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

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

Uncle Buck (1989)

The master of 1980’s and early 90’s cinema John Hughes crafts a delightful tale of familial dysfunction spawning familial togetherness in suburbia. The Russell family live in an upper-middle class bubble that is burst when Mrs. Russell’s father has a heart attack. In a frantic move to find someone to take care of their three children, Mr. Russell employs the services of his slob of a brother Buck (John Candy). Hilarity ensues (to a point).

Buck has a good heart, but little common sense when it comes to taking care of children. The youngest two Russell children, 8-year old Miles (Macaulay Culkin) and 6-year old Maizy, fall in love with their goofy uncle immediately, but Buck has to work on the antagonizing 15-year old Tia. The two butt heads over a number of issues, including Tia’s boyfriend, whom Buck doesn’t trust for a second.

The tension between Buck and Tia isn’t unlike the tension Tia manufactures with her parents. The family recently moved so Tia tries to make everyone’s lives miserable to show her displeasure. Too bad for her that Buck sees right through her act and only fights fire with fire. Tia crosses a few lines, including sabotaging Buck’s relationship with his girlfriend, but Buck never gives up on his niece.

John Candy was part of a generation of comedic greats that just exude humor in everything they do. His performance as Buck is nearly flawless and he hits all his lines with perfect timing and deft skill. Macaulay Culkin shows off his skills as well, but the rest of the supporting cast is forgettable. Still, Hughes knows how to write comedy and he knows how to bring it out of his actors.

Unfortunately, the dysfunctionality of the Russell family doesn’t remain intact for the duration of the film. The final third of the film deals with Buck leveling with angsty Tia and her eventual turnaround from her mopey, selfish antics. As Mr. and Mrs. Russell return, Buck makes a triumphant exit as a half-witted difference maker. Hughes is known for sappy endings, so I wasn’t too surprised when the comedy subsided for 10-15 minutes in place of serious family-building, but it dilutes the fun of what had been a joyous comedic romp up to that point.

I’ve never been a big fan of message films being coated with a thick comedic shell. I like my comedies funny the whole way through. Maybe I’m a bit unreasonable in that regard, but once you get through the comedy and into the message, the taste isn’t as sweet and it’s a minor letdown. Fortunately there is just enough fun in Uncle Buck to make you forget the boring parts.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

Spaceballs (1987)

Mel Brooks’ spoof on all things Sci-Fi is a cult classic. While it shows its age through several of the pop-culture jokes and references, the lampooning of the numerous clichés and coincidences inherent to the science-fiction genre are spot on.

The only hindrance to this film’s success is the fact that it is being pitched to a specific audience. Films like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein were more widely humorous because clichés are very often shared throughout the Western and Mad Scientist genres. You have to really know your sci-fi to appreciate all the jokes in Spaceballs. Otherwise, stretches of this movie will seem boring to you. I am a big science-fiction nerd, so I got nearly all of the jokes.

The fact that sci-fi flicks try hard to stand out from one another presents a problem for Brooks & company. Trying to cover all the widely different styles of sci-fi and wrap all the jokes around a cohesive story is a daunting task. Brooks does a good job, but it certainly alienates the casual viewer.

Despite the odds stacked so high against it, Spaceballs has entered the cultural lexicon (at least for the older portion of my generation and the one prior to it) with phrases like “Ludicrous Speed;” “May the Schwartz be with you;” and being able to identify Yogurt as something other than a snack food.

The best part about Spaceballs is that Brooks really goes all out. He not only pegs the goofy plots and groan-worthy dialog, but he also triumphs in the visual areas as well. The sets, props, and even the music all work in favor of Mel’s comedic purposes. He also covers more than just Star Wars and Star Trek (more spoofing of the former than the latter though)- he hits major films like Planet of the Apes and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Certainly not for everyone, but I recommend it if you have a love for sci-fi and an appreciation for satire.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

The Great Outdoors (1988)

One of the classic dysfunctional family vacation comedies, The Great Outdoors pits the hapless but well-intended John Candy against his one-upmanship minded brother-in-law, Dan Aykroyd. The movie is full of cheesy 80s clichés and silliness, but it’s darn fun to watch. Most of the clichés are easily forgotten, as they don’t occur during the film's most memorable scenes.

And boy are those scenes memorable! Chasing a bat out of the cabin, Akroyd’s freaky daughters, rambunctious sub-titled raccoons, Candy’s story about the monstrous bald-headed bear, and the final 15 minutes or so including a showdown with said bear. Yeah, the filmmakers try slipping in a little sentimental mumbo-jumbo and a quaint message about family togetherness, but all that is easily overlooked by the sheer hilarity of The Great Outdoors’ high points.

As an added bonus, film lovers will catch a glimpse of a young Annette Benning in her first major motion picture appearance.

RATING: 3.25 out of 5