The Rescuers Down Under (Disney Gold Classic Collection)

No, this isn't a quickie, direct-to-video sequel, cashing in on the success of the 1977 animated hit about adventurous mice, but a full-blown theatrical effort. This time around, Bernard (voiced by Bob Newhart) is trying to pop the question to Bianca (Eva Gabor) when they're summoned to Australia, where a young boy has been kidnapped by a pallid, gray-faced poacher (who looks like and is voiced by George C. Scott). Wilbur, a chatterbox of an albatross (John Candy, replacing the late Jim Jordan's character Orville), and Jake (Tristan Rogers), a kangaroo mouse--Bernard is jealous of the dashing rodent--assist the Rescuers in saving the day and imparting a mild environmental message. The film opens with an absolutely breathtaking aerial sequence--this was made near the beginning of Disney's animation renaissance--so impressive it would seem the story, literally, has nowhere else to go but down, but some smart gags, excellent animation, and rollicking adventures ensue. So why isn't it better known? It had the bad luck to open, in 1990, opposite another kids' film--Home Alone. --David Kronke

1 Anyone for an Unoriginal Sequel?
"The Rescuers Down Under" is supposedly a sequel to its' original. However, the dictionary defines a "sequel" to be a "work whose narrative continues that of a preexisting work." In other words, a sequel is supposed to extend and continue a storyline... however, "The Rescuers Down Under" fails to continue a storyline, rather it recreates the storyline in the original into a twisted case of dŽjˆ vu. Basically, if you've seen the original, you've already seen the less pleasing "sequel."

This time around a young blonde boy, by the name of Cody, replaces our charming Penny from the original. Cody is sent out by his animal friends to rescue a trapped golden eagle. Unfortunately, the villainess poacher who captured the golden eagle in the first place out of greed, doesn't take too kindly to this rescuing and locks Cody up to keep him out of the way.

The Rescue Aid Society is sent out to rescue Cody, and we see a triumphant return of the same pairing of voices for Bernard and Miss Bianca (Newhart and Gabor). Since these two characters were in the original, we already know their personalities, lucky thing, because the sequel takes no time to portray any of the character's personalities. Other characters in the film are introduced with no personality, who serve only one purpose -- to make the film happen (although we would have been happier if it hadn't happened in the first place).
Bernard and Bianca are promising characters (since they came from the original) but unfortunately are overwhelmed by the less-pleasing qualities of the movie. Including weak characters, a repeated storyline, an unoriginal villain who has no personality to define him by other than "the bad guy." Everything about this movie is just an ailing repeat of what has happened in the original, even their mode of transportation, an albatross named "Wilbur" is a repeat.

The film parallels their efforts to find and free Cody, who is held captive throughout the film while the villain, McLeach, attempts to intimidate the boy to tell him the whereabouts of the insanely large eagle's nest. Which, as viewers of the original can see, is a complete repeat from the original. In both films the villains held the children captive because they needed the children to help themselves quench their greed.

Cody never gives McLeach what he wants, his death is faked so that the rangers won't come looking for him, and we watch the unoriginal story take place against beautiful scenery until the end where we find a literal cliff-hanger, and Cody is reunited with his mother. It would have been nice, though, if the film had actually shown us Cody and his mother being reunited - she thinks he's dead, after all. And the captive animals who were also in McLeach's lair, we find, were introduced only to be forgotten.

Overall, there are some beautiful sequences, Australia (where the film takes place), looks very appealing and the characters are all dressed in cleaned-up animation. But the film itself is unoriginal with only a one or two breath-taking scenes.

Ironically, it seems that the fans of the original dislike the sequel while those who disliked the original enjoyed the sequel. I never quite understood this since the sequel is merely an ailing repeat of the original, maybe some people find unoriginal films to be appealing...

2 Disney's worst movie
My mom bought this for me for Christmas so I watched it. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as the original but at least to be somewhat good and bring back the characters I had really liked in The Rescuers. I got none of that, what I received was another one of those crazy and quick sequels that no one likes. One of the things I noticed was that the end was rushed and it left things unanswered, it seemed as if Disney had left it like this to have an excuse to make another sequel which would be as bad, if not worse than this one. I remember one of the things in the original was that we saw everything have a happy ending, the diamond was put into safety and Penny was seen adopted, reunited with her friends we even got to see Penny's adoptive parents. In the sequel, we weren't even allowed to see the blonde kid's mother (I need to watch a film more than once to remember names and I don't want to watch this again.)

Another grand disappointment was the fact that only 2 characters from the original film were here, Bernard and Miss Bianca, who looked very old and weird (Mr. Chairman looked so weird and brown in this movie that I didn't believe he was the same one.) I wish this movie had continued the story with Penny, Rufus and Evinrude once again, Evinrude was a much missed character.

I've only watched this poor sequel once and I doubt I would want to watch it again. I rather watch the original.

1/5 (Because they won't let me give it 0.)

3 A pale shadow of the original!
Yes, this film has decent animation, but it lacks the charm of the earlier animated film that this film follows. Characters aren't well developed, as another reviewer stated, many of these seem to be thrown in with the purpose of making a scene, the story-line seems recycled, it is the same exact story line you saw in The Rescuers (1977) only this time the two mice rescue a blonde boy instead of a blonde girl from a villain instead of a villainess, whoa! It doesn't take much to uncover it's poor "originality." The film was crushed as a minor release between Beauty and the Beast (1991) and The Little Mermaid (1989), not because these were hits, but because this one was simply absurd and not very strong, rather weak.

The film is about a young boy named Cody, a bland and unrealistic hero who befriends a ridiculously large eagle named Marahute (This one being the only great piece in the film) and later is kidnapped by the crazy-evil McLeach. Most disappointing of all, star characters from the original film like Evinrude and Orville are absent from the film, one completely out and the other cheaply replaced by a new "lost brother" named Wilbur. The two main characters Bernard and Miss Bianca are once again voiced by Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor, however, although their characters haven't aged, it is obvious that their voices have. The film features no songs, apparently Disney didn't have enough experience with song-less films, today, they should know that they would be a complete flop like The Black Cauldron or a newer Disney catastrophe, Atlantis - The Lost Empire.

