An American Tail: Fievel Goes West

Plot synopsis:
Several years after living in New York City, the impoverished Mousekewitz family discovers that conditions are not as ideal as they had hoped, as they find themselves still struggling against the attacks of mouse-hungry cats. Fievel spends his days thinking about the Wild West dog-sheriff Wylie Burp, while his older sister, Tanya, dreams of becoming a singer. Meanwhile, Tiger's girlfriend, Miss Kitty, leaves him to find a new life out west, remarking that perhaps she is looking for "a cat that's more like a dog."
Soon after, Cat R. Waul forces the mice into the sewers, including the Mousekewitzes, and entices them into moving yet again to a better life out west. Tiger chases the train, trying to catch up with his friends, but is thrown off course by a pack of angry dogs. While on the train, Fievel wanders into the livestock car, where he overhears the cats revealing their plot to turn them into "mouse burgers." After being discovered, he is thrown from the train by Cat R.'s hench-spider, T.R. Chula, landing him in the middle of the desert. His family is devastated once again over his loss and arrive in Green River, Utah with heavy hearts.
Upon arrival at Green River, Chula blocks up the water tower, drying up the river. Cat R. approaches the mice and proposes to build a new saloon together, although intending to trick the mice into doing the bulk of the work and then eat them afterwards. Meanwhile, Fievel is wandering aimlessly through the desert, as is Tiger, who has found his way out west as well, and they pass each other. However, they each figure that the other is a mirage and continue on their separate ways. Tiger is captured by mouse Indians and hailed as a god. Fievel is picked up by a hawk, dropped over the mouse Indian village and reunites with Tiger. Tiger chooses to stay in while Fievel catches a passing tumbleweed, which takes him to Green River. As soon as he makes his arrival, he quickly reunites with his family but is unable to convince them of Cat R.'s plans to kill them. However, Cat R. hears Tanya singing and is enchanted by her voice.
He sends Tanya to Miss Kitty, who is now a saloon-girl cat, and she reveals that she came at Cat R.'s request. He tells Miss Kitty to put her on stage. With a little encouragement from Miss Kitty, she pulls off a performance for the cats. Meanwhile, Fievel is chased by Chula and briefly taken prisoner, but flees.
While walking out of town, Fievel stops to talk with an elderly bloodhound sleeping outside the jail, discovering that he is actually Wylie Burp. Fievel convinces him to help and train Tiger as a lawman and as a dog. Tiger is reluctant at first, but relents at the suggestion that a new persona might win back Miss Kitty. They go back to Green River to fight the cats, who attempt to kill the mice at sunset during the opening of Cat R.'s saloon using a giant mouse trap. Tiger, Wylie and Fievel intervene and battle the cats. When Chula threatens to kill Miss Kitty, however, Tiger rescues her and uses a pitchfork and Chula's web as a lasso with him trapped on it to hurtle Cat R. and his men out of town by having them piled on part of the trap, which the heroes use as a catapult. The cats fly into the air and land into a mailbag. The train picks it up and leaves.
Enchanted by his new personality, Miss Kitty and Tiger are reunited. Tanya becomes a famous singer and the water tower flows with 9000 gallons of water again, making Green River bloom with thousands of flowers. Fievel finds Wylie away from the party who hands him his sheriff badge. Fievel is unsure about taking it, but realizes that his journey is not over.

Tags: comedy

Review:
Fievel Goes West may not have as many touching moments as the original, but that's because it's more of a fast-paced western comedy rather than a heartwarming, sometimes tragic tale (tail?) as An American Tail was.
The film as a whole is a gem, but the one thing truly, wonderfully beautiful thing about Fievel Goes West is James Horner's immortal soundtrack.
The songs are just as good as An American Tail, which is saying a lot; besides, you have a brutally edited reprise of "Somewhere Out There" from the first film, sung by Tanya.
In Fievel Goes West, our title protagonist is lost on the way to Green River, where he will supposedly find a new lease on life with his family and lots of other hopeful mice.
Don Bluth might not have had a hand in this, but Fievel Goes West lives up to Bluth's classic story of a little mouse called Fievel.Animation-9/10; Story-7/10; Plot-7/10; Comedy-8.5/10 = Overall-8/10.
I enjoyed the original "American Tail" movie because of its appeal towards adults as well as children (it uses mice and cats as a metaphor for the Jews and Germans during WWII, with immigrants fleeing to the US).
