Greetings, students, and welcome to the John Maxwell Film School. Class is in session, so let's get to it! The types of movies I reviewed vary in genre and content. They, however, have one thing in common: they are live-action. Live-action is basically a movie made with flesh and blood people. This week, however, we take a dive into the world of animation. Now, I consider myself a part-time animation historian for I love anything to do with it. I collect cartoons like no one's business. Of course, the mainstay of animation is Disney. So, we take a look inside the world of Disney as I look at probably my favorite of their films.
First, a little background. In 1966, Walt Disney died. What a note to start on. Anyway, after Walt's death, the studio named for him struggled. While a run of low-budget live-action comedies and their prime time TV series kept the studio afloat through the late 1960s and 1970s, the animation was a different story. The first two films after Walt's demise, 1967's "The Jungle Book" and 1970's "The Aristocats", were somewhat successful. It was 1973's "Robin Hood" that showed the studio's troubles, with constant reuse of animation from earlier films. The next film down the pipe would change the game. That film was 1977's "The Rescuers"
As always, we begin our look with a summary. For those who want to know, I'm doing this mostly from memory, I've watched it so many times. Anyway, the film begins with a little girl, who we later learn is named Penny, throwing a message in a bottle from the deck of a old decaying Mississippi River steamboat. The bottle takes a journey through opening credits, finally winding up in New York City, where it is found by a mouse. Cut to... the United Nations. Here, we see ambassadors from many nations doing whatever job the theory nuts think they're doing at the moment. We then see mouse versions of them emerge from their luggage and make their way to the dark depths of the place.
An old steamer trunk is where the mice go. It turns out that the trunk is actually the headquarters of the Rescue Aid Society, founded two thousand years ago by Euripides Mouse. Apparently pulling a thorn from a lion's paw will lead to a international organization that survives all the ups and downs of human history. Anyway, we meet here the two main leads of our story. As the society members enter, they pass the HQ's janitor Bernard, voiced by Bob Newhart. As the meeting begins with a song, we meet the female lead Miss Bianca, voiced by Eva "Get me off this farm, Oliver" Gabor. Appropriately, she is the Society representative from Hungary. Typecasting, anyone? No, then on with the story.
The purpose of the meeting is the bottle. With Bernard's help, they manage to remove the message from it. The message is to Morningside Orphanage, New York. The message tells that she wants to be rescued from her current situation in the bayou. Curious about Penny's plea, Miss Bianca decides to mount a rescue. When told to choose a partner, she chooses Bernard. You see, she caught him singing the Society's song when she arrives, revealing that he wants to be part of the organization. However, he objects, stating that he isn't actually up to it. Miss Blanca convinces him otherwise. This is Bob Newhart, the man who once dreamed an entire series, so I think he's up to the task at hand. Then again, I could be wrong.
The trip to the orphanage begins with a bus ride and a walk through a zoo. Naturally, knowing what certain animals eat, Bernard would like a new route. Miss Bianca stirs him into the zoo. However, his false bravery leads them into the dark depths of the zoo, where he tries to see what's around. One growl and off they go! Eventually, they go with Bernard's original route. If I was a mouse, I'd take it, too. At the orphanage, they find a box with Penny's things, with a notice on it saying "Hold until further notice". They also find a cat, an old one. The old cat is a nice character, worried that a pair of mice will result in job loss. He does manage to talk about Penny and where she went. He remembers that a weird lady tried to pick up Penny one day.
This piece of information leads our heroes to a pawn shop owned by a lady named Madam Medusa. There, they find a first grader reader in Penny's name. Speaking of Bob Newhart, they catch sight of Medusa herself. Her appearance is Carol Kester, plus twenty-five years. Medusa receives a phone call from her friend Snoops, telling her he has found a diamond. However, his demand for more time is met with her saying she'll get down to where he is. After a bit of fun with a suitcase and reckless driving, the two decide to follow her. Their search for transportation leads them to a rooftop heliport. Here, they find Orville the albatross, a clumsy bird who is their only means of getting to their destination, Devils Bayou.
