The Rescuers Down Under

G’day Mate!  We’re off to Australia this week in Disney’s The Rescuers Down Under.

This is one of three sequels on this journey through a year of Disney movies.  (And Fantasia 2000 and Winnie the Pooh are arguably only sequels in characters and themes as they do not continue the storylines of the preceding movies... But I digress.)  We first met our heroes, Bernard and Bianca, in The Rescuers back at movie #23.  This time they’re crossing oceans to help a boy named Cody who is being held captive by an evil poacher who is hoping Cody will lead him to the rare and beautiful golden eagle.  The Rescuers Down Under premiered in 1990 and is considered the second movie of the Disney Renaissance. 

This was an artistically-beautiful adventure tale, though it definitely deviated from the traditional Disney recipe for greatness. (See here or here for my explanation of the perfect Disney movie recipe.)  While the story was missing the Disney music element (Not a single song in the whole movie!), it definitely still scored high in the categories of good story, likable heroes, and humor (not to mention a dastardly villain).  And of note regarding the music, the score is still sweeping and adds greatly to the artistry of the film.

 

 

Our heroes, Bernard and Bianca, are mice from the Rescue Aid Society in New York.  On their first mission, they helped Penny, an orphaned girl, escape the evil clutches of Madame Medusa in Devil's Bayou.  This film's adventure finds them in the even greater unknown of the Australian outback.  They are aided on their journey once again by a comedic albatross- Wilbur (Orville's brother) and Jake, a hopping mouse (with a definite dash of Indiana Jonesish mystique) once the reach the land down under.  The pair soon find themselves on a perilous journey to save Cody, the golden eagle and her eggs!

 

 

 

 

 

The film is truly beautiful in its sweeping landscapes of the Australian outback and the soaring sequences featuring Marahute (the golden eagle).  While this is not the most famous or memorable film from the Disney Renaissance, the grandeur and artistry of the period is clearly evident.  It was lovely to see Bernard and Bianca (and their blossoming relationship) again. 

 

 

Thanks for continuing on this journey with me!

 

This week's quote is from Wilbur and captures the warmth, heart and humor of the film:

 

Kidnapped?  Oh!  That- that's awful!  Lockin' up a little kid.  Kids should be free!  Free to run wild through the house on Saturday mornings, free to have cookies and milk, and get those little white mustaches, you know?

 

 

Coming Up Next Week: Beauty and the Beast