The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
While many will point towards the Disney Renaissance as being a legendary time in Disney's filmography, there is one film in this iconic lineup that often gets overlooked as part of the set: The Rescuers Down Under. While its societal legacy has dwindled considerably, 1977's The Rescuers once held the title of being one of the studio's biggest successes leading to Disney creating their first ever animated film sequel theatrically released by the studio. While the 1977 original film left quite a bit to be desired, The Rescuers Down Under picks up the pace with a simplistic yet well executed adventure that feels like a hidden gem within Disney's history.
The film, naturally, catches up with Bernard (Bob Newhart) and Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor), two romantically involved mouse rescuers, after a time jump following their introduction in the 1977 film. As Bernard prepares to surprise Miss Bianca with a marriage proposal, the pair gets called to duty in Australia where a 6-year old boy named Cody (Adam Ryen) has fallen into trouble. Using a never explained ability to communicate with animals, very similar to Penny from the original film, Cody has befriended most of the animals of the Outback including a rare female golden eagle named Marahute (Frank Welker). Cody accidentally reveals that he knows the eagle to a twisted poacher named Percival C. McLeach (George C. Scott) who kidnaps Cody to get him to reveal where Marahute and her eggs are. Bernard and Miss Bianca are forced to team up with a local hopping mouse named Jake (Tristan Rogers) to try and save the boy and the eagle before things are too late.
Perhaps what is immediately noticeable is how strong much of the animation is throughout the feature. Adding to the surprising amount of historical feats the film actually contained is the fact that it is the film ever made completely digitally. While this might be a scary thought considering the rough forced usage of digital animation used by Disney in the early 2000s, the effects within The Rescuers Down Under are quite remarkable at times. From the energy and movement on screen to the shot composition and scale that many of the scenes, specifically the flying sequences with Marahute, the film is immediately a visually dynamic and rewarding viewing experience that feels undeniably theatrical and grand. This is where the film's presence within the Disney Renaissance is most powerfully felt as this was a wildly strong time for visual design from the studio's projects.
The film also feels instantly iconic for its characters. While The Rescuers was a rather bland and forgettable drama, the sequel carries far more personality and charm. Scott brings to life possibly one of the most sadistic Disney villains of all time who is devilish in how he chews up the screen alongside his slithering animal sidekick, a goanna named Joanna (also voiced by Frank Welker). In side roles, Jake brings a strong presence for Bernard to bounce off of without ever feeling overly distracting or counterproductive for the film's drama while John Candy's performance as Wilbur, a goofy albatross who transports the team to Australia, in possibly the most iconic piece of the film. Even Bernard and Miss Bianca truly get to shine with stronger character work and relationship depth that elevates what they were able to scrape together in their brief charming moments together from the first film.
If there is one complaint to be had in the film, it would be the more simplistic actual journey that takes place between the introduction of the drama and the grand conclusion. At only 77-minutes, The Rescuers Down Under is one of the few Disney films that feels like it could truly have benefitted from an extra 20-30 minutes. The world is so rich that the audience wants to spend more time exploring it and being with these characters, yet things move incredibly quickly. While the conflict and action is properly intense, it does feel like the film could have fit some more meat on its bones and fleshed itself out a little bit more. At least this brisk pace means that side plots like the rivalry between Bernard and Jake never take up too much runtime or become the cliched 2nd act drama that has almost become a meme for modern animated features.
While the film might not be perfect, it does feel like The Rescuers Down Under is one of the more well-rounded and deserving Disney features that gets overlooked and discredited all too often. Possibly because of how the response for the first film has cooled off significantly, many turn a blind eye to the film which is a shame as it really feels deserving even against the other films to come during the Disney Renaissance.
The film, naturally, catches up with Bernard (Bob Newhart) and Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor), two romantically involved mouse rescuers, after a time jump following their introduction in the 1977 film. As Bernard prepares to surprise Miss Bianca with a marriage proposal, the pair gets called to duty in Australia where a 6-year old boy named Cody (Adam Ryen) has fallen into trouble. Using a never explained ability to communicate with animals, very similar to Penny from the original film, Cody has befriended most of the animals of the Outback including a rare female golden eagle named Marahute (Frank Welker). Cody accidentally reveals that he knows the eagle to a twisted poacher named Percival C. McLeach (George C. Scott) who kidnaps Cody to get him to reveal where Marahute and her eggs are. Bernard and Miss Bianca are forced to team up with a local hopping mouse named Jake (Tristan Rogers) to try and save the boy and the eagle before things are too late.
Perhaps what is immediately noticeable is how strong much of the animation is throughout the feature. Adding to the surprising amount of historical feats the film actually contained is the fact that it is the film ever made completely digitally. While this might be a scary thought considering the rough forced usage of digital animation used by Disney in the early 2000s, the effects within The Rescuers Down Under are quite remarkable at times. From the energy and movement on screen to the shot composition and scale that many of the scenes, specifically the flying sequences with Marahute, the film is immediately a visually dynamic and rewarding viewing experience that feels undeniably theatrical and grand. This is where the film's presence within the Disney Renaissance is most powerfully felt as this was a wildly strong time for visual design from the studio's projects.
The film also feels instantly iconic for its characters. While The Rescuers was a rather bland and forgettable drama, the sequel carries far more personality and charm. Scott brings to life possibly one of the most sadistic Disney villains of all time who is devilish in how he chews up the screen alongside his slithering animal sidekick, a goanna named Joanna (also voiced by Frank Welker). In side roles, Jake brings a strong presence for Bernard to bounce off of without ever feeling overly distracting or counterproductive for the film's drama while John Candy's performance as Wilbur, a goofy albatross who transports the team to Australia, in possibly the most iconic piece of the film. Even Bernard and Miss Bianca truly get to shine with stronger character work and relationship depth that elevates what they were able to scrape together in their brief charming moments together from the first film.
If there is one complaint to be had in the film, it would be the more simplistic actual journey that takes place between the introduction of the drama and the grand conclusion. At only 77-minutes, The Rescuers Down Under is one of the few Disney films that feels like it could truly have benefitted from an extra 20-30 minutes. The world is so rich that the audience wants to spend more time exploring it and being with these characters, yet things move incredibly quickly. While the conflict and action is properly intense, it does feel like the film could have fit some more meat on its bones and fleshed itself out a little bit more. At least this brisk pace means that side plots like the rivalry between Bernard and Jake never take up too much runtime or become the cliched 2nd act drama that has almost become a meme for modern animated features.
While the film might not be perfect, it does feel like The Rescuers Down Under is one of the more well-rounded and deserving Disney features that gets overlooked and discredited all too often. Possibly because of how the response for the first film has cooled off significantly, many turn a blind eye to the film which is a shame as it really feels deserving even against the other films to come during the Disney Renaissance.