Planes, Trains and Automobiles

 Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

Starring Steve Martin and John Candy

Directed by John Hughes

Written by John Hughes

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin, Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell, Jim Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Guest, and Bill Murray

And the vocal talent of Levi Stubbs

Directed by Frank Oz

Written by Howard Ashman

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  A-

Uncle Buck

 Uncle Buck (1989)

Starring John Candy, Jean Louisa Kelly, Macauley Culkin, Gaby Hoffman, Amy Madigan, and Laurie Metcalf

Directed by John Hughes

Written by John Hughes

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C-

Splash

Splash (1984)

Starring Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, John Candy, and Eugene Levy

Directed by Ron Howard

Written by Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel, and Bruce Jay Friedman

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C+

The Disney Discussion - The Rescuers Down Under

Over the course of the year, we'll be spending our Wednesdays with Walt, having a discussion about each of Disney's animated films...

Movie #29 of The Disney Discussion

The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

Featuring the voice talents of Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, John Candy, Tristan Rogers, Adam Ryen, and George C. Scott

Directed by Hendel Butoy and Mike Gabriel

Summary (in 150 words or less):

Bernard and Bianca are back as the trusted mice from the Rescue Aid Society return to help a kidnapped boy in Australia.  Remember The Rescuers?  Yeah, this is pretty much the same thing.  Poacher Percival McLeach kidnaps young Cody since the boy has knowledge as to the whereabouts of the majestically large eagle named Marahute that lives in the cliffs of the Outback.  McLeach keeps Cody captive until the kid will reveal the location of the eagle and her offspring.  Naturally, Bernard and Bianca try to foil McLeach's plan and save Cody.

Facts and Figures

The Rescuers Down Under is the Walt Disney Company's 29th full-length animated feature film and was released on November 16, 1990.

The film opened with the 24-minute featurette The Prince and the Pauper starring Mickey Mouse.  Unfortunately, despite that addition, The Rescuers Down Under was a disappointment with the film opening in fourth place with only $3.5 million.  While the film eventually went on to make over $27 million, it is the least successful film of the Disney Renaissance era of the late 80s/90s.

The Rescuers Down Under was the first film to utilize the CAPS system by Disney in which artists would hand-draw animated cels which would then be placed into a computer.  They would then utilize digital inking and painting in order to color the cels.  The Rescuers Down Under was also the first film to be entirely finalized on computers -- meaning prior to releasing it to the public, all of the film's elements were digitized.

Let the Discussion Begin...

I discovered on this Disney Discussion journey that I've undertaken that I am a big fan of The Rescuers.  As we head into film #30 next week, The Rescuers, in fact, ranks #3 on my list thus far (of course, subject to change). There was something innocently charming about the film that just clicked for me.  Unfortunately, this sequel -- the first ever commissioned by the feature film division of Disney -- fails to deliver the goods of the original.  In fact, I have to wonder why this film was even created as it is essentially a rehash of the first film almost step-for-step.

First, let's change the setting from a muggy swamp to the dry, arid Australian Outback.  Instead of a young girl being kidnapped, let's replace her with a young boy named Cody.  Let's make the villain a guy this time rather than a woman, but we'll still let him have a reptile as a henchman, however we'll drop the alligators and make it a goanna -- a large lizard native to Australia.  You know, unfortunately, the guy who played the albatross Orville passed away, so let's get John Candy to voice an exact replica of him and name him Wilbur...how clever we are with that Orville and Wilbur Wright in-joke.  We'll still have him act the same way and be a bit of a dunce at flying because there's no need to stretch creatively, right?  And of course we'll bring back Bernard and Bianca, the former of whom will still be a bumbling nervous wreck and the latter of whom will still be an elegant Hungarian rodent.  

"Did we change things up enough," I can imagine the animators asking themselves.  The answer is definitively, "No."  Everything about The Rescuers Down Under (with the exception of certainly better animation techniques) pales in comparison to the original.  The character of Cody is much less cute than the lovable Penny and the screenwriters don't create enough of a backstory to allow us to connect and feel for his plight.  Of course it's awful that a young boy was kidnapped, but we know next to nothing about this kid before he's snatched up.  Similarly, Bernard and Bianca share very few scenes with Cody so even they seem to lack the oomph and drive to save the kid like they had in the original.

Of course, I enjoy Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor's take on Bernard and Bianca, but the two were wasted here.  Their characters take a backseat to Cody and McLeach whereas in the original, it seemed as if both sides of the story -- the human and mouse aspects -- were handled with equality which worked in its favor.  Here, the mice are kind of worthless.  Sure, they save the day, but by that point, I didn't really care.  The animators attempt to throw in a new love interest for Bianca in the dashing outback mouse Jake who aids the Rescue Aid Society workers, but he's not given much to do either and with the exception of a moment or two when Bernard's jealousy rears its ugly head for admittedly charming comedic purposes, the Jake character isn't really necessary.