The DVD is one of the Gold Collection, which already lets a consumer know that it is probably not worth your time, unless you are interested in the film, you should not buy this edition, even if a newer one is most unlikely.

4 Weak, un-original and incomplete.
"The Rescuers Down Under" is the sequel to the 1977 hit film, 'The Rescuers,' a personal favorite, but it doesn't have the originality, charm and simplicity of the first one. Most viewers will be fooled by the dazzling animation and pay more attention to that rather than the content of the film. This sequel seems out of place, rushed and not very interesting, once you see it, you'll hardly want to revisit it.
Very few new things happen here, once again, Bernard and Miss Bianca, voiced once again by Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor take off to save a young boy from an evil kidnapper. Like I said, nothing original, many gags from the first film are repeated here, for example the two rescuers fly on an albatross once again (Apparently a lost brother of Orville named Wilbur, voiced by John Candy). There are many new characters, however, most of these were rushed and never develop any real personality. The new boy, Cody is a bland character, not half as sweet and adorable as the little orphan girl, Penny in The Rescuers, other main characters for example Joanna, the lizard-like animal is probably the funniest and most entertaining character in the film (Which is pretty sad), however her design and mouse-hungry intentions seem too similar to the ferocious aligators Brutus and Nero (Also from The Rescuers) and the rather uninteresting villain seems like a spin-off of not Madame Medusa (Funny enough, like another reviewer pointed out) but of Amos Slade, the villain in the 1981 classic, The Fox and the Hound. Other small characters, like a group of captured animals seem to have been added to literally "make a scene" which is all they do as they serve no real purpose, shameful compared to the brilliant use of minor characters in the final battle in the first film.

As I said, this movie feels incomplete, there are no songs, no soft bittersweet moments, no charm, no originality which is pretty pathetic, since sequels should at least show some form of originality. The ending feels rushed, we never get to see the expression of Cody's mom in his return (We never get to see her at all!), we never see a final meeting of the Rescue Aid Society and we never see the wild animals I mentioned before getting rescued, no, everything is tied up and "Let's all go home!"

The film itself can be pretty entertaining, it isn't necessarily bad but you probably won't be finding yourself wanting to go back to it, maybe you'll rewatch a few of the "breathtaking" scenes but nothing more. Everyone's got their different opinions, perhaps you might read my review, watch the film and love it and that's why I am not going to say that you shouldn't give the film a try, In personally have the film in my collection, it will be there, but I feel no real desire to re-watch it, although I'm sure I will soon.

If I may make a recommendation, don't buy either one of the DVD releases for this two films, this and the 1977 film, The Rescuers. Their current DVD releases are poor, one has horrifying picture quality and the other lacks content, not worth your money. Hopefully the Disney marketing department will give us a better release, at least of the first film.

5 Ugh, pretty weak!
Yes, this was the first Disney sequel, but don't be fooled, this doesn't make it any superior to the line of cheaply made sequels that followed. This film is considered an animated classic, but it doesn't live up to the classic Disney animated features, including the brilliand and original 1977's The Rescuers, it is down there with weak Disney releases like 101 Dalmatians (1961), The Black Cauldron (1985), Oliver & Company (1987) or the souless and unimaginative Aladdin (1992). The film does have good animation, and right now it may even seem as if the animation were superior to that in the original, but that is not playing fair, because The Rescuers Down Under was released with explendid picture quality, while The Rescuers was released with a poor "snappy new remastering."
The film doesn't live up to the original The Rescuers, one of my personal favorites, it doesn't have the charm or the sweet atmosphere the original had and it suffers from weak characters. Bernard and Bianca have not developed since the original film, they've gone down, the only advancement is in Miss Bianca's age, who now matches Eva Gabor's voice at the time and she looks like a wealthy old mouse. A pretty lame character, voiced by John Candy named Wilbur was brought to replace Orville since Jim Jordan had passed away. Wilbur is Orville in disguise, a complete remake, the only difference is the color of his scarf. He even uses the same take off gag as Orville did in the original film.
In this rather weak sequel, the two mice from The Rescuers (1977) are back, this time to rescue a rather bland boy from the hands of evil Mcleach, who's sidekick is a lame lizard named Joahnna. The two characters try hard to replace the adorable Penny, Brutus and Nero the aligators and funny enough, it seems as if Amos Slade was back! No excitement here, the opening sequence which is said to be "breathtaking" looks like flat moving pictures poorly created by the multi-plane camera.
If you haven't seen this film, don't bother you haven't missed much. If you are a fan of the original, you'll probably dislike this one. I recommend the original The Rescuers (1977) instead.

2/5 (The two stars is for the effort, the 3 taken away is for the ugly result.)

6 Probably the only good sequel Disney has done
The first Rescuers was released way back in 1977. Disney had this idea to bring it back for Disney's first sequel. They brought back Bob Newhart(who sounds slightly different) and Eva Gabor(I love listening to this woman's voice) to reprise their roles as Bernard and Bianca and it's still quite good.

Pretty much like another reviewer said it's kind of a rehash of the original but using different events. Cody, a kind of animal liberator let's say, rescues animals in traps that would otherwise end up at the hands-and then down the barrel of a shotgun-of poachers. He finds a massive rare golden eagle and quickly befriends it(and just FYI: turn your brain off slightly, the bird apparently understands English). Mcleach, a poacher finds the boy and a golden feather so he kidnaps Cody in hopes of finding Cody's eagle.

In come Bernard and Bianca, mice part of the Rescue Aid Society. The former of which is actually trying to propose but always gets interrupted. They meet up with Wilbur, the cousin of Orville from the original and fly to Australia and meet Jake, a kind of tough mice in a way. Which sets up a love triangle between the 3 mice over Bianca.

First, 2 things stood out for me: the score. It's a really great score and especially love the opening theme. The "Mcleach" theme is nice but it sounds like everytime Mcleach arrives with his massive truck, the score repeats itself, kind of like how the Imperial Theme always showed up whenever Darth Vader was around.

Second is the animation. You can see the transition Disney would make into more detailed and complex animation that they would do in the Lion King or the Deep Canvas system from Tarzan and Hercules's Hydra fight. Personally my favorite is either entering Australia with the Opera House or Orville's dive in-between New York buildings.

