An American TailEvery journey to a new world is fraught with peril for all creatures great and small. An American Tail is an animated film by Don Bluth about a family of Russian mice immigrating from Russia to America, including the precocious youth, Fievel Mousekewitz (voiced by Phillip Glasser). Fievel is separated from his family en route to America, and tries to reunite with them while getting into assorted adventures in New York City. Meanwhile, his sister, Tanya (Amy Green), tries to convince their father, whom they call "Papa" (Nehemiah Persoff), that he is alive somewhere out there.
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An American Tail is a gorgeous animated film in the tradition of prior works by Don Bluth, like The Secret of NIMH. An American Tail came into existence after Steven Spielberg--who is an executive producer of the film--encouraged Bluth to create something "beautiful like NIMH". Aside from anthropomorphic mice, the films share similar themes, foremost of these being the importance of family. Fievel and his family are celebrating Hanukkah at the start of An American Tail; although they are poor, Papa gifts his hat to the young mouse, even though it is too big for his head. Along with his overly baggy outfit and wide-eyed expression, the hat becomes an iconic element of Fievel. Papa tells Fievel that the hat belonged to his father and his grandfather, making it a hallmark of their family's legacy. Like many children, Fievel doesn't fully appreciate the gift yet; on the ship to America, he uses it as an excuse to defy his father, a decision which separates him from his family. After this, when Fievel is in the midst of the chaotic New York City, he clings to his hat, his only reminder of his estranged family. Fievel's connection with his family is strongest with his sister; even though they are separated across the city, they sing a duet of "Somewhere Out There", a song which was so popular that it won a Grammy Award. It speaks to the longing for the kinship they once had, and the hope that they will find it again some day. It is a touching piece of music which gives An American Tail poignancy--for orphans and abandoned children, and anyone distanced from someone they love.
An American Tail is filled with lovely imagery, and is full of energy and emotion. When Fievel is attempting to distract the cats assailing their home in Russia, he skitters around just like a mouse would in a frenetic scene somewhere between Charlie Chaplain and "Tom and Jerry". When he sees the mighty waves crashing down on the ship to America, he envisions them as a titan of the ocean, angrily squashing the boat, and his expression of terror speaks to his young imagination run amok. Don Bluth's films always makes depictions of fire look luminous and alive, and moments where the animation is done by "xerography" (similar to rotoscoping) lends a "super-real" appearance to some scenes. This is evident with the occasional human being being depicted, but is most pronounced with the vivid set piece at the climax--an automaton modeled after Fievel's memories of Papa's stories about the legendary "Giant Mouse of Minsk". This clockwork engine is as stunning to the audience as it is to the corrupt cats it is designed to terrify. Depicting characters as different anthropomorphic animals has been a staple of family-friendly animated films, as audiences will attribute characteristics of the animal to that character. Cats are generally the villains of the piece, with the exception of the lovable goof known as "Tiger" (Dom DeLuise). The immigrants coming to America are generally portrayed by mice, adding to the perception of the cats as predatory gangsters or xenophobic bigots looking to prey on the newcomers. This recalls the event which forces the Mousekewitzs to flee to America, reminiscent of the pogroms inflicted on the Jews by the Cossacks--the cats wear outfits like that of the Tsarist oppressors. The mice in An American Tail emigrate and live beneath the eyes of human beings, and their world mirrors that of their human counterparts. The mice enter America by passing through immigration, where they are given different names if their native one is too "unusual". They maintain a free market, where they deal in bits of cheese and the ever-popular bread crumbs. There is an open forum for free-thinking mice, like the civic-minded Bridget (Cathianne Blore), who encourages her fellow mice to rise up against the tyranny of cats. There is even organized crime, led by the corrupt Warren T. Rat (John P. Finnegan), a furry Fagin who maintains close ties with the cats, and is willing to sell Fievel to a labor house when he comes looking for his family. An American Tail is a movie intended for children, but it does not condescend to its audience, and depicts a time in history and the perils of the brave immigrants who came to America with little more than the promise of a better life waiting for them on foreign shores.
Recommended for: Fans of a charming and beautiful animated family film, which explores a formative time in American history for the millions of immigrants that came to the United States. With stunning animation, engaging music, and an exciting story, An American Tail is a delightful film that has become a beloved favorite for children and animated film enthusiasts.
An American Tail is filled with lovely imagery, and is full of energy and emotion. When Fievel is attempting to distract the cats assailing their home in Russia, he skitters around just like a mouse would in a frenetic scene somewhere between Charlie Chaplain and "Tom and Jerry". When he sees the mighty waves crashing down on the ship to America, he envisions them as a titan of the ocean, angrily squashing the boat, and his expression of terror speaks to his young imagination run amok. Don Bluth's films always makes depictions of fire look luminous and alive, and moments where the animation is done by "xerography" (similar to rotoscoping) lends a "super-real" appearance to some scenes. This is evident with the occasional human being being depicted, but is most pronounced with the vivid set piece at the climax--an automaton modeled after Fievel's memories of Papa's stories about the legendary "Giant Mouse of Minsk". This clockwork engine is as stunning to the audience as it is to the corrupt cats it is designed to terrify. Depicting characters as different anthropomorphic animals has been a staple of family-friendly animated films, as audiences will attribute characteristics of the animal to that character. Cats are generally the villains of the piece, with the exception of the lovable goof known as "Tiger" (Dom DeLuise). The immigrants coming to America are generally portrayed by mice, adding to the perception of the cats as predatory gangsters or xenophobic bigots looking to prey on the newcomers. This recalls the event which forces the Mousekewitzs to flee to America, reminiscent of the pogroms inflicted on the Jews by the Cossacks--the cats wear outfits like that of the Tsarist oppressors. The mice in An American Tail emigrate and live beneath the eyes of human beings, and their world mirrors that of their human counterparts. The mice enter America by passing through immigration, where they are given different names if their native one is too "unusual". They maintain a free market, where they deal in bits of cheese and the ever-popular bread crumbs. There is an open forum for free-thinking mice, like the civic-minded Bridget (Cathianne Blore), who encourages her fellow mice to rise up against the tyranny of cats. There is even organized crime, led by the corrupt Warren T. Rat (John P. Finnegan), a furry Fagin who maintains close ties with the cats, and is willing to sell Fievel to a labor house when he comes looking for his family. An American Tail is a movie intended for children, but it does not condescend to its audience, and depicts a time in history and the perils of the brave immigrants who came to America with little more than the promise of a better life waiting for them on foreign shores.
Recommended for: Fans of a charming and beautiful animated family film, which explores a formative time in American history for the millions of immigrants that came to the United States. With stunning animation, engaging music, and an exciting story, An American Tail is a delightful film that has become a beloved favorite for children and animated film enthusiasts.