The Secret of NIMH

The Secret of NIMH is powerful, dramatic and has great originality. The animation is excellent and stylish, and complements the mystical storyline.

The plot is complex and beyond your average toddler. This is a film for older kids and adults, anyone who enjoys a unique film experience and is looking for deviation from the expected norms of an animated film.

Truly ahead of its time, NIMH is a must - It's become a classic and is not at all childish, as one might predict for animation. There are no musical numbers, just an exciting, vibrant score that follows the action perfectly. Clear your brain of prejudgments and animation stereotypes, and then go rent The Secret of NIMH. It is an ultimately rewarding film.

The directorial debut of the legendary Don Bluth, and still considered by many, including yours truly, to be his crowning achievement. Based on a book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien, it tells the tale of Mrs. Jonathan Brisby, whose son Timothy has fallen ill and cannot be removed from his bed under any circumstances. Unfortunately the Moving Day is near as the farmer is about to start plowing the fields, upon one of which the Brisby house is situated. Thus Mrs. Brisby has to go to the rats living under the rosebush for help. For they've evolved above normal rats through experiments done to them by humans.

What makes this such a great film is how seriously the story is taken. Don Bluth clearly believes in the story with all his heart and, this being quite an independent project, is not afraid of telling it exactly how he wants to tell it. It's a dark movie by today's standards, with heavy themes questioning the duality of nature versus science, the responsibility of sentience, the burdens of leadership and what it really means to be brave, to risk everything for a goal you believe in with all your heart. And nowhere is this more apparent than in our heroine. Mrs. Brisby is just a common mouse. She has no special skills, no training, no great feats to her name. The large world, filled with predators and threats beyond her understanding, scares her, but she faces it. Because she must. And that makes her a hero above all else.

It's also stunningly gorgeous film. Don Bluth's signature style is in full display here and each scene is filled with Gothic beauty, dark shadows and lurking details. The atmosphere is straight from the dark ages, enhancing the horror, and making the light shine all the brighter. It's also auditorially pleasing, with great voice actors and a score that bears repeating time and time again.

The Secret of NIMH is a jewel among animated films. A film children can watch and feel the shivers, but which only adults can truly appreciate for its themes.

Anybody who doesn't like this movie just doesn't love animation. How can a proclaimed fan of feature animation not be dazzled by the extravagance of Don Bluth's work seen in NIMH? Here is a perfect example of what happens when artists are given free reign to just create whatever their vivid imaginations may produce. To me, the greatest triumph of this movie is the art itself. Its greatest flaw is that it was cheapened by a sequel! Why in the name of HUMANITY was a sequel made? A masterpiece of this magnitude should not be so insulted as to be milked for every dollar that the bean counters say it can!

But I digress...

Bluth's use of highly stylized art to influence your emotions is rarely seen in others' work. The whole point of animation is that you are not limited by the bounds of reality, so thorns and cobwebs can be just that much more twisty and foreboding. Owls' eyes can glow- not because they do, but because it just plain looks cooler. The bright and sunny entrance to the rats' lair can suddenly fade to a background of blood red as Mrs. Brisby runs in terror from Brutus' electrified blade. What plot holes does using a lit electric lamp as a diving bell produce? Who cares? The concept just looks awesome on screen! The effects animation is spectacular in this movie as well. The glow of Nicodemus' eyes, the sparkling of the fairy dust ink and the flaming letters of the movie title screen are great, and the radiance emitting from Mrs. Brisby as the sheer strength of her character lifts her home from the mud is fantastic.

If the story were no more than a shabby framework to lace all of this cool art together, it would be good enough, but there's a lot going for it as well. It's not a complicated story, but its message of love, devotion, and courage shown in the meekest of people (mice?) is enough to inspire anyone! Mrs. Brisby's simple wish for the safety of her family drives her to the greatest of courage, despite her apparant simplicity and weakness. She stands as a model for all of us to aspire to.

Animation should never be considered something just for kids. It should not require the characters to burst into song at regular intervals, or the story to be sappy and condescending. NIMH does none of this. It is truly a movie for movie-lovers of all ages. Disney, take a hint!!! Don Bluth, keep making movies like this, and your field will reach an entirely new level of acceptance among older viewers in America.

I remember being slightly traumatized by The Secret of NIMH when I watched it as a small child and yet I also remember watching it multiple times. There's something special about this movie. First of all, the animation is beautiful and intricate. Secondly, while there are a few humorous moments, this is a truly dramatic story with real suspense and tension. And third, the voice acting is well done and adds to the overall emotion of the film. To be honest, even though it's animated, I don't feel like The Secret of NIMH was made for kids. I'm glad I was able to watch it again from another perspective.

See this movie. It has some of the most intense sequences in an animated film that I've ever seen. I remember this one from way back and I remember watching it every chance I had. And who can forget that one line, "Take what you can.... when you can!"