The Rescuers Down Under is a 1990 American animated adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on November 16, 1990. Set in the Australian Outback, the film features the voices of Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor in her final film role, and John Candy. The film centers on Bernard and Bianca traveling to Australia to save a boy named Cody from a bloodthirsty hunter in the outback, who was using Cody to find a rare giant golden eagle he's been hunting Marahute. Along the way, Bernard and Bianca met jake an Australian accent mouse, and Wilber, the brother of Orville from the first.
Release[]
When the film first came out, it failed at the box office due to competing against Rocky V, Misery, Home Alone, (which also starred John Candy), and Edward Scissorhands (Ironically, the latter two films are now with Disney given the Fox buyout). At the time, it had mixed reviews in contrast from the following Disney Renaissance movies and The Little Mermaid the year prior. For many years, Disney would not make any more non-musical features in the animated canon afterwards until the early 2000s with Dinosaur, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and Treasure Planet.
AniMat’s Classic Reviews[]
AniMat reviewed this film, while sure it is one of Disney animated films that didn’t really age well and considered to be as memorable as others (especially the other Renaissance era films like previously The Little Mermaid, as well later films like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King), as it was started off as the weakest Disney film during its initial release in theaters in 1990, he stated that it is considered one of the underrated cult Disney classics, as well one of the decent Disney animated sequels (even better than the first Rescuers). He awards it with his Seal of Approval, as he praised the most amazing crafted animation (especially the eagle flight scene, which is definitely feels like a Studio Ghibli film) and digital paint and ink once it is one of the first digital-cel animated features, along with its beautiful music score setting its tone by Bruce Broughton, likable and better characters, great effort of voice acting (e.g. John Candy), and its story, writing and tone that can be very-well written, epic, bit edgy, funny, emotional, action-packed and heartwarming.
Home media[]
Main article: The Rescuers Down Under (video)