Tweet
Released by: MGM
Released on: 3/29/2011
Director: Don Bluth
Cast: Derek Jacobi, Elizabeth Hartman, Arthur Malet, Dom DeLuise
Year: 1982
Purchase From Amazon
The Movie:
Directed by Don Bluth in 1982 after he got fed up with his former employer, Disney (where he rightly realized they were more interested in making money than quality films), The Secret Of Nimh is an adaptation of Robert C. O'Brien's novel, Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH, a story Disney originally passed on due to its fairly dark content. Dark or not, in Bluth's capable directorial hands the film made quite an impression on those of us who saw it as children in the eighties, and it's a film that still holds up remarkably well almost thirty years later.
The film follows Mrs. Brisby (Elizabeth Hartman), a field mouse who has lost her husband and is raising four young children on her own. Making matters worse, her youngest boy, Timmy (Ian Fried), is inflicted with a horrible case of pneumonia and it happens just as she's about to rally the children up for their annual pilgrimage out - see, once a year the farmer who owns the field they live in, tills the land. At any rate, local mouse doctor Mr. Ages (Arthur Malet) tells Mrs. Brisby that if she moves Timmy he'll probably die - but if they don't move him, they're bound to get thrashed by the farmer, so this leaves her in a bit of a sticky situation.
Mrs. Brisby calls upon Great Owl (John Carradine) to help her out and he in turn instructs her to consult with The Rats Of NIMH and more specifically their leader, Nicodemus (Derek Jacobi). They hear her case and decide to help her move her family out of the field before it's too late but soon Mrs. Brisby and her brood will find out the true story behind the rats and how they've gained their superior intelligence…
Remarkably complex for what was intended to be a children's film, The Secret Of NIMH is dark and at times even scary, particularly once the rats take on a bigger role in the tale. While the film does fall prey to introducing a few too many characters too quickly, the core characters of the story are quite well defined and interesting enough to hold our attention. Mrs. Brisby is very sympathetic and voiced with just the right amount of emotion by Elizabeth Hartman that we can't help but feel for her. She's only trying to do right by her kids and do what's best for her family, and this helps to ratchet up the tension once the darker elements are introduced. She contrasts very interestingly with Nicodemus, who is portrayed as an almost God-like character in the film. He's very obviously working on a much higher level of intelligence than pretty much anyone else in the film but his actions and words keep us guessing.
On top of that, we get some truly excellent design work that results in a whole lot of eerie settings and creepy looking characters. While you can't really call the movie a horror film there are obviously parts of the picture where the production team was pretty intent on freaking people out and they succeed in doing just that. The film is well paced, well put together and features some great animation all set to a well timed score - it all results in a gripping and emotionally involving story that manages to hit the right balance of style and substance.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The Secret Of NIMH looks okay in this AVC encoded 1.85.1 1080p high definition widescreen transfer but not as good as a lot of people probably hoped. The first thing that fans are going to notice is that while the image shows a fair bit more detail than the DVD did, it also shows a whole lot more dirt and minor print damage throughout its entire running time. There's also some wobble and jitter noticeable during playback and heavy grain throughout. Colors, on the other hand, look awesome and again, there is quite a bit more detail than the previous DVD release would allow for.
Audio chores are handled well by an English language DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that offers up very clear dialogue and wonderfully balanced levels. The score is tight and punchy in some spots and sweeping and involving in others, just as it should be. The low end is strong and there are no problems with hiss or distortion. Some might lament the absence of a surround sound track but this 2.0 mix is nothing to complain about. A Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 mix is also included, as are Dolby Digital Mono tracks in Italian, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish while optional subtitles can be found in English SDH, French and Spanish.
As far as the extras go, there's nothing new here but MGM has carried over the commentary track with director Don Bluth who is joined by Gary Goldman. These two have a good relationship and have worked together a few times and that comes through in this informative discussion that delves into the film's inspiration, its legacy and the history behind it.
Secrets Behind The Secret is a fourteen minute featurette in which Bluth and Goldman act as our hosts and basically explain how the film was made and how it made its way from printed page to animated feature. The film's original trailer (the only extra in HD) and some menus and chapter selection round out the extras.
The Final Word:
The Secret Of NIMH is an enduring and popular film that should have received better treatment on Blu-ray than it did here. The transfer offers only a modest upgrade and there are no new extra features to note. The audio is impressive but the film's fanbase will no doubt be left slightly underwhelmed with MGM's efforts.
