Today’s quick review: The Rescuers. The Rescue Aid Society is an international organization of mice dedicated to helping children in trouble. Bernard (Bob Newhart), the Society’s devoted janitor, earns his chance to go out in the field when he catches the eye of Bianca (Eva Gabor), a kindly, gorgeous mouse who is one of the Society’s top members. Their mission is to rescue Penny, an orphan girl who has been kidnapped and is being forced to search for buried treasure in a dangerous lagoon, from her cruel captors.
The Rescuers is an animated family film from Disney that follows the efforts of two brave mice to save one little girl. The Rescuers benefits from a charming premise, delightful characters, great voice acting, and an adventurous story. However, its simplistic plot, short run time, and innocent tone may make it of mixed interest to adult viewers. The Rescuers also lacks the musical numbers, intricate writing, and lavish production quality of its better-known Disney brethren.
But for all these restrictions, The Rescuers is a light, pleasant watch. The world inhabited by Bernard and Bianca is colorful and daring, full of anthropomorphic animals carrying on civilization under the humans’ feet. The characters are simple and vivid, capturing courage and kindness, greed and villainy, in just a few brushstrokes. The tone retains its youthful optimism even in the face of dire peril, and the film does an excellent job of capturing the hope and despair of Penny’s dreadful situation.
Watch The Rescuers if you are in the mood for a short, relatively unknown Disney film with plenty of charm. While the sound and animation quality are somewhat dated, The Rescuers delivers in all the ways that count for a kids’ film: character, tone, humor, and adventure. Those who dislike the genre should skip The Rescuers. Those looking for a little something extra should check out its sequel, The Rescuers Down Under, which boasts higher production values, a more even tone, and absolutely gorgeous animation and orchestration.
6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for charming characteres and a great premise held back somewhat by dated animation and simple writing.