However the dark edge of the movie was a bit too much for me and I felt as a children's tale it was probably a bit too scary.Don Bluth returned in '91 to film the sequel to his last hit, this one a satire of the westerns.
Wall (voiced by John Cleese).Along the way a spider (voiced by Jon Lovitz) tries to kill Fievel and he falls off the train, into the desert, where he pines for his feline friend from the first film (voiced by Dom DeLuise).Eventually Fievel finds his way out of the desert and finds a dog-sheriff (voiced by Jimmy Stewart) who decides to help train him so that he can fight off Cat R.
The voice talents are far more impressive and I love Jimmy Stewart and John Cleese in this movie - talk about great casting!
As a nice little family adventure film it's pretty entertaining and in terms of animation it represents everything Don Bluth is known for..
Not content with Dom DeLuise as the loveable cat Tiger, they add to that cast for the sequel the likes of John Cleese, Amy Irving, Jon Lovitz and none other than the great James Stewart himself playing the sheriff of a one-horse western town.
What we have hear is one of those funny, heartwarming treasures that will light up a child's face when he or she sees it.In An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, Fievel Mousekewitz and his family are tricked into leaving the big city in the hopes of finding freedom "way out west".
Waul and his gang of villainous cats.This well animated sequel to An American Tail is one that will bring a smile to anyones face.
I wasn't a huge fan of the original 'An American Tail', but with my curiosity for animated films, I took a look at the sequel, the film I'm reviewing now.All the voice actors are back, the music, the animation looks pretty damn similar too, but one thing is gone, the director.
As someone who finds Simon Wells' films to be enjoyable but not top notch (especially in the writing department), this is exactly what we get here.Many people will complain that there are very few plot similarities to the original, this is true, the film's plot is nothing like the original, which I thought was a good thing in my opinion.The characters I found to be much more memorable compared to the original, including the villain, played by John Cleese.
Feivel the mouse continues to have a lack of a real character but I still thought he was an improvement to the original, possibly because of his maturing voice actor.The film does not contain nearly the same dark elements as the original, but in my opinion, is more funnier and more fun.
The songs are either catchy or not at all, the films signature song 'Dreams to Dream', is as good or possibly better as the original's 'Somewhere out there'.
The score by James Horner is a treat, just like the original.All real complaints come from the writing, there are small plot holes, a pointless subplot revolving around Feival's sister Tanya, and sometimes the plot seems a little too convenient.Kids will probably like the film, fans of the original may or may not, I personally rate it lower than the original, but by not too much..
This episodic sequel to "An American Tail" is worth seeing if for nothing more than to hear James Stewart's voice as Sheriff Wylie Burp.
Sure, the original was sentimental and predictable, but it had the classic song "Somewhere Out There" written by James Horner, and also a much better, straight-forward story.
Note: I also liked the main character of Fievel better as an immigrant from the first movie..
The animation on this film is really great, and the songs are even better than in the first American Tail movie.
So I'd recommend you watch this, because this is one of the very few non-Disney animated films that turned out well, and had great music.My rating: *** out of ****.
The American Tail story takes on a classic western feel as Fievel and his family journey into the heart of the west.
The real quality comes from John Cleese as the slimy conniving cat, and the late great James Stewart as Wylie Burp, the reserved town sheriff in the form of a bedraggled dog.
It's got many good things from the original, like the return of the oh-so-adorable Phil Glasser returns as Fievel!
The film paved the way for DreamWorks Animation, and films like Shrek, The Prince of Egypt - one of my all-time favorite animated movies - , The Road to El Dorado, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon.
I could take or leave the cat Tiger played by Dom DeLuise(Robin Hood: Men in Tights ,The Twelve Chairs )His character never did much for me and the subplot with the Indians felt unnecessary.The animation is very good as I said before bringing the old west perfectly to life while also having some good slapstick.All in all a very good family film that both you and your children should see,well made and fun.
And is one of the reasons I fell in love with film making itself.This movie can be shared amongst generations to come, for it does not fall short of the American Dream, and what it takes to obtain it!
Let me just start by saying I absolutely love "An American Tail", and still consider it one of Don Bluth's better movies.
Also it is one of the better animated sequels out there, and considering how disappointing some of them have been that is saying a lot.My only real problems with the film are that the plot is a little too episodic, and that the film is too short, if anything it could've done with being 5-10 minutes longer.
