The Secret of NIMH (1982)

A Masterpiece!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

The use of lighting and color in this film captivated my imagination completely.

When I first saw this movie, I was pretty young, like about 5 or so, and at first, I was kind of confused by what was going on, Then when I saw it later in life, like around 8 or 9 years old, I saw it in whole, and I liked it okay, But then when I saw it as an adult, I realized it's at least a hundred times Better than I remembered!Don Bluth's Work had always been a Mixed bag for me, But this is DEFINITELY his Greatest Work, The Animation is Very well done, and Not nearly as exaggerated as his style later became, namely in the facial features, they're still there, but not to the point where it's Distracting and uncomfortable. Mrs. Brisby herself is a very Lovely and charming Character. She's Frail and Vulnerable, But she does Pull through her turmoils and overcomes many terrifying obstacles to save her family, Namely her sick son, Timothy. And We easily root for her and feel for her every step of the way. Dom Deluise as Jeremy Really threw me for a loop, Him being a comic relief character, I had a special need to be very Judgemental against him, seeing as how they tend to be more annoying than funny, But I was pleasantly shocked to find that not only was he Funny, He was VERY Likable and comedic, I wouldn't see a character like him until I saw Olaf from Disney's Frozen.My favorite Character has to Be Justin, Captain of the Guard to the Rats of NIMH, and at the end, the new leader of the Rats, He was like an awesome guy to be around, and had a pretty playful sense of humor, but at the same time, he can also be pretty bad ass, particularly in the climax.Jenner, the Villain is Actually a Pretty amazing, criminally overlooked Villain. His design looks ridiculously over the top, but Paul Shenar's Performance Really made him work, giving him a charming, subtle, almost malignant personality and motive.I could go on forever about the characters and the story, But it would take up too much room to fill this review. So to end it, this movie is in my top 10, NO! top 3 all time favorite Movies.I loved it the first Time I saw it, and I only love it more and more Every time I see it again.

The Secret of NIMH is usually praised as a classic, a masterpiece, and the best work of Don Bluth. I enjoy The Land Before Time, another movie by him, so naturally I had quite high expectations for this movie. However, it was a big disappointment.Right from the beginning, the story has shown how silly it is. Somehow, the movie's heroine is willing to risk the safety of her three children, and waste a lot of time doing all kinds of dangerous errands just because 'the air is bad' for her fourth child. Why not just find a warm blanket, wrap him up and run? With all those people around, they could even carry his bed with him on it. That whole deal is clearly just a poor excuse to get the story going. And then things got worse. Characters just keep appearing out of nowhere with dim intentions and unexplained relations. What is the relationship between the Great Owl and the rats? What is the rats' plan exactly? What does the villain really want? How does NIHM know about their hideout? And what's so special about NIHM if normal mice like Mrs Brisby can do what those rats and mice from NIHM do anyway? Questions after questions about the plot keep popping up but never get answered. Finally comes the horrible ending which was just a total deus ex machina. The rats, who before that point were just intelligent animals that relied on technology, somehow managed to create magical artifacts, which the heroine was given for some unknown reasons, and then used to save the day. The end. An utterly terrible and lazy excuse of a plot.The animation, despite being quite good for its time, especially with the special effects, is still not really satisfying for me due to the simple and unimaginative backgrounds. And the sound editing is just terrible compared to Disney movies of the same period. To sum up, this movie may be good for the 1980s thanks to having a more complex plot than most other animated movies at the time, but judging from today's point of view, it's a very flawed and forgettable product.

This is one of those films I "lost" in my memory banks until I accidentally ran across it again. As soon as I saw the name of the film (The Secret of NIMH) something clicked within and I said "oh yes I remember this film and how much I loved it"! This movie is a great story - a hidden gem of animated film classics! I was 10 years old when this film came out, I do remember seeing this one in the theaters. I've recently acquired the DVD - a cherished childhood film. Timothy Mouse is sick with Pneumonia. His mother, Mrs. Brisby, will go on a dangerous journey to some medicine for her son. It's early spring and the (human) farmers are tilling up the fields and wanting to get rid of their rat & mouse problem. The mice will do what they can to save their homes. Mrs. Brisby's problems are increasing - she must see the Great Owl but owls eat mice but she must go - so her dark and scary journey begins!A very dark, scary film at times - the colors are vivid and beautiful. The story is heartwarming and adventurous. The animation is superb! This is a film well worth watching - I'm so happy to have it on DVD. One major flaw keeps this from being a 10/10: Only two intelligent MALE mice survived NIMH: Mr. Johnathan Brisby and Mr. Ages. --- How did Mrs. Brisby become intelligent? Is Mr. Ages her father or grandfather? 9/10