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The Secret Of Nimh [1982]


RRP: £12.99
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

In his book, Robert C. O'Brien called his brave widow mouse "Mrs. Frisby", but Disney escapee animator Don Bluth must have thought children would laugh the wrong way at that. They renamed her "Mrs. Brisby" for The Secret of NIMH. That acronym stands for the National Institute of Mental Health, and the rats that live near Mrs. Brisby came from NIMH--they have strange ways. But they're the only ones who can save her house and her children, so Brisby seeks them out with the help of a humorous crow (Dom DeLuise). The magic gets laid on a little thick but this is Don Bluth's most successful attempt to achieve a complete, sincere, animated film. It's often forgotten, but it's a true surprise and a rare treat in the vast wasteland of insubstantial children's fare. --Keith Simanton, Amazon.com

Editorial
Video Description

DVD Special Features:

Play
Scene Selection
US Theatrical Trailer
Spoken Languages
Language Choice: English, German and Spanish

Editorial
Synopsis

Don Bluth's THE SECRET OF NIMH is an exquisitely drawn, colorfully animated feature about Mrs. Brisby, a brave mother field mouse who struggles to save her family's home from a farmer's plow. She soon discovers she needs the help of the strange, intelligent rats who live beneath the nearby rosebush in an intricate city. But when the timid but determined Mrs. Brisby discovers the astounding wonders of NIMH, it could change her life forever. From the Hitchcockian flashback sequence revealing the rats' secret to the moral questions raised about animal testing, this film is a beautiful example of how animation can expertly tell a gripping story while still remaining appropriate and entertaining for children. Widely considered to be Bluth's masterpiece, THE SECRET OF NIMH features a strong cast of vocal talent, including Derek Jacobi, John Carradine, Dom DeLuise, Elizabeth Hartman, Wil Wheaton, and Shannen Doherty.
Editorial
From the Back Cover

Get ready to meet some runaway rodents with an earth-shattering secret! Suspenseful and heartwarming, this beautifully -animated odyssey stars Mrs Brisby, a mild-mannered mother mouse with a plan to move Heaven and Earth (or at least her house and home) to save her family from Farmer Pitzgibbon's plough! Along the way she gets some help from a lovelorn Crow, a busybody neighbour mouse and a fearsome Great Owl. Unfortunately, Mrs. Brisby will need an engineering miracle to hoist her home, and for that she must face a mysterious rat, fend off her ferocious cat and claim a magic amulet! But when Mrs. Brisby discovers the outstanding secret of NIMH...it could change her life forever!

This timeless tale of love, courage and determination will transport the whole family into an enchanting world - where the bravest hearts live in the meekest of mice.


You've never seen anything like it
Review date: 2007-12-08 Rating: 8 out of 10

The Secret of NIMH is an animated rarity. The story is a serious one - nobody bursts into song and there are quite a few disturbing sequences. Don Bluth's masterpiece deserves to be up there with Bambi as one of the greatest animated films of our time. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you see it, especially if you love Don Bluth's other classics like The Land Before Time or An American Tail.

The story itself is simple - a mother mouse (Mrs Brisby) must move her family, but she desperately needs help because her son is seriously ill. She seeks the aid of a clan of super-intelligent rats, led by the wise Nicodemus. As Mrs Brisby uncovers a secret about her late husband's past, the power-hungry rat Jenner seeks out to ruin everything. Okay, maybe not so simple, but it's easy enough to follow.

The animation is in the style of old Disney films from the 40s but Don Bluth has his own style too. It's a simple mix of elegance and cuteness that makes the characters so warm and full of life. The backgrounds are soft but vivid and change colour to reflect the character's mood - much like in Bambi.

The music is very beautiful and atmospheric. As I said before, none of the characters erupt into song. We have one song - Flying Dreams. It's a very sweet song that is played in the background, much like 'Someone's Waiting for You' in The Rescuers (another great mouse movie!) Flying Dreams tenderly invites us into a gentle moment between Mrs Brisby and her children.

As great as it is, The Secret of NIMH does have a few flaws. Some ideas could've been developed more and some sequences, as enchanting as they are, could have easily been omitted. But the good far outweighs the bad, and beats the heck out of Don Bluth's later flicks.

I've seen some people simply bash this gem because it's not entirely loyal to the book. Get over it. It's called creative license. Yes, the film does take some liberties, but it still stick quite close to the original plot line. I see films like Tarzan get gushed over with needless praise, despite the fact they don't even give a fig to their original source material.
This is one of the best animated films out there. It easily surpasses the likes of The Lion King or Finding Nemo. This is a film that truly reaches for the child-within. It's dark and scary, but some children might be able to handle it. However, if The Land Before Time III is your idea of a work of art, than skip this.

As for the deducted star, that was because of the DVD. There's few extras - the wonderful theatrical trailer, and 'interactive menus.' You know when THAT is put as a 'special feature,' then the company's trying to glamourise a poor release. Not to mention that the film is very grainy and the picture shudders at times. But don't let this awful release stop you from enjoying this classic, which is a five-star work of art.

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Reviews


One of the most original, beautiful and moving stories for children ever
Review date: 2007-07-02 Rating: 10 out of 10

This little known movie is a rare treasure. Extremely original story, very touching main hero (mother trying to save her sick child), great visual aspect (the Great Owl is particularly impressive), this movie desserves to be on every DVD shelf in every place where there are children. And their parents.

i loved this movie
Review date: 2004-08-30 Rating: 10 out of 10

i remeber loving this movie when i was young. I recommend this movie. 100%

A masterpiece that puts the best of Disney to shame
Review date: 2002-11-10 Rating: 10 out of 10

One of the promotional posters for The Secret of NIMH states that it is "Animation in the grand tradition". This a staement I disagree with strongly.
If the "grand tradition" is Disney then NIMH creates it's own style vastly superior to the tradition.
The film was from the outset intended to be as realistic as possable in an animated film and in this respect it is not wanting. The charecters are beautifully drawn, as are the backgrounds.
Strong praise must go to Elizebeth Heartman (Mrs Brisby) who poured her heart and sole into her charecter and created what I believe is the most adorable charecter ever.
The music by Jerry Goldsmith is astounding. It breaks the Disney tradition and remains entirly as background music (with the exception of Mrs Brisby's lulliby) which means there are no parts of the film in which the charecters break into mass, impossably choriographed song and dance.
The Secret of NIMH has touched people in a way that films are not usually capable. The blurb on the back of the video box suggests "share it with someone you love". A fittingly charming statement.

If you're a child at heart, you'll love it
Review date: 2002-08-28 Rating: 10 out of 10

At 23 years of age I'm certainly not ashamed to admit that The Secret of NIMH is one of my favourite films. The story and characters are wonderful, Jeremy the crow is definitely the best animated character in existance. Every element of this film has been brought together into a fantastic masterpiece. It's one cartoon worth watching again and again.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Arthur Malet
Hermione Baddeley
Dom DeLuise
Elizabeth Hartman
Derek Jacobi

Creators:
Derek Jacobi (Primary Contributor)
Elizabeth Hartman (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: MGM Entertainment
Manufacturer: MGM Entertainment
EAN: 5050070001785
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Animated, Dubbed, Full Screen, PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2001-04-02
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Universal, suitable for all
Region code: 2
Running time: 79 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1982-07-02
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: German (Dubbed)
Language: Spanish (Dubbed)

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