Down in the bayou, as the song once went, we see Penny once again attempting escape. Her disappearance does not go unnoticed. Here, we meet Snoops. My research on this film tells me that his design was based on a noisy art historian and he looks it. Medusa is quick to organize a search, complete with fireworks to light up the place. These fireworks end our heroes' flight with a spin dive and a near crash landing. At this point, we meet the Devils Bayou chapter of the Rescue Aid Society. They are provided with a dragonfly-powered leaf boat. To make it clear his task, the dragonfly is named Evinrude. Evinrude, powering leaves for many years. Alas, Penny's escape ends in failure.
Here, we learn of Medusa's evil plan. You see, she's after a diamond called the Devil's Eye. Its apparent location is in a cavern that fills up with water. Snoops has been trying to use Penny to retrieve it. However, he removes her from the cavern before the water gets too high. Medusa's answer to this problem: simply leave her down there until the diamond is out. Tell me that doesn't give you nightmares. Meanwhile, our heroes deal with Medusa's two pets, gators named Brutus and Nero. The two end up getting discovered. However, they manage to evade capture and digestion. Our heroes wonder how they can rescue Penny from certain death. They decide to present themselves to the victim in question.
Sure enough, Bernard and Miss Bianca reveal themselves to Penny and tell her that she will be rescued. However, Penny points out the odds of two mice rescuing her with two alligators guarding the way out. The three of them discuss a escape plan. The planning discussion is a nice scene, pointing out the pros and cons of each idea. Eventually, they decide that it's time to involve the swamp dwellers, so they send out Evinrude to tell them. However, a bat waylays him and the plan is stalled until they show up. The dwellers, meanwhile, decide to wait for a signal. In the meantime, the sun rises and back down the hole into the cavern. The task is clear: get that diamond and no retrieval until the diamond is out of the hole.
To add an incentive, Medusa decides to take Penny's teddy bear and hold it until she's done her job. The heroes have joined Penny in her task. They see that it's a pirate's cave and that the Devil's Eye might be on the other side of a large hole that leads the water in. Naturally, the two mice are sent across. The mice manage to discover the Devil's Eye in a skull. Penny relays this discovery as the two mice try to remove the diamond from its holding. However, the water starts filling the cavern. Penny's pleas to be removed from the cavern are turned down. With water slowly filling the cavern, the three of them work to remove the diamond. Eventually, the diamond is retrieved and, after a brief moment of peril, Penny is pulled to the surface.
Of course, with the diamond in her hand, her true nature starts shining through. She refuses Snoops' idea to cut it up as he was promised part of it. Meanwhile, Evinrude attempts a flight from the bats and manages to arrive at where the dwellers are waiting. With a gasping breath and some moonshine, he gives the signal... CHARGE! The dwellers make their way to the riverboat with no time to waste. Back at said boat, Medusa lines Snoops and Penny against a wall, promising death if they try to follow her. She has placed the diamond in the teddy bear, so when the dwellers attack, she loses it to the bear's owner. Meanwhile, the plan is put into motion and Penny finally makes her escape with the help of the dwellers.
In the aftermath, Medusa is defeated, the riverboat destroyed, Penny free at last, and the Devil's Eye in safe hands. In an added bonus, the gators have turned on their master. In the end, Penny is finally adopted, the Devil's Eye goes to the Smithsonian, and the Rescue Aid Society receives its first credit in human history. Evinrude, however, brings another letter, and the cycle starts again. The end. So, what have we learned from this classic film from thirty five years ago? To me, it's a prime example of a kind of story Disney should tell more often. It's not a musical and it's not a fairy tale. Does that mean it's better or worse? Let us look at some elements and see how they add up against other films.