Too bad Disney couldn't replicate this type of film cause the rest of the sequels were just god awful. They even made 2 Aladdin sequels, nevermind one. But this was the first one and oddly enough, it's the only good one despite advancing technologies. Go figure.

7 Simply adorable!
I have always enjoyed Disney's animated films, but there are some that stand out. The Little Mermaid (both of them), The Lion King 2 (that's right, I said the sequel!), The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Cinderella, and the two Rescuer movies are the ones that come to mind. Now, the first Rescuer film is a hands-down favorite, but I love the sequel even more. Why? Because it has something the first one didn't--Jake the daring kangaroo rat. He has a crush on Bianca, and this upsets Bernard, whose trying to gather the courage to ask Bianca to marry him! So, the two boys end up glaring at each other and competing for the girl's attention, and she apparently doesn't notice the animosity. But it's just so cute! Jake is one of my all-time favorite characters, even if he is a stereotype of a guy from the Australian Outback. I love Jake!

8 The Rescuers Down Under
man, this is such a good movie. it was so awesome. i remember LOVING it from my childhood, and recently pulled it up 10 years later. still awesome. buy it.

9 Not as Good as the first one, but still fantastic!!!
The first thing you notice that is different between The Rescuers Down Under and The Rescuers is the quality of the movie. The Rescuers Down Under is definitely a higher quality viewing in terms of animation. You definitely can see the 3D transformation of the characters. The artwork in this movie is top notch, right there w/Lion King.

I love the fact they brought back the voices of Bob Newhart as Bernard and Eva Gabor as Miss Bianca. They also do a nice job of replacing Jim Jordan as Orville w/John Candy as Orville's cousin Wilbur. It is always nice to hear/see John Candy in movies again (I had forgot he was in this to be honest).

That said, the story is not as good as the first one. The Rescuers had a truly depressing story that is a real pick-me-up at the end. The Rescuers really makes you feel what an orphan must have to go through, then she's kidnapped making her life that much more depressing, then they stick her down a dark hole to work all day. The story line is nowhere near as dark in this film.

In addition, I, for one, truly appreciate the story of this movie. It is a movie where you get to see the story, and the story isn't cut into by song and dance. People who may trash this movie may love Disney movies for the song and dance aspects instead of the story line. The story and plot is why I love the Rescuer movies.

In addition, this is still the best Disney animated sequel to date. The Little Mermaid sequel, Lion King sequels, and so forth are junk. I do not want to compare this to Toy Story 2, because as I said, I am talking about the animated sequels, not the pixar sequels.

If you liked the first one, you will like this one. If you were not a big fan of the first one, you probably will not like this one. Nevertheless, the continued story is a delight to watch, and this is definitely a joy to view, at any age.

Grade: A-

10 Ouch!
Hmm, this was definately not the greatest Disney sequel or anything of the sort, this was as bad as other of the company's "cheapquels". The original "The Rescuers" was a true masterpiece, despite it's lack of good animation, the story was sweet and the characters both memorable and lovable. Here, in The Rescuers Down Under, we have Bernard and Bianca back, not even Orville, I mean what was with Wilbur? He wasn't as funny as Orville in my opinion, anyways, Bernard and Bianca weren't the same ones, Bianca's voice sounded old and she was wearing too much make up, Bernard was wearing a greenish hat instead of a red one, I'm guessing that was so that people would see the difference of the two movies in advertisements. Then we have the animation style, I hated it, the villain, McLeach looked almost like a robot, with that ugly modern times face, yuck. Then Joanna can't take the place of Brutus and Nero, Madame Medusa's beloved pets (I thought they were kinda cute in their own way! ) There's also the Australian crew, now I can safely say that they weren't as loving as Ellie Mae and the rest of the Swamp folks, and then is that Cody kid, with no personallity developing, unlike Penny, who you could feel for the first time you heard her talk.

Also, The Rescuers Down Under is nothing but a remake of the original, with a different setting and characters, there's the villain McLeach (Just like Madame Medusa), who needs the boy Cody (Just like Penny) to find the location of the Marahute, the eagle (Just like The Devil's Eye) and here are the mice send a message (Just like Penny's bottle) to the Rescue Aid Society and Bernard and Bianca are off on wings (Orville? Oh no, some Wilbur guy... I was expecting some dumb song called "Yesterday was another day") So, then Bernard and Bianca needed help, they came to Jake, the leader in this unknown place (Ellie Mae) and a bunch of Australian animals (The swamp folks) ... Bernard and Bianca flying on animals, like fireflies (Evinrude!!!) And then, having to face or avoid Joanna (Whoa Brutus and Nero...) So, as you can see, the plot is really nothing but a remake of The Rescuers' wonderful stroy line. Nothing new, and that Cody kid was very annoying.

The Rescuers Down Under gets a 1/10.

11 Rubbish
What rubbish.

Way too much violence. Why do kids movies have to be so violent these days? (or when it was made).

Had a few laughs (I'm an ex-pat Australian) but not worth the plastic it was made from.

Certainly not recommended for general viewing as the cover shows.

12 The animation is far better than the original.
In the sequel to the Rescuers the animation is far better than the original film. This is a perfect example that sequels can be just as good as the originals. The voice casting is back, but this time John Candy comes along, and makes the film even more enjoyable. George C. Scott is a really good villainous character once again. The location is more outrageous and exotic and far more exciting. One of Disney best adventure films. A good reccomendation.

13 Disney's Down Under Delight!
This is one of my absolute favorite animated films. I liked it even better than Beavis and Butthead Do America (that's right, I actually said that!)! I really enjoyed the first Rescuers, I give that one 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars. But I'd give this one 10 stars if I could!

The Rescuers Down Under was Disney's very first, theatrically released sequel, and I'll tell one thing: it makes all the other recent Disney-made sequels look like crap! Forget Return to Neverland, forget The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea, forget the Jungle Book 2, forget Stitch: The Movie, The Rescuers Down Under is the sequel that you REALLY want! I think it is Disney's best to date, or as Jake, the kangaroo mouse would say: 'Well done, mate!"

PLOT.

