THE SECRET OF NIMH (1982) Movie Reaction! | First Time Watch! | Dom DeLuise | Elizabeth Hartman
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The 1982 G-rated film 'The Secret of NIMH' contains unexpectedly dark themes and violence, surprising first-time viewers.
- ❖The hand-drawn animation style is appreciated for its unique storytelling through stillness and coloring, a contrast to modern CGI.
- ❖The film's narrative structure is non-traditional, with a delayed introduction of the primary antagonist, which impacts emotional engagement.
- ❖Mrs. Brisby is celebrated as a strong, courageous female protagonist whose maternal drive fuels her perilous journey.
- ❖The movie explores complex themes like scientific experimentation, the morality of stealing, and the societal dynamics of intelligent rats.
- ❖The hosts compare the film's narrative approach to fantasy novels and anime, noting its lack of 'hand-holding' for the audience.
Insights
1Unexpectedly Dark and Mature Themes for a G-Rated Film
The hosts are repeatedly surprised by the film's mature content, including explicit discussions of death, violence (stabbing, blood), and complex moral dilemmas. They note this starkly contrasts with expectations for a G-rated animated movie, particularly when compared to later Disney films.
Jabby questions, 'Is Timmy going to die?' () and later, 'This a kids movie? That's what I'm saying.' (). Ashley observes, 'They have no problem saying die and death in this movie.' () and 'There's a lot of violence in this, huh?' ().
2Distinct Hand-Drawn Animation Style and Storytelling
The hosts appreciate the traditional hand-drawn animation, noting how it uses stillness and detailed coloring to convey emotion and atmosphere, a technique they feel is less prevalent in modern, computer-generated animation. They highlight the cost-effectiveness of this approach in the era.
Ashley states, 'I miss animation. I enjoy watching I love all animation but I do like the handdrawn.' (). Jabby points out, 'You really got to stop and think how much of this is all handdrawn. 100%.' (). They discuss how 'nothing's kind of moving except for a couple things' due to production costs ().
3Non-Traditional Narrative Structure and Character Introduction
The film's plot deviates from typical 'hero's journey' structures, particularly in its delayed introduction of the primary antagonist, Jenner, and the overarching villain, NIMH. This approach, while unique, leads to a less impactful villain confrontation for the hosts.
Jabby compares it to Star Wars, noting, 'you introduce Darth Vader at the top, so you know who your villain is right away... And here, we didn't get introduced to our villain until like more than halfway through the story.' (). Ashley adds, 'I kind of felt like we didn't really know. We we found out what Jenner's motivation was. didn't know that from the beginning.' ().
4Mrs. Brisby as a Courageous Female Protagonist
The hosts commend Mrs. Brisby's unwavering courage and determination to protect her family, framing her as an independent and strong female lead. Her journey is seen as a 'female power film' before the concept was widely recognized, driven by maternal instinct.
Ashley says, 'I love how self-sufficient Miss Brisb is. She's an independent woman.' (). Jabby concludes, 'her whole thing was protecting her family. Like that was clear from the beginning... she set out to protect or save her family and she did it... impossible bravery.' ().
Quotes
"This is the kind of opening you do not get today with anim animated movies, at least not in America."
"This doesn't feel like an animated movie. It's really interesting of a current like animated movie, right?"
"I miss when people used to talk like this in movies. Oh, the transatlantic accent."
"I mean, this just look it looks all kinds of wrong. This is spooky."
"It's like trauma coming back again. I was like I was like, oh no, he's going to live. Oh, he did not live."
Q&A
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