As I’m sure you’re well aware Disney films, particularly their animated ones, tend to steer clear of any particularly dark content. The most sinister you’ll likely encounter are the likes of Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty), or Ursula (The Little Mermaid), though these villainous ladies are more mystical than they are real. They use dark magic to get their way and as a result, even though they are wicked with their intent, their villainy can be somewhat brushed off as childish because of their extreme fantastical elements.
But then you get a film like The Rescuers, one that is often overlooked or forgotten about by many Disney fans, where the plot concerns itself with a little girl being kidnapped by a couple of very real and very sinister people who abuse her and force her to do what they want. It’s considerably heavier handed in its subject matter than most Disney productions, and it’s probably why Walt Disney himself disapproved of the project, with the animators placing it on ice until after his death. But whilst The Rescuers is certainly one of the darkest films in the Animated Classic line-up, it is far and away one of the best because of how it handles its subject matter.
In a plea for help, orphan Penny (Michelle Stacy) sends out a message in a bottle which is found by the Rescue Aid Society, an international mouse organisation set up inside the United Nations in New York. Hungarian representative Bianca (Eva Gabor) volunteers to take the case and requests the janitor, Bernard (Bob Newhart), accompany her. The two track down Jenny’s whereabouts to Devils Bayou in Louisiana, where a New York pawn shop owner, Madame Medusa (Geraldine Page) holds her captive and is forcing her to risk her life to find a diamond known as the Devil’s Eye. With the help of some of the local wildlife, Bianca and Bernard mount a rescue attempt before Medusa’s plan gets Penny killed.
But then you get a film like The Rescuers, one that is often overlooked or forgotten about by many Disney fans, where the plot concerns itself with a little girl being kidnapped by a couple of very real and very sinister people who abuse her and force her to do what they want. It’s considerably heavier handed in its subject matter than most Disney productions, and it’s probably why Walt Disney himself disapproved of the project, with the animators placing it on ice until after his death. But whilst The Rescuers is certainly one of the darkest films in the Animated Classic line-up, it is far and away one of the best because of how it handles its subject matter.
In a plea for help, orphan Penny (Michelle Stacy) sends out a message in a bottle which is found by the Rescue Aid Society, an international mouse organisation set up inside the United Nations in New York. Hungarian representative Bianca (Eva Gabor) volunteers to take the case and requests the janitor, Bernard (Bob Newhart), accompany her. The two track down Jenny’s whereabouts to Devils Bayou in Louisiana, where a New York pawn shop owner, Madame Medusa (Geraldine Page) holds her captive and is forcing her to risk her life to find a diamond known as the Devil’s Eye. With the help of some of the local wildlife, Bianca and Bernard mount a rescue attempt before Medusa’s plan gets Penny killed.
I adored The Rescuers growing up and I think there’s a good reason why I still adore it now, and it’s the way it goes about telling its story. It doesn’t hold back from going to dark places and it deals with death and threats of violence very differently to any other Disney film before, or even after it. Bianca and Bernard are both excellent characters too who fit each other’s personalities perfectly. Bernard being more cautious and forward thinking, where Bianca is more a girl of action and getting things done. They both learn a lot from each other and watching them grow over the course of the film reels the viewer in.
The side characters are also good for the short appearances they have. Orville the albatross for example is the mice’s ticket to Devils Bayou and his role, though brief, is filled with great lines and visual gags.
Medusa is also a truly wicked villain and is never given as much credit as she deserves in the Disney villain hall of infamy. This woman will stop at nothing to get what she wants, even going so far as willing to sacrifice the lives of orphaned children for it; and even when she gets what she want’s she turns on her accomplice t take it all for herself.
The Rescuers utilises xerography again and delivers some truly beautiful and varied environments, however the character animation seems to be considerably rougher and dialled back than in previous xerography style Disney animations. The Rescuers also has some songs which I absolutely adore performed by Shelby Flint. These songs usually mix themselves with environmental shots which truly convey the beauty that the Disney animators of the time were capable of.
I love The Rescuers, it’s one of my favourite Disney Animated Classics. Unfortunately, it’s one that’s often forgotten or overlooked in favour of other higher profile films. But it’s influence in more mature storytelling can definitely be felt in future Disney films of this era, and in future era’s too. If you’re yet to see The Rescuer’s, I cannot recommend it enough!
The side characters are also good for the short appearances they have. Orville the albatross for example is the mice’s ticket to Devils Bayou and his role, though brief, is filled with great lines and visual gags.
Medusa is also a truly wicked villain and is never given as much credit as she deserves in the Disney villain hall of infamy. This woman will stop at nothing to get what she wants, even going so far as willing to sacrifice the lives of orphaned children for it; and even when she gets what she want’s she turns on her accomplice t take it all for herself.
The Rescuers utilises xerography again and delivers some truly beautiful and varied environments, however the character animation seems to be considerably rougher and dialled back than in previous xerography style Disney animations. The Rescuers also has some songs which I absolutely adore performed by Shelby Flint. These songs usually mix themselves with environmental shots which truly convey the beauty that the Disney animators of the time were capable of.
I love The Rescuers, it’s one of my favourite Disney Animated Classics. Unfortunately, it’s one that’s often forgotten or overlooked in favour of other higher profile films. But it’s influence in more mature storytelling can definitely be felt in future Disney films of this era, and in future era’s too. If you’re yet to see The Rescuer’s, I cannot recommend it enough!