When a young, Australian boy named Cody who has befreinded a giant, golden eagle is kidnapped by a greedy, murderous poacher, Percival McLeach, who wants the eagle for himself to sell for a crap-load of cash, a messege is sent to the R.A.S. (Rescue Aid Society), which is a hidden organization of mice who help humans in danger. The top two R.A.S. agents, Bernard (voiced by Bob Newhart) and Bianca (Eva Gabor) are given the assignment to rescue Cody from McLeach's clutches. They fly on the wings of Wilbur, the bumbling, fumbling, chatter-boxed albatross (voiced with vest by John Candy). When they land in the outback, the mice are greeted by Jake, a cunning kangaroo mouse with amazing outback survival skills, who agrees to help them save Cody from McLeach.

COMMENTS.

What the H, E, double hockey stick made the more recent Lilo and Stitch so popular and well known anyhow? Who's idea was it to turn that into a TV series after the straight-to-video Stitch: The Movie? They did the same thing with the Little Mermaid (before the sequel, that is)! They could have just as easily made The Rescuers into a TV program, too! They could have even made Jake, the Australian kangaroo mouse a new member of the R.A.S.!!

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.

I loved RDU so much I decided to buy it on DVD. There is something note about the DVD: it has clearer, more life-like animation that the somewhat foggy VHS version, compare the DVD to the VHS and believe me, you WILL see a differance! You also have a wider perspective of the surrondings, plus the sound has been upgraded. The only downside is: the DVD does not have too many extras. All you get here as extra stuff is a theatrical trailer, foriegn language and subtitle chooser, a quiz game (which is a fun thing to fool around with after the movie), and some stroybook thing. I wish Disney would come out with a special Platinum edtion of this (Platinum editions are always loaded with hours of extras).

OVERALL.

On the overall score, I give the DVD itself at most 3.5 stars. Not the movie, though! The movie alone is worth the purchase! Buy this overlooked, forgotten gem now, without thinking twice! That's an order! And DON'T let the lack of good extras change your mind!

And one more thing: Did anyone else notice that McLeach's looks are based on an actuall person, George C. Scott (that's right, the very same Scott from A Christmas Carol (1984)). He is even voiced by Scott, too!

14 I Grew Up On It, That Should Say Something...
When I was a kid, this was the movie that always touched me... Along with Lady and the Tramp, Dumbo, and The Little Mermaid. I don't know why it's not more well-known. A fast-paced Disney adventure filled with characters that are nothing but lovable. Little kids nowadays are totally spoiled on all the Pixar junk. Getting back to basics like this are what Disney's all about. I wish the company could see that. I'll never remember the computer-animated crap they're going to produce now... It's stuff like this this I'll buy for my children when I grow older. An enchanting story of two adventurous mice out to help children, this one has them traveling to Australia to rescue a little boy and several creatures being trapped by an evil poacher. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out... Go get it, now!

15 I didn't make it all the way through 3rd grade for nothing!
The line above is spoken with delicious and wicked glee by George C. Scott as the film's villain "McLeach", one of the outstanding vocal contributions to this under-appreciated 1990 release. Eva Gabor and Bob Newhart reprise their respective roles of "Miss Bianca" and "Bernard" from the first "Rescuers" film and are joined by John Candy as an aeronautically challenged albatross. Other winning performances are Frank Welker as a McLeach's loony sidekick "Joanna" and a lizard "Frank", voiced respectively by Frank Welker and Wayne Robson. Young Adam Ryen is the voice of the child hero, "Cody".

This lighthearted adventure takes place in the Australian outback and the animators have taken great care in depicting its combination of breathtaking beauty and harsh desert areas.

There are some "tense" moments but they are few and far between, not too intense to frighten small viewers.

Bruce Broughton's score is dynamic and ranks as one of the best for a Disney animated film.

"The Rescuers Down Under" may not go down as one of the Disney Studios classic films, but it is still a well-made production and worthy of addition to a family's film library.

16 A Sweet Adventure
This is a forgotten Disney film, of its modern era...in the sense that it's not as "remembered" as others, like Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, et cetera...but it's a wonderful adventure, brimming with action, romance...and everything else. The animation is beautiful (flying with the great golden eagle, the Australian Outback), and it moves at a brisk pace (but never feels empty). The two mice, Bernard and Miss Bianca, are back from the original Rescuers, but I think this one is better. If you love Disney (or animation), this is a charming film.

17 The mice get help from a roo.
This sequel is almost as good as the original Rescuers. Our Hero hop the albatross, this time played by John Candy, for a trip to Australia. What is funny is mice trying to rescue a baby in an eagle nest. Eagles eat what? Newhart and Gabor are perfect playing off each other for some funny moments that help hold mom and dads interest. There is enough action to hold entertain the children. We also get a bit of a love triangle as Bernard gets jealous of Jake, the kangaroo.

We ranked this 19 out of 41. This movie was watched often by all of the family and is definitely recommended, especially if you already have the 18 movies that we liked even better.
We had a lot of fun by gathering the family together to rank the 41 Disney movies we have that include some cartoon work. All the kids, ages 6 to 27, participated along with mother and dad. Lion King was selected number 1 of the 41 as the family favorite, but narrowly. Peter Pan was 2. Pete's Dragon 3, Beauty & the beast 4, Sleeping Beauty 5, Snow White 6, Robin Hood 7, 101 Dalmatians 8, Fox and the hound 9, Cinderella is 10th, Rescuers 11, Hunchback of ND 12, Aladdin 13, Aladdin King of Thieves 14, Jungle Book 15, Little Mermaid 16, Hercules 17 and Winnie the Pooh 18.

18 It was ok
Just an ok Children film. Nothing to write home about.

19 Great VHS. Beautiful DVD
Well, Welllllllllll, Bernard and Bianca are back and this time their goin' Down Under, literally! I must say, I have seen the VHS version of this film a million times AND IT KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER EVERY TIME I WATCH IT!!! My little brother watched it with me and for some reason, he didn't seem to like it too well. But I tought it was magnificent! Anyway i just recently recieved the DVD edition and was amazed by how cool the animation looked compared to the VHS-INCREDIBLE-I might have seen some good Disney sequels latley, but, if i were to describe which one is the best, THIS IS IT!!! Down Under has a whole array of intresting characters, but my top 3 favs include:
1. Jake: because when it comes to traveling in the outback, Jake's da' man/mouse.
2. McLeach: I nominate the evil poacher as the greatest villain of any disney classic. Better than Sher Khan, Captain Hook and Jafar combined.
3. Miss Bianca: Cause she's just down right sexy!!!
Wilbur (the blabber-beak albatross) was also a funny character. Oh and Cody (the Australian kid) was just as cute as he could be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...

