard and Miss Bianca become close friends and Penny gets adopted. This somewhat dark, classic 1977 animated Disney film is based on Margery Sharp's The Rescuers and Miss Bianca, and features the Academy Award-nominated song "Someone's Waiting for You." Voice talents include Eva Gabor as Miss Bianca, Bob Newhart as Bernard, Geraldine Page as Madame Medusa, and Jim Jordan (radio's Fibber McGee) as Orville Albatross. Followed by the sequel The Rescuers Down Under. (Ages 5 to 11) --Tami Horiuchi
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