As today was rather uneventful, I made the decision to view a Blu-Ray copy of this film my brother had provided to me as a gift. I had last watched this film about 5 or 6 years ago as part of a 6th grade Humanities class, so I figured a slight nostalgia trip would provide some entertainment for an otherwise boring day. Looking at it again, how has it held up for me?
I was pleased with the animation quality in general, since in spite of it depicting things that are too weird to work with a cartoony style (like jiggly body parts) in a G rated film, the effects (such as the cat shadows, light flashes, and the Great Mouse of Minsk) are very well done for 1986. It isn't as breathtaking as The Secret of NIMH, but the animation is bound to please many who view it. The characters range from actually fascinating to ones who can be summed up by a trope, both in terms of actions and personality. Fievel turns out to be a rather sympathetic character in spite of his naïveté and frail emotions, giving us the message of determination with Henri that sums up what the US should be for the world. As I said, most of the other vital characters can be summed up in tropes (the con Warren, friendly fat man Tiger), which is unfortunate considering both The Secret of NIMH before it and its Disney rival TGMD offered characters that required a whole TV Tropes page to sum up. The biggest issue this movie has, though, is its story. I will give that it did write out the action and calm scenes well, but there are some supposedly minor things that actually impact how one may end up viewing the film. As one example, when Fievel goes into the sewers for the first time, he doesn't bring his hat with him. After the cockroaches chase him, he somehow has his hat even though he never went back up to retrieve it. In one scene, Fievel appears to sleep in a straw basket on a puddle of water, which disappears the following day. Fievel seems to know Bridget's name in her introduction scene even though she never informed him of that. Lastly, Tony had no information that Warren was actually a cat, and merely acted on Fievel's tip that he was an impostor. The story, in summary, had great potential that was unfortunately mostly lost in a series of not-so-convoluted errors. On the bright side, though, the music is actually really endearing, and the action and humor do work very well.
An American Tail came off to me as one of those movies you liked more as a child than in coming years. Families will get some laughs, some scares, and some tears from this movie, but given its writing goofs, I am not confident that everyone who views this will end up really pleased. However, unlike All Dogs Go To Heaven, it's not a film I will say is overrated. It is still emotional, hilarious, and adrenaline-inducing, which should be enough to provide many with a satisfying movie experience. In my book, that's just enough to give this film a passing score. Just be aware, parents, that there is alcohol, cigar use, and occasional bright flashes in this film.
I was pleased with the animation quality in general, since in spite of it depicting things that are too weird to work with a cartoony style (like jiggly body parts) in a G rated film, the effects (such as the cat shadows, light flashes, and the Great Mouse of Minsk) are very well done for 1986. It isn't as breathtaking as The Secret of NIMH, but the animation is bound to please many who view it. The characters range from actually fascinating to ones who can be summed up by a trope, both in terms of actions and personality. Fievel turns out to be a rather sympathetic character in spite of his naïveté and frail emotions, giving us the message of determination with Henri that sums up what the US should be for the world. As I said, most of the other vital characters can be summed up in tropes (the con Warren, friendly fat man Tiger), which is unfortunate considering both The Secret of NIMH before it and its Disney rival TGMD offered characters that required a whole TV Tropes page to sum up. The biggest issue this movie has, though, is its story. I will give that it did write out the action and calm scenes well, but there are some supposedly minor things that actually impact how one may end up viewing the film. As one example, when Fievel goes into the sewers for the first time, he doesn't bring his hat with him. After the cockroaches chase him, he somehow has his hat even though he never went back up to retrieve it. In one scene, Fievel appears to sleep in a straw basket on a puddle of water, which disappears the following day. Fievel seems to know Bridget's name in her introduction scene even though she never informed him of that. Lastly, Tony had no information that Warren was actually a cat, and merely acted on Fievel's tip that he was an impostor. The story, in summary, had great potential that was unfortunately mostly lost in a series of not-so-convoluted errors. On the bright side, though, the music is actually really endearing, and the action and humor do work very well.
An American Tail came off to me as one of those movies you liked more as a child than in coming years. Families will get some laughs, some scares, and some tears from this movie, but given its writing goofs, I am not confident that everyone who views this will end up really pleased. However, unlike All Dogs Go To Heaven, it's not a film I will say is overrated. It is still emotional, hilarious, and adrenaline-inducing, which should be enough to provide many with a satisfying movie experience. In my book, that's just enough to give this film a passing score. Just be aware, parents, that there is alcohol, cigar use, and occasional bright flashes in this film.