The movie, like many other animated films, was based on a book. In this case, a series of books from writer Margery Sharp. However, if you think that this is based on one of those books, you're wrong. The movie is rather a hodge-podge of elements from the books, specifically the first two books. To me, that doesn't subject from the story being told here. It's just the minds behind the film wanted to tell an original story, instead of adapting one from the books. With some films based on books, this is a plus, others a minus. I feel that this is a plus, for it gets to stand on its own instead of being available for comparison to something else. In this regard, being a fan of the books is second to being a fan of the story.
The major thing for me here, the reason I love this film, is the villain. Madam Medusa doesn't rank high on most people's list of Disney villains. However, she deserves a spot. She is truly an evil mind. Nothing will get between her and the diamond. The key piece of evidence is the scene near the end where each are lined up against the wall. She tells them that if they try to follow her, it's death. Let me remind you that one of these people IS A LITTLE CHILD! The fact that Medusa is carrying her teddy bear leaves us with one thought: that death awaits Penny. The idea that killing a little girl would be bad never crosses her mind. Luckily, the intervention of the dwellers and our heroes stops this. So, before you list Disney villains, remember Medusa.
Another element is the music. As I said, this is not a musical, like most Disney animated films. There "are" songs. They are part of the soundtrack, not the scene. Truly some good mid-1970s soft pop in here. The opening credits have a song, so does our heroes' flight to the bayou, and even a song for when Penny is feeling truly alone. This separates the film from the dozens of Disney musicals by being just a film with a story, not a film with music that happens to have a story. The incidental score is also good. Some good cues are when Orville takes off and lands. That is accompanied with "The Air Force Song". This actually helps the comedy, as our flyer is in no shape to fly in the wild blue yonder, let alone serve our country.
Speaking of comedy, in the 1960s and 70s, Disney had something called the gimmick comedy. These were live-action films featuring well-known television stars made for a low budget that were based on a gimmick. A classic example is "The Shaggy Dog". Here, I think Disney has made an animated gimmick comedy. The gimmick here is that a pair of rescuers set to rescue a little girl happen to be mice and that they belong to an international organization going back to Ancient Greece (a look at their banner reveals a founding date of 408 B.C.). Think about it, you have people like Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, Bernard Fox, George Lindsey... the list goes on. We will feature some other gimmick comedies here.
One final element is the talent used to create this. Now, for those of you who think Walt himself had nothing to do with it, think again. It was Walt who bought the rights to adapt Sharp's book back in 1959 and had actually came up with the original story idea. Also, this was "the" transition film for Disney. It had the old talent and the new talent that would lead Disney to its second golden age in the 1980s. The quality of animation wasn't bad, either. I have an HD screen, and the film holds up, even in 1080p. This film puts paid to the myth that 1970s Disney was bad. True, the previous film reused animation to the point of why bother drawing new poses. Here, that's not the case. A high-quality film, for sure.
Now, let's add up these elements, and what do we get? A true classic. With the film now thirty five years old and counting, it hasn't lost its shine, much like the Devil's Eye. It's easy to forget it in the sea of Disney musicals past and present. However, this film deserves a place alongside "Snow White" and "Aladdin". After all, it was the only Disney film to have a sequel that went to theaters, not shelves. Before I tell you next week's selection, let me congratulate Peter Capaldi on becoming the Twelfth Doctor. So, in honor of the event, we will look at a Doctor's debut story. Next week at the Film School, a TARDIS will materialize in the classroom and out will fall Jon Pertwee as we look at his debut story as my favorite Doctor, "Spearhead from Space"
Until then, this is John Maxwell, saying CLASS DISMISSED!
The trip to the orphanage begins with a bus ride and a walk through a zoo. Naturally, knowing what certain animals eat, Bernard would like a new route. Miss Bianca stirs him into the zoo. However, his false bravery leads them into the dark depths of the zoo, where he tries to see what's around. One growl and off they go! Eventually, they go with Bernard's original route. If I was a mouse, I'd take it, too. At the orphanage, they find a box with Penny's things, with a notice on it saying "Hold until further notice". They also find a cat, an old one. The old cat is a nice character, worried that a pair of mice will result in job loss. He does manage to talk about Penny and where she went. He remembers that a weird lady tried to pick up Penny one day.
