Bad Mouse Movie

The Mister and I have been watching The Secret of NIMH over several nights because we could not stand to watch the whole thing in one sitting. As this is a movie with a run time of 82 minutes, that is saying something.

Robert C. O'Brien's Newberry Award Winning Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a wonderful book: one of the very best rodent books around. It's a book which I will re-read soon and review. It's a book which deserves better than the mess of a mystical movie very loosely based on it.

Perhaps because if I didn't love the book so much, I would be less dismayed by the movie. That the lead mouse's name is Brisby (to avoid a lawsuit with Wham-O, makers of the Frisbee Disc), that the tension of escaping from NIMH and internal arguments about rat governance have been replaced by sword fights, and that that final resolution rests with a charmed stone, might not irk me if I didn't know a much better plot exists. However, unlike many viewers and fans, even if I didn't know they committed complete book assination in the creation, I don't think that there would be anything about the movie that would wow me. The animation is well done and the land created fantastical, yet I don't think I could have cared about rats with glowing orbs instead of eyes and charms (somehow from the National Institute of Mental Health) that cure all ills.

Read the book. Or watch the Rescuers for fun 1970's mouse animation. Or Ratatouille for a good rat movie.

"Anyone Can Cook"

Since first alerted to it by Hellx back in April, I have been looking forward to Ratatouille. Not surprisingly, I adored it, and would have to list it at the top of the animated rodent pieces I have seen this year. I'm not sure if it will lead to more rodents with discriminating palates as a sib-in-law suggests, but I really do hope it will lead to greater appreciation of food among humans, for after, all, I agree with the dead chef . . . anyone can cook.

The Rescuers: Rodent Movie

Following the tasty meal Friday night, the Mister suprised me with The Rescuers. The Mister was disturbed by the racial and regional sterotyping among the mice (and Bianca, the heroine is the whitest creature in the film), the physical comedy and goofiness that either didn't translate well to animation or hasn't aged well, and the overall darkness of the film, both in concept and animation.

I liked it. Partially I liked it because I remember loving this movie as a child. (I saw it in the theater with Ron Prewitt and my brother. As it came out in 1977 it may have been one of the very first movies I saw in a theater.) Partially because there are so many mice involved. Alas, I did not like it as well as I thought I would from my memories. The nostalgia didn't overcome the sterotyping, stupid physical comedy and overall darkness. The villian is also much too Cruella DeVille-like in action but not nearly as much fun. Barely recommended overall.

Tom and Jerry

Just as boring and pointless as I remember them, and a little more mean-spirited. Okay as background for exam grading.

Animated Rodent Face-Off

While several of you are visiting for Groundhog Day, it's time to pose a pressing question-- what are the best animated rodents?
Mickey + Minnie, Tom (or Jerry? I always forget who is who), DangerMouse, Rocky, Mighty Mouse, Chip + Dale, Simon Alvin and Theodore, the Rescuers, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH . . . someone else?

Danger Mouse: First of the Animated Rodents

Between chipmunks, mice and squirrels, animated rodent options abound. I dove into this morass by watching Danger Mouse, one of the few animated rodents I have never seen before.
Aside from the fabulous theme song (which alone may be worth the rental) I was not amused and concentrated mostly on the laundry needing sorting.
Danger Mouse may be too British for me (hard for me to admit), not as good as Rocky and Bullwinkle, or may just not be very funny. Oh well.

Some highlights however:
-theme song. An obvious parody of Bond movies and really well done.
-that Danger Mouse and Penfold (hamster sidekick) are really mouse-sized and live in a post-box in London.
-bagpipe jokes always make me laugh.
-Captain K is a chinchilla (three different rodent species in one series!)
-I now know DM. Long ago a friend was amazed how my (then) boyfriend and ex both had important British initials. "BBC" I understood. "DCM?" I queried. Not "DCM, DM! Danger Mouse!" He was aghast and now if I ever run into Greg I can tell him that I have seen DM. I'll probably not tell him how unimpressed I was.