The Rescuers
Bernard and Bianca are back again to entertain a new generation after 35 years. The Rescue Aid Society sends their bravest mice to the Devil’s Bayou to rescue young Penny whom is being held captive by the rotten Madame Medusa. The ever cautious Bernard and adventure loving Bianca ‘gracefully’ soar into the Bayou, ready for anything, and set on rescuing young Penny!
The Rescuers Down Under
Bernard and Bianca come to the rescue once again. Only this time they are heading to the outback! Soaring down under on the finest Albatross New York has to offer in the dead of winter, they are back in action with the heroic intentions of rescuing little Cody from the treacherous grasp of a heartless poacher.
I always enjoyed The Rescuers and a child. Not as much as The Rescuers Down Under, but I still enjoyed it. Both of these films are great classics. The Rescuers, originally released in 1977, has a much older feel to it. Then again it is old. The characters are so lovable and polite, as well as funny and adorable. The plot is a very simple and direct one, slow at times, but still perfect for an audience of all ages.
The age of the film did seem to limit the restoration of the film, but most parts were cleaned up remarkably well. There were several scenes that seemed almost untouched, but they were very sketchy and would have lost all charm if cleaned too well. The charm and originality of the film were very much kept in tacked throughout the restoration. Certain things were almost too well done and were a bit distracting from the rest of the film, such as the diamond. I think it drew your attention to how different the rest of the scene and film was surrounding it. The vivid color restoration for some of the characters and clothing were very refreshing. Overall, it was a fairly good restoration of a very old film.
The Rescuers Down Under was a different story all together. Being as it was released in 1990, and the animation world had changed so drastically, it has a much more recent feel to it. Not just the quality of picture and sound, but the story line and comedy of the film are even more modern. This restoration was wonderful. The colors and lines are all very vibrant and neatly done. It was very visually pleasing.
I personally enjoyed this film much more than the original. I’m not sure if it’s because I watched it continuously as a child or if it’s the composition of the film. Either way it is wonderful. The voice cast of the original (Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor) are back for this film as well as John Candy as Wilber (an hysterical Albatross.) That always makes for a more enjoyable sequel. All of the new characters are incredibly funny. The whole film is full of silly comedy.
Disc 1- Blu-ray™ Two Feature Films + Bonus
-“Peoplitis”- Deleted Song
-“The Three Blind Mouseketeers”- Silly Symphony Animated Short
-“Water Birds” Disney True-Life Adventure
-“Someone’s Waiting For You” Sing-Along Song
-The Making Of The Rescuers Down Under
Disc 2- DVD Feature Film + Bonus
-The Rescuers 35th Anniversary Edition
-“The Three Blind Mouseketeers”- Silly Symphony Animated Short
-“Water Birds” Disney True-Life Adventure
-“Someone’s Waiting For You” Sing-Along Song
Disc 3- DVD Feature Film + Bonus
-The Rescuers Down Under
-The Making Of The Rescuers Down Under
This is a great collection to have. In this combo you get 3 discs, the Blu-ray featuring both films and a DVD copy of both features as well. The blu-ray has all the bonus features plus a deleted song. The DVDs have the same bonus features, but they are split between the two discs.
The extras were pretty good. I enjoyed the Making Of and “Water Birds” quite a bit. There is always so much great information about the film in the Making Of bonus features. You always end up with a greater appreciation for the film after viewing them. And of course, as always the animated silly short is very entertaining.