This piece of information leads our heroes to a pawn shop owned by a lady named Madam Medusa. There, they find a first grader reader in Penny's name. Speaking of Bob Newhart, they catch sight of Medusa herself. Her appearance is Carol Kester, plus twenty-five years. Medusa receives a phone call from her friend Snoops, telling her he has found a diamond. However, his demand for more time is met with her saying she'll get down to where he is. After a bit of fun with a suitcase and reckless driving, the two decide to follow her. Their search for transportation leads them to a rooftop heliport. Here, they find Orville the albatross, a clumsy bird who is their only means of getting to their destination, Devils Bayou.
Down in the bayou, as the song once went, we see Penny once again attempting escape. Her disappearance does not go unnoticed. Here, we meet Snoops. My research on this film tells me that his design was based on a noisy art historian and he looks it. Medusa is quick to organize a search, complete with fireworks to light up the place. These fireworks end our heroes' flight with a spin dive and a near crash landing. At this point, we meet the Devils Bayou chapter of the Rescue Aid Society. They are provided with a dragonfly-powered leaf boat. To make it clear his task, the dragonfly is named Evinrude. Evinrude, powering leaves for many years. Alas, Penny's escape ends in failure.
Here, we learn of Medusa's evil plan. You see, she's after a diamond called the Devil's Eye. Its apparent location is in a cavern that fills up with water. Snoops has been trying to use Penny to retrieve it. However, he removes her from the cavern before the water gets too high. Medusa's answer to this problem: simply leave her down there until the diamond is out. Tell me that doesn't give you nightmares. Meanwhile, our heroes deal with Medusa's two pets, gators named Brutus and Nero. The two end up getting discovered. However, they manage to evade capture and digestion. Our heroes wonder how they can rescue Penny from certain death. They decide to present themselves to the victim in question.
Sure enough, Bernard and Miss Bianca reveal themselves to Penny and tell her that she will be rescued. However, Penny points out the odds of two mice rescuing her with two alligators guarding the way out. The three of them discuss a escape plan. The planning discussion is a nice scene, pointing out the pros and cons of each idea. Eventually, they decide that it's time to involve the swamp dwellers, so they send out Evinrude to tell them. However, a bat waylays him and the plan is stalled until they show up. The dwellers, meanwhile, decide to wait for a signal. In the meantime, the sun rises and back down the hole into the cavern. The task is clear: get that diamond and no retrieval until the diamond is out of the hole.
To add an incentive, Medusa decides to take Penny's teddy bear and hold it until she's done her job. The heroes have joined Penny in her task. They see that it's a pirate's cave and that the Devil's Eye might be on the other side of a large hole that leads the water in. Naturally, the two mice are sent across. The mice manage to discover the Devil's Eye in a skull. Penny relays this discovery as the two mice try to remove the diamond from its holding. However, the water starts filling the cavern. Penny's pleas to be removed from the cavern are turned down. With water slowly filling the cavern, the three of them work to remove the diamond. Eventually, the diamond is retrieved and, after a brief moment of peril, Penny is pulled to the surface.
Of course, with the diamond in her hand, her true nature starts shining through. She refuses Snoops' idea to cut it up as he was promised part of it. Meanwhile, Evinrude attempts a flight from the bats and manages to arrive at where the dwellers are waiting. With a gasping breath and some moonshine, he gives the signal... CHARGE! The dwellers make their way to the riverboat with no time to waste. Back at said boat, Medusa lines Snoops and Penny against a wall, promising death if they try to follow her. She has placed the diamond in the teddy bear, so when the dwellers attack, she loses it to the bear's owner. Meanwhile, the plan is put into motion and Penny finally makes her escape with the help of the dwellers.