20 Disney should start making more sequals like this
Over the last decade Disney has made several sequals. Most have premired on video and have been less then perfect. ... The original Rescuers was just okay. Its animation was not that good and the music was downright awful. Still it had a nice charm. In the sequal a Australian boy named Coty finds a giant eagle named Marhoty. Cody rides on her in several septacular anited sequences. He is then kidnapped by a pocher who wants to know how to find Marhoty and her nest. Bernard and Beonca fly on Australia on Wilbur, the cousin of Orival who provides comic relief, to rescue Cody. An action packed advenure goes on Austrlia that shows the beauty of the Australian wildderness. Most minor charactors from the first film do not return to give this film an original look. This is how sequals are suppose to be with a full theatrical effort and stunning animation. All of disneys Direct to video sequals have inferior animation and story to orginals. Disney a sequal is suppose to continue the orginal movie not make money off it. All sequals should be like The Rescuers Down Under. I give this four stars because the DVD has no extras and has only 4 channels of sound instead of 5.1. Still the anamorphic widescreen video is top notch and I recomend this DVD.

21 Disney should start making more sequals like this
Over the last decade Disney has made several sequals. Most have premired on video and have been less then perfect. While some like Return of Jafar have been pretty good others like Simbas pride have been downright awful. Only two sequals surpassed there original films. Those films are Toy Story 2 and The Rescuers Down Under. The original Rescuers was just okay. Its animation was not that good and the music was downright awful. Still it had a nice charm. In the sequal a Australian boy named Coty finds a giant eagle named Marhoty. Cody rides on her in several septacular anited sequences. He is then kidnapped by a pocher who wants to know how to find Marhoty and her nest. Bernard and Beonca fly on Australia on Wilbur, the cousin of Orival who provides comic relief, to rescue Cody. An action packed advenure goes on Austrlia that shows the beauty of the Australian wildderness. Most minor charactors from the first film do not return to give this film an original look. This is how sequals are suppose to be with a full theatrical effort and stunning animation. All of disneys Direct to video sequals have inferior animation and story to orginals. Disney a sequal is suppose to continue the orginal movie not make money off it. All sequals should be like The Rescuers Down Under. I give this four stars because the DVD has no extras and has only 4 channels of sound instead of 5.1. Still the anamorphic widescreen video is top notch and I recomend this DVD.

22 Disney's Greatest Animated Adventure Classic!
Disney's 29th animated feature "The Rescuers Down Under" is the follow up to Disney's 23rd animated feature "The Rescuers". It was also the first official sequel to a Disney animated feature. And we're not talking about a straight to video sequel here, we're talking about a full blown effort designed for the big screen from Walt Disney Pictures.

What you have essentially is a Masterpiece that did not receive the recognition it deserved. This may partly be due to the fact that it was not a musical unlike "The Little Mermaid" that came just before it. It also originally opened opposite the most successful box office comedy smash "Home Alone", so it had a bit of a tough break. In addition, when we look back at the renaissance of animation in the late 1980s and 1990s we think of "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty & The Beast", "Aladdin" and "The Lion King", sometimes forgetting the wonder that came between mermaid and beauty, and that was "The Rescuers Down Under".

Here we continue the adventures of the two little mice Bernard (voiced by Bob Newhart) and Bianca (voiced by Eva Gabor) from "The Rescuers". This time they are off to save a boy called Cody who has been kidnapped by a poacher named McLeach in Australia. Of course to get there, they require the help of their albatross friend Orville from "The Rescuers". Unfortunately, he's out of town. This time around we have fellow family member Wilbur (voiced by the hilarious late great John Candy) flying them there. Or at least they travel part of the way on Wilbur. See the thing is, it's a bit of a long flight for an albatross from the USA to Australia, and so they make connections with a bigger bird (aka an aeroplane). Meanwhile in Australia Cody is trying to escape McLeach with the help of his animal friends. McLeach has kept hold of Cody because Cody knows where a big golden eagle's eggs are, and McLeach wants them. Cody though is friends with the golden eagle (they both helped each other out early on in the movie) and so refuses. Bernard and Bianca essentially come to the rescue.

The animation is beautiful, especially the backgrounds of the outback, and the music is extremely exhilirating. Great animation and music, combined with great characters, humor and storytelling, add up to this very exciting adventure.

The movie on this DVD is in the aspect ratio that it was originally presented in. There are some extras such as a theatrical trailer, but nothing to write home about. However the quality of picture on the DVD version is vastly superior to the VHS version. Go discover this underrated gem that is Disney's greatest animated adventure classic!

23 Is this movie from Disney?
I doubt it. Why you ask? The makers at Walt Disney tend to have viloence in thier animated movies. The Rescuers Down Under was out 13 years after the orignal movie. The movie stars in Australia with a boy named Cody (Adam Ryen) who hears word of a bird that has been caught by a poacher named McLeach (George C. Scott), Cody recures the bird and takes him to a ride to her nest, where 3 eggs about to hatch. Cody doesn't know that McLeach had only ready killed the bird's father and now is after the mommy bird. After Cody's visit he saves a mouse from a trap and Cody winds up in the trap. And is saved by McLeach and when Cody refuses to tell McLeach where the nest with the eggs are, he kidnaps Cody and word is spent out of the kidnapping of Cody. But the rangers believe that Cody was killed by a crodoile because his back pack was foud by a crodicle's swamp. The word keeps getting spread until New York, where a meeting is called to order and Bernard (Bob Newhart) and Miss Bianca (Eva Garbor) is picked for the case. Miss Bianca finds out about the case, but the problem is Bernard doesn't know about case, I guess that he thinks Miss Bianca has found out that Bernard is planning to propuse to her. Miss Bianca doesn't know that Bernard doesn't know about hte case, and without any talk about the case Miss Bianca accpets the assignment.

