The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

In the first of Disney’s official animated sequels, the House of Mouse pulls off a rare success in delivering a film that improves upon its predecessor in every way.  It doesn’t reach the same heights as The Little Mermaid, but a gorgeous color palette, a brisk pace, and likeable characters makes The Rescuers Down Under a winner.  To write it off for not retaining the same steadfast popularity of other Disney Renaissance releases would do this film a great disservice.

When a ruthless poacher seeking a rare eagle kidnaps a young boy with knowledge of the bird’s whereabouts, the Rescue Aid Society is contacted.  Bernard and Miss Bianca, from the first Rescuers film, take the assignment and rush headlong into the Australian Outback to find and save the boy.  Along the way they meet a number of colorful characters, some of whom want to help them and others who stand in their way.

After a pair of musicals, Disney dishes out a strictly narrative story.  It may be a bit of a jolt, especially after the charm and power of The Little Mermaid, but we have to remember that Disney works on multiple films at a time.  Keeping musical numbers out of the film actually works to its benefits.  In a life-and-death rescue story, where exactly can characters find an acceptable place to break into song?

The Rescuers Down Under benefits from audience familiarity with Bernard and Bianca.  If you are watching this movie, then chances are that you’ve seen the original.  The main villain is pretty flat and borders on being the stereotypical evil hunter type.  In this tale, however, he is a poacher.  It makes a big difference but the narrative still veers a little too close to bunny-hugging “hurting animals is wrong” territory.  Even though there is no character development or proper motivation, the villain excels at seeming dangerous.  This vital characteristic is necessary to nudge the fact that we are watching a Disney film into the back of our minds, allowing us to maintain concern for the boy’s life for the whole film.

The supporting characters are likeable and provide plenty of extra substance.  A goofy and dim-witted albatross provides most of the comic relief, while a dashing Australian mouse provides some romantic tension for Bernard and Bianca.  None of these characters overshadow our true heroes, which helps the film stay true to its title.   Why call it The Rescuers if your main draw is a batch of new supporting characters?

The run-time is short, making Down Under feel dangerously close to being light on content.  Solid characters and gorgeous animation help to distract you from that fact.  But hey, it’s a Disney film for crying out loud.  Some of Disney’s greatest films were a few minutes shorter than this one.  It’s a shame that Down Under has been forgotten about over time.  It’s better than the original but it was released between two of Disney’s biggest hits of all time.  The opening sequence is remarkable and the whole picture is very enjoyable- a solid and, sadly, underrated Disney yarn.

Rescuers

RATING: 3.5 out of 5