#23 The Rescuers

Title: The Rescuers

Release Date: June 22nd, 1977

Voice Cast: Eva Gabor, Bob Newhart, Geraldine Page, Jim Jordan

Recap: The Rescue Aid Society, an international team of mice, receives a message in a bottle from an orphan appearing in danger. A Hungarian female mouse, Bianca, takes the case and calls upon the RAS janitor, Bernard, to be her co-agent. They travel to the orphanage mentioned in the message for more information, and they discover that the orphan, Penny, has been taken by a wicked pawnshop owner to an abandoned luxury boat in order to find a precious diamond. So Bianca and Bernard, embark to rescue her with the help of an albatross, a dragonfly, and some other helpful mice.

Review: The Rescuers was a milestone for Disney in various different aspects. Most importantly, it was the last film of what was considered Disney's Silver Age, an era that began with Cinderella in 1950. Not until 1989's The Little Mermaid would Disney see such critical and financial success. The film also breaks the comedic pattern of the last few films, returning to the dramatic style that early Disney films were none for.

I'm beginning to feel that the Silver Age was about fortes. I can personally pinpoint the strength of every Disney movie since Cinderella, though I may not have mentioned them in certain reviews. For The Rescuers, this strength is atmosphere. What Disney produced with this film was a novel blend of a hard-boiled mystery and the natural Disney spirit. So while every moment in this film is not picture perfect, the tone remains fluent and golden. You want to be there with Bianca and Bernard, assisting them in some way.

On to the idiosyncrasy of the film: I noticed that, for the most part, the animated actions and the voices of the characters were more realistic. That is to say that they were less exaggerated and truer to the moment. When I think of this, I think of Pinocchio 40 years earlier. When Jiminy Cricket listens in on Gepetto, 80% of what he does is completely over-the-top and fake. Disney has come a long way.

So, as the last film of the Silver Age, I'm saluting to it with a silver rating.

Under the Sea (Darling, It's Better!)