24 The Coolest Disney Sequel Ever, Mate!
As the people have said before, this is a Disney sequel that is actually decent and funny to watch. The plot was well thought out and the animation is spectacular. The characters are another positive. They are comical and the voices are right on the target. Also Bernard and Bianca have their original voices, not some fake voice that makes the movie more annoying.
Here's the story. An Austrailian boy named Cody has been kidnapped by a cruel poacher named McLeach, along with his goanna, Joanna. He wants the boy's prized friend, the largest bald eagle in the world he names Marahute. News of the kidnapping is sent all the way to New York by the local rodent population, and of course, Bernard and Bianca come to his aid, along with new friends Wilbur, who takes over Orville's role, and Jake, a kangaroo rat that makes Bernard feel unimportant at times(not on purpose.)Well in the end, Bernard asks the ultimate question of any bachelor to Bianca, she accepts, and they have a happy flight home. But they forgot someone...
The one main thing that gripped me in this movie is the music. It is Aboringine-based, and it sounds upbeat and beautiful. But of course, Disney slapped in the old orchestra, which gives this movie the best music in history. The humor is really good, as I've said before. Its put in there at the right time and the little bit of cheap slapstick while have you on the floor, anyway.
The Rescuers Down Under is one great movie and takes number one as a sequel, especially in Disney's case. It is a must- have and must own for all of Disney's true collectors and fans.

25 The Rescuers Down Under
My little boy who is two and a half just loves this movie.He was'nt very intrested when I bought it about a year ago but has lately developed a real love for this movie. It was'nt but a couple of weeks ago he would want to watch Bob The Builder over and over again well as you can guess we were all getting tired of that show.Now he is wanting to watch this video over and over again I still have'nt got tired of this movie since the first time I saw it.I would recomend this movie to anyone who has a two and a half year old.It speaks alot for it self when my two year old will watch it over all the 10 to 15 video's he has.

26 The DVD is anamorphic widescreen
Just wanted to let people know this DVD *is* in anamorphic widescreen!

27 A good addition to a Disney DVD collection
Although not one of the best Disney animated features, The Rescuers Down Under is a nice addition to anyone's Disney DVD collection. There is some bonus material on the DVD, but nothing spectacular. The picture and sound quality are better on the DVD than the VHS version though.

28 The best of Disney's recent animated adventures
Though not as well known as other recent Disney features, this animated sequel (the first in Disney history) has much to recommend it -- excellent computer-aided animation, unusually fluid camera movement, a clever script, and a rousing musical score by Bruce Broughton.

Sadly, it doesn't have memorable or engaging characters. The large cast of Australian animals never gets enough screen time to make an impression. But to be fair, the two stars of the original _Rescuers_, Bernard and Bianca, fare no better; they don't even appear until twenty minutes into the film, and then have only a few scenes together. The voice talents of Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor, whose easygoing chemistry and comic aplomb made the first film a pleasant romp, are utterly wasted here.

Still, this sequel was never meant to be character-driven. In this respect and many others, it's a departure from what audiences have come to expect from a Disney cartoon. There are no songs, not much dancing, and surprisingly little comic relief. Instead, this cartoon is a straightforward, unpretentious action-adventure, guaranteed to satisfy a family audience.

29 Well made and long awaited sequel
Great computeranimation, a good voicecast, unforgettable characters, and lot of action and humor saves this overlooked Disney sequel, that seems to get more popular, as it's released on DVD.
Bernard and Bianca must travel to the wilderness in Australia, to save the boy Cody, and the eagle Marahute from the flamboyant villian McLeach, and his clumsy sidekick, the iguana Joanna, and they get help from the kangaroo-mouse Jake.

30 Over Priced
What a shock it was for me to find this video at Babies R Us for 14.99.

31 The Rescuers Down Under Gold Collection DVD
Out of the 40 Disney animated "classics", the two Rescuers films are some of the few that I haven't paid much attention to. This is not to say that they are bad films, becuase they are not. They just didn't grab my attention, and they still don't completley.

Disney's 1990 sequel to the 1977 original, does offer the viewer a great Action/Adventure flick, with some great and exciting scenes. However, mixed in are a little too many scenes that make my mind start wandering off and forget for a minute that Im watching a movie.

The subplot, in which Bernard wants to ask Bianca to marry him, but never has the chance, is amusing to watch. Especially with the addition of a possible rival, Jake. Wilbur, the albatross provides that comic relief, and does it well.

Still a nice addition to a DVD Collection for Disney fans, but may not come off good on others.

32 Bernard and Miss Bianca Do It Again!
In Disney's "The Rescuers Down Under," Rescue Aid Society mice Bernard and Miss Bianca travel to Australia to help Mara Houte, the golden eagle. With the assistance of Wilbur, an albatross, and numerous other friends encountered along the way (such as a wise-cracking kangaroo rat), they hurry to help the endangered bird. Voice talents of Bob Newhart (Bernard), Eva Gabor (Miss Bianca) and John Candy (Wilbur) move the story along at a good pace. George C. Scott provides voice for the villain, a bounty hunter of endangered animals. Scott's sidekick is a goanna lizard called Joana - and there is some fascinating interplay between the lizard and the man. A sidebar plot is Bernard's plan to propose marriage to Miss Bianca ... and all of the things that conspire to get in the way. This is a nice movie for the entire family, and one with a good message. I highly recommend it.

33 Intriguing Story About Animal Rights
Excellent production. Intriguing story illustrates poaching and teaches subtle lessons about learning right from wrong, courage and teamwork. Charming supporting characters and novel setting. Fun animation, great music. Scary kidnapping scene. Some comments made by younger viewers: "Cool." "There was neat music and the pictures were made really well." Understood the concept of animal rights. "I am like the boy and would try to save the eagle." "There are lots of great scenes. The good animals are brave and work together."

34 The way a Sequel is supposed to be.
Sequels are supposed to be the next chapter in the characters life. They are supposed to be a continuation of the previous movie, not a way to rake in some extra cash by straight to video flicks such as "Pocohantas Journey to a New World" or "The Little Mermaid 2". The Rescuers was a good movie, it had all of the right things to a plot to make it enjoyable. The Rescuers Down Under on the other hand, was not simply a movie to say "AACK! A sequel" to. It surpassed the greatness of the first, the plot was gripping, the characters were believable, and the Disney animation was of course spectacular! Unfortunatley, if you walk up to someone on the street and say "What did you think of the Rescuers Down Under?" they will most likely reply "The what? When did THAT come out? Last year sometime?".

