Title: The Rescuers Down UnderRelease Date: November 16th, 1990
Voice Cast: Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, John Candy, Frank Welker, George C. Scott
Recap: After rescuing a rare eagle, a young boy is kidnapped by a poacher who wants the bird's whereabouts. This is another job for Bianca and Ryan, the heros of the predecessor The Rescuers.
Review: Oh boy. The Rescuers Down Under is one of two sequels in the Disney classics series, the other being Fantasia 2000. And when people talk about the Disney Renaissance, which began with The Little Mermaid a year before this film, the often leave out this southern sequel. That is to say it wasn't good enough for critics or fans to marvel at it.
I don't blame them, really. I miss the style of the first film. Now, I don't know if I can hold the film itself responsible. What I loved about the first was its uniqueness and (believe it or not) dark tone. Though there's a decent amount adventure, I feel like it's all been done before in better circumstances.
I suppose if there was no predecessor, I would be fine with this film. Bianca and Bernard are just as loveable as they were in The Rescuers, and the albatross is just as funny as his brother (props on John Candy). But it feels a bit emptier than it should be. In sequels, I look for new interesting concepts to beat the first, and Down Under just wasn't fresh enough.
I want to give this film two ratings. The first is as a sequel, and the second is as an individual film. It just makes more sense for me to do it that way.
Bare Necessities
Hakuna Matata (It Means 'No Worries!')
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