A minor bright spot in the film is the villain.  Voiced rather hammily (in a good way) by George C. Scott, Percival McLeach is a jerk of a guy, given no redeeming qualities whatsoever.  However, he at least provides some tension in the film along with a few laughs with his hickish tendencies.  While I'd take the original's Medusa over McLeach any day, McLeach does seem a little more based in reality than his villainous predecessor.  I think he's significantly more dangerous too if his final act of deviousness in which he's essentially willing to murder Cody is any indication.

Admittedly, the animation in The Rescuers Down Under is superior to its predecessor, but that's what a decade will do for you in the animation world at that time.  Things look crisper, more colorful, and much more flowing.  The opening shot -- a speedy pan across the Outback -- is glorious and had me utterly excited for the film to kick into high gear.  It never did.

Random Thoughts
...while watching the film...

• The initial reaction I had when a kangaroo starts to talk to Cody was that of oddness.  I realize that the mice in the original Rescuers talked to Penny, but here the story hasn't really established the human/animal connection yet.  Then, rather oddly, when Cody meets Marahute, the eagle doesn't talk, yet completely understands Cody's dialog.
• I can't understand why Marahute and Joanna (McLeach's pet goanna) can't speak while all the other animals in the film can.  Can someone explain this hierarchy to me?
• I miss the original Rescuers.  
• This made me want to watch Ducktales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp for some reason.  (Yes, these last two random ideas popped into my head whilst watching this one.)
• My brother calls McLeach an evil-looking Ernest from the Ernest movies of the 80s...I'll never look at McLeach the same way again.

Final Analysis

(Does It Belong in the Revered Disney Pantheon and How Does It Stack Up to Past Films?)

Perhaps it's just anticipation for the 30th film in the Disney Canon, but this 29th film didn't live up to my expectations.  I remembered enjoying it as a kid, but as an adult -- and watching it so closely after the significantly better The Rescuers -- The Rescuers Down Under is just a rehash of its more creative predecessor.  While I certainly welcomed the notion of inviting Bernard and Bianca back to the big screen, it didn't work in the way I thought it would in part because I feel like they pushed those charming mice to the outskirts of the story.  Perhaps better screenwriting would've solved the problem, but in the end, I think our title characters are limited in what they can do whilst saving people -- they're mice, let's not forget.  Unfortunately, this tale doesn't earn a place in the revered Disney Pantheon of animated films.

The RyMickey Rating: C

Join us next Wednesday for Beauty and the Beast, the 30th film in The Disney Discussion.

Movie Review - Nothing But Trouble

Nothing But Trouble (1991)

Starring Chevy Chase, Demi Moore, Dan Aykroyd, and John Candy

Directed by Dan Aykroyd

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

Right up front, I should say that I recognize Nothing But Trouble isn't very good (and my rating below will reflect that).  However, I can't help but enjoy it a tiny bit.  I haven't watched it in over a decade, but I remembered a certain fondness attached to it simply because it was like watching some weird funhouse/amusement park ride come to life when I viewed the flick on the local tv station on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.  That fondness was still there, but it is now also tempered with the fact that the film itself simply isn't all that funny and, considering this is a comedy, that's a problem.

When financial advisor Chris Thorne (Chevy Chase) agrees to take his neighbor Diane (Demi Moore) to Atlantic City for her job, he does it only so he can attempt to form some type of romantic bond.  However, a slight detour forces the duo into the run-down New Jersey town of Valkenvania and when Chris runs a stop sign, he's picked up by the local sheriff (John Candy) and taken to the home of the incredibly elderly local judge, Alvin J.P. Valkenheiser (Dan Aykroyd).  Despite a simple traffic violation, the judge forces Chris and Diane to spend the night in his run-down, funhouse-type mansion.  Chris and Diane soon begin to discover the secret truth behind the judge and come to the realization that he will likely never allow them to leave the premises.

A mix of comedy and horror, the film doesn't contain too many laughs or any scary moments, but the actors themselves are what make this film more enjoyable than it should be.  Chevy Chase and Demi Moore aren't exactly striking it rich in the chemistry department, but they're pleasant enough and are actually the straight men to Dan Aykroyd who takes on the rather disgusting role of Alvin Valkenheiser with great gusto.  Despite coming from a fairly poor flick, it's a character that surprisingly came back to me immediately as soon as he came onscreen as if I'd just watched the film yesterday.

Still, anything positive is tempered by the fact that the movie isn't good.  Yes, I didn't mind watching Nothing But Trouble and being reminded of a childhood moviewatching experience, but it's not like I need to watch it once again in the near future.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-