"The Secret Of NIMH"

JOE'S SUMUP: the quintessential animated feature

(1982) Each genre of film is inevitably accompnaied by a stereotype.  We hear "horror" and we think Freddy, we hear "comedy" and we think Jim Carrey or Bill Murray.  And when we hear "animated", we think Disney, Saturday morning, and "for children only".  It is thus unlikely that one would classify true greatness in the same category.  Don Bluth beat the system in 1982 with his original masterpiece "The Secret Of NIMH".  Simply put, this animated feature is above its own code, breaking many conventions and forging others.

Out of all the movies I've seen, and I've see a few, this film contains one of my very favorite heroines: Mrs. Jonathan Brisby.  A mouse, no less.  We never learn her first name, but her entitlement (usually "Mrs. Brisby" as well as "Briz" to a clumsy crow friend) suits her well.  She is caught between a rock and a hard place (quite literally) as her son Timmy catches pneumonia and cannot be moved from their brick home, before the farmer plows the field in which they live.  She seeks help from animals who have gained supernatural powers from a drug adminstered to them by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).  The plot thickens as forces of good and evil connive against each other in the plan to provide aid for her family.

This animated feature is a rarity in that it's not solely directed toward children.  It contains suspense, terror, violence, even cursing, in its content.  All is done in good taste, while leaving audiences plenty of suspense.  I watched it as a kid, and was not traumatized---though I won't say the "giant" cat did not scare me to death.  If you like grizzly monsters, Dragon might do the trick.

The animation is flawless, unique, and beautiful.  The buildup (and especially finale) is eye-opening.  Such rich character development in animation was perhaps never so masterfully done.  One could not help but be inspired by Mrs. Brisby's sweetness and her determination---it is chiefly she who causes me to keep going back again and again.  To top it all off, the majestic score from the late Jerry Goldsmith brings this feature to a level untouched, IMHO.

Bravo to Mr. Bluth.  He has been hit-and-miss in his features, but his first will ever be his greatest.  And P.S. As always, the sequel is worth mentioning only in a caveat to skip.  Running time: 82 min.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084649