In the aftermath, Medusa is defeated, the riverboat destroyed, Penny free at last, and the Devil's Eye in safe hands. In an added bonus, the gators have turned on their master. In the end, Penny is finally adopted, the Devil's Eye goes to the Smithsonian, and the Rescue Aid Society receives its first credit in human history. Evinrude, however, brings another letter, and the cycle starts again. The end. So, what have we learned from this classic film from thirty five years ago? To me, it's a prime example of a kind of story Disney should tell more often. It's not a musical and it's not a fairy tale. Does that mean it's better or worse? Let us look at some elements and see how they add up against other films.
The movie, like many other animated films, was based on a book. In this case, a series of books from writer Margery Sharp. However, if you think that this is based on one of those books, you're wrong. The movie is rather a hodge-podge of elements from the books, specifically the first two books. To me, that doesn't subject from the story being told here. It's just the minds behind the film wanted to tell an original story, instead of adapting one from the books. With some films based on books, this is a plus, others a minus. I feel that this is a plus, for it gets to stand on its own instead of being available for comparison to something else. In this regard, being a fan of the books is second to being a fan of the story.
The major thing for me here, the reason I love this film, is the villain. Madam Medusa doesn't rank high on most people's list of Disney villains. However, she deserves a spot. She is truly an evil mind. Nothing will get between her and the diamond. The key piece of evidence is the scene near the end where each are lined up against the wall. She tells them that if they try to follow her, it's death. Let me remind you that one of these people IS A LITTLE CHILD! The fact that Medusa is carrying her teddy bear leaves us with one thought: that death awaits Penny. The idea that killing a little girl would be bad never crosses her mind. Luckily, the intervention of the dwellers and our heroes stops this. So, before you list Disney villains, remember Medusa.
Another element is the music. As I said, this is not a musical, like most Disney animated films. There "are" songs. They are part of the soundtrack, not the scene. Truly some good mid-1970s soft pop in here. The opening credits have a song, so does our heroes' flight to the bayou, and even a song for when Penny is feeling truly alone. This separates the film from the dozens of Disney musicals by being just a film with a story, not a film with music that happens to have a story. The incidental score is also good. Some good cues are when Orville takes off and lands. That is accompanied with "The Air Force Song". This actually helps the comedy, as our flyer is in no shape to fly in the wild blue yonder, let alone serve our country.
Speaking of comedy, in the 1960s and 70s, Disney had something called the gimmick comedy. These were live-action films featuring well-known television stars made for a low budget that were based on a gimmick. A classic example is "The Shaggy Dog". Here, I think Disney has made an animated gimmick comedy. The gimmick here is that a pair of rescuers set to rescue a little girl happen to be mice and that they belong to an international organization going back to Ancient Greece (a look at their banner reveals a founding date of 408 B.C.). Think about it, you have people like Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, Bernard Fox, George Lindsey... the list goes on. We will feature some other gimmick comedies here.
One final element is the talent used to create this. Now, for those of you who think Walt himself had nothing to do with it, think again. It was Walt who bought the rights to adapt Sharp's book back in 1959 and had actually came up with the original story idea. Also, this was "the" transition film for Disney. It had the old talent and the new talent that would lead Disney to its second golden age in the 1980s. The quality of animation wasn't bad, either. I have an HD screen, and the film holds up, even in 1080p. This film puts paid to the myth that 1970s Disney was bad. True, the previous film reused animation to the point of why bother drawing new poses. Here, that's not the case. A high-quality film, for sure.
Now, let's add up these elements, and what do we get? A true classic. With the film now thirty five years old and counting, it hasn't lost its shine, much like the Devil's Eye. It's easy to forget it in the sea of Disney musicals past and present. However, this film deserves a place alongside "Snow White" and "Aladdin". After all, it was the only Disney film to have a sequel that went to theaters, not shelves. Before I tell you next week's selection, let me congratulate Peter Capaldi on becoming the Twelfth Doctor. So, in honor of the event, we will look at a Doctor's debut story. Next week at the Film School, a TARDIS will materialize in the classroom and out will fall Jon Pertwee as we look at his debut story as my favorite Doctor, "Spearhead from Space"
Until then, this is John Maxwell, saying CLASS DISMISSED!
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