Product: The Rescuers Down Under [VHS] (1990)
Rating: 2.0
Obviously, the original is much, much better...
This was Disney's first attempt for a sequel and it was released in 1990, however, judging from its quality, I simply don't see why Disney has even bothered to keep on making sequels. It is no wonder why this film was a total financial failure, it bombed threatrically and it is mainly due to its lack of appeal, together with many other flaws.The story line isn't bad, if it hadn't been for the fact that it is nothing but a rehash of the original's plot. A little boy sends a call for help that reaches the paws of the Rescue Aid Society in New York, Bernard and Miss Bianca fly on albatross to his rescue and there they battle the evil villain and his reptile minions, counting of course with the help of a bunch of critters around the area. Does that sound familiar? Yes, it is the same storyline as the 1977 original, only this time, the victim and the villain are male instead of female, and the minion is a female instead of two males. Once again, the villain's motive is caused by wanting to retrieve something from an impossible place and needs some warm, little body to reach it.Other flaws include loss of reality, animators and storytellers obviously had to rush things up and make them "fit" in order to finish the project. An example is the ending, a lot of things are left un-answered, the critters we meet locked up in cages stay there, they never get rescued and we never get to see the boy's mother see her son return (After all, she was to think he was dead) and the size of the golden eagle was exagerated tremendously.Other flaws include the fact that Bernard and Miss Bianca have become as interesting as characters as the marker sellers were in "Aladdin." There's too much comedy, too many disturbing scenes, too much un-needed characters and not enough heart. The main appeal of the original was its 'heart', it was emotional and heart-breaking, but of course with a real complete and happy ending, yet here, the ending is disappointing and so is the entire feature.No, I would not recommend this film, period. I'm sorry, but Disney hasn't made a single worth watching, except for maybe Toy Story 2 which had even more heart than the first.