It has always been one of my absolute favorite movies, and I clearly remember wearing out the video a few times. The biggest kept secret in Disney history.

35 Disney's first animated sequel.
"The Rescuers Down Under" is Disney's first sequel [released theatrically] to an animated feature, and it is very decent. The animation looks and feels spectacular, with considerable computer-animation thrown in. In fact, the animation in this movie looks better than in the first one. The movie also introduces some new characters, while keeping Miss Bianca and Bernard from the first movie. My favorite sequence in this movie is when the eagle flies with Cody in the clouds. That scene is stunning, enhanced by the uplifting music by Bruce Broughton, who did the score to "Silverado". I think the original "Rescuers" film is better in terms of character development. The second film has better animation as I mentioned, and the villain McLeach is voiced with zest by the late, great George C. Scott. I like both "Rescuers" movies a lot, but I find the first one better because of the story and memorable characters.

36 Better than the original by far!
I am a die hard Disney fan, especially when it comes to animation, but I'm always hearing how wonderful the original Rescuers is when it is one of the two big screen Disney animated features that never really impressed me much. The other one is Pocahontas, but the Rescuers was much better than Pocahontas (except technically). Anyway, this sequel is one of the best animated films of all time! The first one was a good movie, but the poor quality of the backgrounds and character designs, the drab colors and all of that other art stuff made it difficult to watch for me, and I never got that special copy with the naked lady in the window. The sequel is such an amazing improvement. This movie followed the Little Mermaid, so we're talking about the time when Disney animation was becoming worthwhile simply for it's amazing new technical achievements! Luckily most of the time they have good writing, character design and everything else too! Bernard and Bianca look much better in this sequel. Much cleaner, cuter, and brighter, just like the rest of this movie. It's got an amazing scope, and frankly, I thought McLeach was a very worthy Disney villain, even though I've actually read that his supervising animator wasn't at all satisfied with him. Go fig! The music, the art, the story, John Candy's comic relief, all add up to an amazing, breathtaking adventure that Disney should be very proud of! I know I have more than a room full of Disney memorabilia already, but I still wish they'd do a little more with these great lesser known Disney films! I want my stuffed Joanna and Wilbur! I want Bernard and Bianca figures! Do yourself a favor and get this movie!

37 An overlooked gem
You hear a lot about this film being Disney's first sequal, but don't let that freak you out if you've never seen the original Rescuers film. There's really no need to have seen The Rescuers to appreciate The Rescuers Down Under. The only thing these films share are the two main characters (Binard and Bianca) and the plot point of saving a child in jeopardy. Where the original was a touchy-feely story of abandonment, this film tackles the very different issue of wildlife preservation. I find this to be a far better film than The Rescuers (although I loved it as a child and still hold a special place for it in my heart), and a welcome change of pace form the usual Disney fare.

This was the first film to use Disney's new CAPS system of filming animation and the results are truly stunning. Bright vivid colors, blending and shading, sharp crisp lines, and subtle use of computer animation are the hallmarks of the "new" Disney and it all began with this film. The opening sequence is a great example of what the system can do and remains one of the most thrilling openings to any Disney film. More breathtaking scenes, like the flights with Marahute, futher attest to the technological achievement of the film.

Story wise this film gives us Disney's most realistic depiction of childhood to date (B.A. before Andy from Toy Story, but he's really a PIXAR creation anyway), in the protagonist Cody. He's strong willed, bright, has a sense of adventure and never seems overly cute. He's just a boy who wants to save his friend, the last golden eagle Marahute, from the evil poacher. Some very fun and comic characters are introduced (notably Frank the lizzard) to offset one of the meanist villans ever, Percival McLeach. He's drawn in a realistic way that exaggerates his features just enough to give him a very menacing look. Believe me, when he yells at Cody you will recoil in fear!

With all this high praise you might be wondering why this isn't a more widely known film. Well it had the unfortunate distinction of following The Little Mermaid, which sent the studio in the direction of Broadway-styled musicals. I haven't mentioned music for the film because there isn't any. Althought the score is fantastic (and a hotly sought after collectors item), there isn't one song in the entire film. Simply put, it got lost under all the hoopla about Disney's new style. People were looking for more of the same from Disney and soon they would get it.

Rating the DVD itself, I'd give it a 5 for picture and sound, but only a 3 for bonus material. Disney has released a few DVD's with outstanding bonus', however this isn't one of them. All you get is a trivia game that will be really easy to win after you see the film and a mode that tells you the story in words or has a voice over read it to you. But don't let the meager bonus material stop you from getting this DVD. Now that time has passed and most of us are looking for something new from Disney, take a look at this overlooked gem. You'll be overwhelmed by it's adventure, granduer, beauty and most importantly, fun.

38 An overlooked gem
You hear a lot of talk about this film being Disney's first sequal, but don't let that freak you out if you've never seen the original Rescuers film. There's really no need to have seen The Rescuers to appreciate The Rescuers Down Under. The only thing these films share are the two main characters (Binard and Bianca) and the plot point of saving a child in jeopardy. Where the original was a touchy-feely story of abandonment, this film takcles the very different issue of wildlife preservation. I find this to be a far better film than The Rescuers (although I loved it as a child and still hold a special place for it in my heart), and a welcome change of pace from the usual Disney fare.

This was the first film to use Disney's new CAPS system of filming animation and the results are truly stunning. Bright vivid colors, the blending of shades into one another, sharp crips lines, and subtle computer animation are the hallmarks of the "new" Disney and it all began with this film. The opening of the film is a great example of what the system can do and remains one of the most thrilling openings to any Disney film. More breathtaking scenes, like the flight with Marahute, further attest to the technical achievement of the film.

Story wise this film gives us Disney's most realistic depiction of childhood to date (B.A. before Andy from Toy Story, but he's really a PIXAR creation anyway), in the protagonist Cody. He's strong willed, bright, has a sense of adventure and never seems overly cute. He's just a boy who wants to stop the evil McLeach from killing the last of the great golden eagles, and his friend Marahute. The relationship between Bianca and Benard is expanded upon, but again you don't need to know their history from The Rescuers to understand what's happening. Some very fun and comic characters are indtroduced (notably, Frank the wacky lizzard) to offset one of the meanist villans ever, the poacher, Percival McLeach. He's drawn in a realistic way that exaggerates his feaures just enough to give him a very menacing look. Believe me, when he yells at Cody you will recoil in fear!

