An American Tail: Review By Diaigma

The Man Who Scared Disney: Reviews with History - Part 2 of 3

Bio: as a factored response to The Secret of NIMH, Disney produced two animated films simultaneously. That second film was The Great Mouse Detective (makes sense, since features with mice were popular again . . .), but this only gave way to Bluth's next "mousy" production, released a few months later, eventually outperforming The Great Mouse Detective to become the highest grossing non-Disney animated film at the time. Teaming up with Steven Spielberg and Amblim Entertainment, this feature was the first animated release for Universal Pictures.

The late 1800s was a dark time in the history of Europe, where many hoped to seek refuge in America, the land of opportunity, where the streets are paved with gold. The harsh reality that these immigrants faced was harrowing, despairing, and served to enlarge the great melting pot. Take that setting and apply it to mice is not only a curious move, but an ingenious one, allowing for a family friendly feature that is richly embedded with lessons of diversity and US history. Marginally silly and encompassly captivating, An American Tail will take you on a voyage of drama, romance, danger, memorable songs, and a powerful climax that you will 'never' forget.

The Mousekewitzes, a family of Jewish mice in Russia, are terrorized by a gang of cats (who resemble the oppressive Cossacks at the time) and have lost their home. Having heard of America, a land where there are no cats and the streets are paved with cheese, the Mousekewitzes decided to board a boat for the new world, but sea fairing can be dangerous, as curious young Fievel learns when he gets washed overboard during a storm. Convinced that their son is dead (except for Fievel's faithful older sister), the family tries to move on with their lives. However, Fievel is alive, washed up to shore in a bottle, but how will he find his family in such a large and diverse country where con-rats are willing to exploit him and cats really do exist?

What I Dug:

Art - using rotoscoping, the filmmakers filmed actual peoplehumans dressed in 1885 period clothing and later traced them onto animation cells, creating a realistic look to human characters (who serve only as extras) to distinguish them from their rodent neighbors. Beyond that, the film's abundant and detailed background feels like I'm thrown into a Charles Graham painting. Fine use of gaseous and misty elements and colorful skies makes this film a moving art gallery.

Score - haunting, engrossing, and at times patriotic, James Horner's score draws you into the film from the very beginning. An equal balance of wind and strung instruments, the score is subtle and sure, and only busy when it needs to be (getting chased by cats). Though at times silly, the songs that go with the score are cleverly composed, making for the best animated musical since, well, contextually, this was the first animated musical, at least with a Broadway-like energy that would later become a Disney hallmark, as opposed to just having songs in them.

Payoff - I won't spoil it for you, but the climax is the real payoff of this film, one that makes parents and children grateful that they are together and not separated. If there is one thing that Bluth does well is draw you into a story and ends it satisfying. His trademark view on animated films is thus: "children can handle just about anything as long as you attach a happy ending."

Historical Context - it gets kids to ask questions about immigration, disillusionment, and American history in general. As a side note: the scene where Fievel presses his face against a school window was inspired by a real life experience from Spielberg's grandfather.

What I Buried:

Fievel Singing - the main theme for An American Tail, "Somewhere Out There," would eventually win a Grammy Award, but in the film itself, it's hard to keep from covering my ears. As awesome as Phillip Glasser was for Fievel's voice, his off-key singing was not, making the calmest and most harmonic song in the entire film reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard.

Silliness - there are moments when silliness detracts from the serious tone of the film, but there is an equal balance where neither one dominates over the other, making for a miniscule irk.

This is a film that I enjoyed watching as a child and still do as an adult. The sequel that followed - An American Tail: Fievel Goes West - was not directed by Bluth and has a very different feel to it. It is a decent sequel however, in some respects, and it does serve as Hollywood legend James Stewart's final performance. As a lover of animation, I encourage others to watch this film, and never say never, because you're not going to regret this one.

Bio: It was at this point that Disney realized that they had real competition, and this anxiety would later become apparent with their next feature (and a costly, risky gamble of five films to be released every year for the next five years). The first film of the Disney Renaissance was Oliver and Company, a modern telling of Oliver Twist (in New York . . . way to follow Bluth's example, guys). They would then (I assume because of Eisner), purposefully and ruthlessly for the rest of Don Bluth's career, release a film (even re-release) on the same day as a Don Bluth production. Oliver and Company and The Land Before Time opened the same weekend, November 18, 1988, but who would ultimately win this first rival showdown at the box office?

This Review and History continues with Part 3 - The Land Before Time