Pitch a children’s movie to a studio about a mouse, a secret order of superintelligent rats, a bumbling crow, and their adventures on a farm and chances are they might go for it. Such was the basic premise of The Secret of NIMH, except the tone and imagery within makes it a bit too much for most children; this might explain its poor box office performance back in 1982. It’s not the idea that doesn’t work, as many children’s stories have centered on rodents and their adventures, and something similar in plot and theme was the basis of Brian Jacques’s Redwall books which would follow The Secret of NIMH four years later. No, The Secret of NIMH sits in its own corner because it attempts a tone and style most weren’t and still aren’t looking for in a film for kids.
Mrs. Brisby (Elizabeth Hartman), a field mouse and the mother of four children (voiced by Wil Wheaton, Shannen Doherty, and Jodi Hicks), lives in a cinder block on Fitzgibbon’s farm. Her son Timothy has fallen ill with pneumonia and must stay in bed for 3 weeks, complicating the move of their home in preparation of the farmer’s plowing. Desperate for a solution, she solicits the aid of her acquaintance Jeremy (Dom DeLuise), a clumsy crow with an affinity for string, and seeks the advice of the Great Owl (John Carradine), who recommends she seek the aid of the rats of NIMH who knew her deceased husband Jonathan. Venturing into the rose bush where the rats live, she discovers the rats have been chemically altered to be able to read and make use of the farmer’s electricity. The rats, under the guidance of Nicodemus (Derek Jacobi) and Justin (Peter Strauss), the Captain of the Guards, are in the midst of a plan to move out to the fields, but they put it on hold and agree to help Mrs. Brisby move her home out of a sense of honor over her husband’s service to them. However, the plans go awry when the mutinous rat Jenner (Paul Shenar) puts his own spin on the proceedings.
Don Bluth had a knack for producing high-concept animated films which, in this case, doomed the film as it ultimately became inaccessible to younger children. Most children’s films are very simple in structure and don’t add in too many variables. The protagonists have their adventure, meet some friends, and everything works out happy. The Secret of NIMH insists on a complicated worldview with reference to things past, present, and future, elements that complicate the story beyond what most children can handle. No child will understand that NIMH references the National Institute of Mental Health where the rats were experimented upon. It’s a concept most children aren’t ready for, and it’s not at all diluted to a level where they would. The Secret of NIMH is an animated film aimed at an older youth demographic, which is a dangerous target to shoot for.
The story isn’t the only obstacle for children’s consumption of this film, as the animation will also turn kids off. Though rich with some beautiful colors and backgrounds, very few parents could watch The Secret of NIMH and feel it was appropriate in tone for kids under six, and some of the character designs and sequences are creepy no matter what age you are. The film starts with Nicodemus’s hands caressing the magical pendant that will go on to save the day; the hands in any other animating medium would belong to an evil witch with their long nails and blistered appearance. Here though, they’re the hands of the wise and sagacious Nicodemus, Mrs. Brisby’s greatest ally.
The transfer to Blu-ray is a double-edged sword. While the colors are rich and the animation beautiful for 2D of its time, the film’s preservation leaves a little to be desired. You can see the dust on the film and the grain of the negative. It doesn’t appear like the film was restored at all, and I wouldn’t be surprised to discover the studio had just copied the DVD onto a Blu-ray disc. I’m willing to bet the only reason it looks somewhat vibrant now is due to typical the upscaling effects of HD. In contrast, the audio remains impressive and Jerry Goldsmith’s score is haunting.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
An audio commentary with Director Don Bluth and Gary Goldman is the sole extra.
"The Secret of NIMH" is on sale March 29, 2011 and is rated G. Children & Family. Directed by Don Bluth. Written by Robert C. O'Brien (novel), Don Bluth & John Pomeroy & Gary Goldman & Will Finn (story). Starring Derek Jacobi, Dom DeLuise, Elizabeth Hartman, John Carradine, Peter Strauss, Wil Wheaton, Shannen Doherty.
