Today’s quick review: An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island. Fievel Mousekewitz (Thomas Dekker), a young immigrant to America, finds a way to help his overworked father (Nehemiah Persoff) when he stumbles upon a map to buried treasure. With Dr. Dithering (Rene Auberjonois) and his friends Tony (Pat Musick) and Tiger (Dom DeLuise) in tow, Fievel journeys into an ancient tunnel system beneath Manhattan to find out what the treasure is.
An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island is an animated family adventure and the third film in the American Tail series. Against the backdrop of 1880s New York, a bold young mouse and his loyal friends set out to unearth a long-buried secret. The Treasure of Manhattan Island is a serviceable adventure with a bit of action, a bit of comedy, and a splash of American history, but it is missing the heartfelt charm of the original.
The Treasure of Manhattan Island shares some of the same weaknesses as Fievel Goes West, the previous American Tail sequel. The cartoonish aspects of Fievel’s world are exaggerated, while the historical elements are diluted. The Treasure of Manhattan Island plays things a little safer than Fievel Goes West, reverting to a New York setting and touching on the plight of recent immigrants, but it still relies on cheap thrills and contrived twists.
An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island is a fine pick for younger audiences. The characters are charming enough, and the adventure is a cross between classic treasure hunting and finding new friends in unlikely places. But there is not much depth to the story, and it’s missing both the emotional power of the first American Tail film and the memorable villain of the second. Approach with caution.
For a more robust adventure with a more focused plot, try the Indiana Jones movies. For a more rewarding family-friendly treasure hunt, try Treasure Planet or Muppet Treasure Island. For a kids’ movie about meeting an unexpected friend, try E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
[5.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166973/). I give it a 6.0 for a kid-friendly adventure without much substance.