Fievel y el nuevo mundo

Not only is An American Tail easily one of the best animated features ever made, but it proves to be leaps beyond the efforts of recent Disney movies by refusing to be constricted to an all-too-familiar formula. This movie does not stay within the cozy, comfortable guidelines that Disney adheres to in order to make money. Instead, it tells a truly unique tale, one not borrowed from any other source, and one overflowing with artistic wonder and originality.

The characters you will see here are not stock, not pulled from the typical Disney hat. The story is not a chuckle-a-minute, lowbrow attempt to take the easy way out in pandering to children. The main character, Fievel, suffers real hardships and tragedy, and stares into the despair of his own soul before the movie is finished. This, of course, makes the ending that much more satisfying, an infinitely more significant and authentic moment than any cardboard cut-out Disney plot.

If you want to see what animation was meant to be as an art form, if you want to feel the power and emotion that can truly be reaped from this under-appreciated and over-commercialized medium, look no further than An American Tail.

In my opinion, this is an excellent movie for all ages that will warm your heart! When Fievel (voice of Phillip Glasser) got lost, I wanted to cry. Although some of the characters were diabolical, I liked everybody. Well, it's hard to say which character was my favorite. The music was good, especially "Somewhere Out There, "A Duo," and "No Cats In America." In addition to the music being good everyone was cast perfectly, and the direction was flawless. In conclusion, I highly recommend this very touching movie for all ages that will warm your heart to anyone who hasn't seen it. You're in for a real treat and a good time, so go to the video store, rent it or buy it, kick back with someone close to you, and watch it.

An American Tail (1986)

*** (out of 4)

Fievel is a young Russian mouse who is moving to America with his family. He winds up getting separated from his family and must try to locate them while finding his way around a new country.

Don Bluth's AN AMERICAN TAIL isn't a great or flawless movie but there's no doubt that it's a rather interesting one that has enough going for it to make it worth viewing but at the same time I'm really not sure many kids will get much out of it. This is an extremely dark movie for the majority of the running time and it tackles some rather dark themes and I'm sure a lot of this will go over younger kid's heads. With that being said, the adults who watch this are going to be in for a rather interesting treat.

I think the best thing going for the movie is the fact that it takes on a lot of serious issues in regards to immigration as well as to being a new person in a strange location. The voyage that Fievel goes on is a pretty dark one and there are many scenes of his lost, sad and just beat down. These moments really works well because there's an underlying message that rings out loudly. It also helps that the Fievel character is just someone you really enjoy.

The animation itself is quite good and I thought the majority of the characters were nice as well. Vocal performances are good with Dom DeLuise really getting to shine and you've also got Christopher Plummer. The film also benefits from the "Somewhere Out There" song, which is quite good.

AN AMERICAN TAIL does have some issues here and there but for the most part it's an entertaining movie that will please more adults than kids.

I was introduced to An American Tail after perpetually reading the 'book' of the second film, Feivel Goes West. I can't say which one I enjoyed more although at the time, I think I was seven, but this one I understood a lot better.

The sweet-hearted tale of a family of Russian mouse emigrants who travel to America, the 'land of opportunity' but on their way lose their son, really manages to perk up your day. It has all the classic elements of a family flick: great characters, wonderful score and songs, and of course a happy ending (You can't say you didn't expect that).

In some ways it's meant to be almost a satire, a parallel story of many Russian immigrant families who flee to America from the Cossacks: there is actually a scene in the beginning involving the ransacking of a Russian village by Cossacks, aided of course, as most history books conveniently omit, by their vicious slavering cats who destroy the mouse population. This satire is slightly lost once they reach America, but the simple plot of the mouse boy trying to find his family again works very well. It's quite frustrating at times as we see how close they all come to running into each other; a split second here and a well-timed door slamming there, and it could have been all over in thirty minutes of screen time. But where would be the movie in that?

Lastly, the voice cast does a great job. While I personally think the sequel had a better cast, An American Tail boasts some fine names as well - Dom DeLuise and Nehemiah Persoff who also did the sequel, Christopher Plummer, and Madeline Kahn all combine for a great effect. It's not necessary to see this to also see the sequel but it definitely deserves to be watched. Touching, light-hearted and with one of the most beautiful theme songs you will ever hear, it's a winner. ***1/2 / *****

As a non-American who has heard so often of The American Dream, I saw this movie as a celebration of that dream. The flight of the poor and oppressed (and Jewish?) from Europe to the proposed Land of Freedom and Wealth (There are no cats in America and the streets are paved with cheese?) to find more poverty and oppression (workhouses, cats and workhouse tout Warren T. Rat), but with the opportunity to do something about it that they did not have in the old country.

The song "Somewhere Out There" is quite perfectly matched with Fyvel and his family searching for each other, and the version heard in the movie is rather more expressive than the released single.

It is not necessarily fun for the whole family. Children will find it fun. Adults will find it interesting, not so much in fun as in pride and awareness, at least if they are Americans .