With all this high praise you might be wondering why this isn't a more widely known film. Well it had the distinction of follwing The Little Mermaid which sent Disney in the direction of Broadway-styled musicals. I haven't mentioned music for The Rescuers Down Under because there isn't any. Although the score is fantastic (and a hotly sought after collectors item), there isn't one song in the film. It got lost under all the hoopla about Disney's new style. People were looking for more of the same from Disney and soon they would get it.

Rating the DVD itself, I'd give it a 5 for picture and sound, but only a 3 for bonus features. Disney has relesed a few DVD's with outstanding bonus', however this isn't one of them. All you get is a trivia game that will be really easy to answer once you've seen the film and a mode that tells the story in words or has a voice over read it to you. But don't let that discourage you from getting this DVD. Now that some time has passed and most of us are looking for someting fresh from Disney, take a look at this overlooked gem. You'll be overwhelmed by it's adventure, granduer, beauty, and most importantly, fun.

39 An overlooked gem
You hear a lot of talk about this film being Disney's first sequal, but don't let that freak you out if you've never seen the original Rescuers film. There's really no need to have seen The Rescuers to appreciate The Rescuers Down Under. The only thing these films share are the two main characters (Binard and Bianca) and the plot point of saving a child in jeopardy. Where the original was a touchy-feely story of abandonment, this film takcles the very different issue of wildlife preservation. I find this to be a far better film than The Rescuers (although I loved it as a child and still hold a special place for it in my heart), and a welcome change of pace from the usual Disney fare.

Story wise this film gives us Disney's most realistic depiction of childhood to date (B.A. before Andy from Toy Story, but he's really a PIXAR creation anyway), in the protagonist Cody. He's strong willed, bright, has a sense of adventure and never seems overly cute. He's just a boy who wants to stop the evil McLeach from killing the last of the great golden eagles, and his friend Marahute. The relationship between Bianca and Benard is expanded upon, but again you don't need to know their history from The Rescuers to understand what's happening. Some very fun and comic characters are indtroduced (notably, Frank the wacky lizzard) to offset one of the meanist villans ever, the poacher, Percival McLeach. He's drawn in a realistic way that exaggerates his feaures just enough to give him a very menacing look. Believe me, when he yells at Cody you will recoil in fear!

40 Amazing
This was absolutly amazing. I was 4 when this came out and I vfell in love with it, I saw it before I saw the orignal (which, instead of waiting until 1997 to release it on video, the rush released in in 1992)but it doesn't make a difference. I admire the graphics very much, unlike more recent Disney movies where there is just one huge grand computer designed scene, there are many little ones in this. One of which starts as soon as the movie begins during the begining credits. It pans a wonderful view of flowers and leads up to Codey's house right next to Ayers Rock. Then in every glide-down scene where Wilber swoops downward, it is anothweer computer scene. Besides the affects, the story is amazing as well. Truley a work of art. I think it is uch better than the origanal, a must have!

41 Brilliant, Non-Musical Disney Animation
THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER will satisfy viewers repeated times. Parents will appreciate the story's emphasis on loyalty to friends, courage in the face of difficulties, and acceptance of responsibility. More importantly, though, parents and children will enjoy the fully realized cast of characters through the talents of animators who effectively realize Eva Gabor, Bob Newhart, John Candy, and George C. Scott as cartoon counterparts.

Disney has also apparently reviewed its pricing and packaging policy. This DVD, at the lower "gold collection" price, includes a read-along storybook and a trivia game. Unfortunately, the "animals of the outback" booklet promised on the packaging is only a pamphlet half devoted to other Disney product. Viewers will also have to jump to the menu immediately upon inserting the dvd in order to avoid a long list of ads for other Disney material. I suppose we pay for the lower-priced packaging by watching the ads. While it would have been nice for Disney to have included a "captions in English" option so children could learn to read as they watch the movie, viewers will get to enjoy the film in its widescreen splendor and see how big a giant eagle looks without its wingspread truncated by the edge of the screen.

Still, this movie will get repeated viewings in your home, and it will deserve them. Were I rating the movie itself, I'd give it four and a half stars; its yet to be fully realized presentation lowers my rating to four stars.

42 I wish Disney made more films like this.
This is the best annimation Disney has done since their glorious beginning. Films like Pinnochio, and Sleeping Beauty were excellent due to the wonderfull craftsmanship and storytelling. In the 60's though, the craftsmanship faultered a bit with the advent of a faster xerox process of transfering pencils to the annimation cell. This can best be seen in movies like the Arristocats. The backgrounds too, were far less detailed than ever before. The first Rescuers (1977) movie was an example of that lul in artistry. The Rescuers Down Under is a triumphant return to the magic that made Disney a household name. Here you will see some of the most challenging annimation to date, and the work is flawless. The characters are excellent, the story is meaningfull and the work of the late greats George C. Scott and John Candy tie it all together. This is in my top 5 movies of all time.

43 The Disney Movie I would watch over and over!
This film is really quite good, not just as a cartoon but as a movie. The ecological message is very strong, but the character's are quite amusing at the same time. Great voices from John Candy, Bob Newhart, Tristan Rogers, and especially George C. Scott. As far as bad guys go, McLeach (George C. Scott) is as bad as it gets! The character is as mean, greedy, and otherwise nasty as one could hope for in a villain. The animation sequence with Cody riding the Eagle is just awesome. The computer animation in this one is great. One note.... in some movie guide (either Maltin or Ebert) it was stated to watch out for the dark-skinned features of McLeach as some sort of denegration of dark-skinned people... This statement is just absurd! The McLeach character looks and sounds like George C. Scott! This is a wonderful film with a positive message about the environment, helping others, and gaining self-confidence. I think you'll love it! I have high hopes for the DVD edition!

44 A Disney favorite -- Hopefully released in widescreen!
A favorite Disney film -- excellent adventure, strong characters, beautiful art work and a great background score. It's listed as widescreen -- let's hope Disney releases it that way!