I may be the only person to say this but I think The Rescuers was a LOT better than the sequel. Oh don't get me wrong, Down Under's pretty good. But, to me, The Rescuers is the best.
Since I was a little kid, I have had a short attention span so movies with more action generally held my attention. The Rescuers and the Pooh films were the two exceptions for me. This isn't a very fast moving film, at times it's quite slow. But that's when the tension builds. You feel a certain warmth watching it, similar to the warm fuzzies you would get from a Pooh film. It's sweet. It's fun. The characters are lovable and the villains are detestable (I mean Madame Medusa kidnaps an innocent little girl and then forces her to go into a dangerous pirate cave, if that isn't evil, I don't know what is). Even the supporting cast is awesome, if not entirely memorable. I think there were too many critters at Devil's Bayou, had they cut the cast down a bit, perhaps I could remember them all. But that's literally my only complaint.
The film is slow but it doesn't feel slow. It doesn't lag at all. It keeps you completely focused on the characters. By the way, the acting is superb, particularly Michelle Stacy as Penny. Usually child actors are hit and miss but she does an excellent job, she really makes you feel for Penny and that's the most important part. Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor as Bernard and Bianca. They really bring the characters to life.
The animation is beautiful as well. It all seems like a painting come to life. I am particularly impressed with Bernard and Bianca's animation because they look a lot like their voice actors. So you can't imagine a better voice for them. You often forget that they're mice. And that's really impressive.
So, all in all, this is one of Disney's best. Ever. It's proof that the animation studio was still going strong after Walt Disney's death. And it's still one of my all time favorite movies. I say, check it out. There's something for everyone in it.