Back to the sequel, Cathy Cavadini does a great job both voicing and singing Tanya, and Linda Ronstadt completely blew me away with her rendition of "Dreams to Dream".What made the movie though was the voice acting.
But the biggest surprise was Jimmy Stewart as Wylie Burp, Stewart was a great actor, evident in films like "Vertigo", "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Rear Window", all classics in my opinion, and he proves once more how talented he was voicing a smaller but wholly relevant character and making the most of witty and sardonic lines.
Overall, while not quite as good as the beautiful original, it is a sequel worth watching and was much better than I thought it would be.
Review of An American Tale (Gone Western): I didn't like the first and original film based on the same characters.
Maybe adults will find it cute, but I didn't like it at all, and I was in my early teens when I saw it.Review of An American Tale: I could never get into this film as a child, and I had trouble relating to the characters.
This film has some great dialogue and has its moments but suffers from things any 80s-90s animated sequel suffers from.
What an awesome animated films that kids and adults can enjoy I would have to say this on par with the original the animation is great the characters are likeable and the story might not be the best but its enjoyable the music is amazing way out west dreams to dreams and the girl you left behind and James Horner's epic score this movie isn't strictly made for kids it has a lot of western tributes that make the film feel like nostalgia.
Fievel Cheers Up. Let me get this out of the way - I hate An American Tail (the original) - I think it is a gloomy, morose and overly sentimental piece of tripe.
Fievel Goes West on the other hand is a much lighter affair, with more cheer and one or two really lovable characters the kids will want to watch and adults won't want to smear the screen with chocolate because of.
In short, if the kids have been good then let them watch Fievel Goes West (if they've been naughty then you could always punish them by making them watch An American Tail).
When I was a kid I used to like the original first American Tail film, but then they started making straight-to-video sequels.
Young Fievel Mousekevitz the mouse gets lost again (for a little while) and then decides to try and get rid of all the cats from the West part of America, where the story left off.
The only parts I can remember of this film were the parts with Tiger the cat and John Cleese as the voice of the villain.
I have a very hard time really pining down a solid plot for the first movie to begin with, since it's just a series of a scenes featuring Fievel just barely missing chances to re-unite with his family.
In the second movie, he has a more pointed mission: to successfully warn/protect the mice from yet another self-appointed "sophisticate".The original movie was good and gave kids a glimpse into an important part of our history (immigration) but the theme was too slow and depressing to carry the full weight of two movies.The second movie, in addition to snappy animation and clever gags, brought on another 19th century mind-set, the prospect of the west and a future of not only being in America, but being a PART of America itself.Overall, despite this movie's differences from the original, it is still charming and a great deal higher in quality than other sequels.And let's be honest, what little boy doesn't dream about fighting alongside his hero?.
Its good music, brilliant artwork, and fun references make American Tail: Fieval goes west something worthwhile to enjoy no matter your age.
It's not as sentimental as the first, nor is the music as good (on my personal scale, it's a 3/10), but the fact that there are more characters that are present for the whole movie, I feel that it is far more engaging for an audience of all ages.
Something I felt was lacking in the first.The character animation and voice syncing is far better in the first and the lack of painted background in this one just make it feel on the low quality side, but the presence of shadow and malleability of characters in this one make it a completely different movie.The story is fast-paced and the humor is timed very well.
The music is very good, especially the "Way out west" song.
An American Tail 2: Fievel goes west: This is another fantastic animated movie, this one was made in 1991, 5 years after the original and the first an american tail movie.
I give an american tail 2: Fievel goes west a good score 9 out 10..
I absolutely loved the original film, and I was glad when this movie came out.
His voice in the original was like a cute innocent little kid.
All in all, a great sequel that's worth watching again and again like the original.
This movie is truly a work of art, it is the best animated film ever released although the first one was virtually perfect, this one's even better.
This sequel to the 1986 film 'An American Tail' sees the Mousekewitz family,now living in America, still struggling against the cats, who are led by the evil Cat R Waul (John Cleese).
There to hopefully help him are not only his old pal Tiger (Dom DeLuise again reprising his delightful role), but also the legendary dog sheriff Wylie Burp (voiced by the late great JamesStewart in what I believe to be his last-ever role in a feature film) -- that is, if Fievel can get the latter to overcome a little problem he has!Is this a good movie?
As in the first An American Tail, Fievel Goes West is an utterly charming animated film that will appeal to both children and those reliving their childhoods.
The west is just as wild as those novels make it out to be and young Fievel finds that his cat friend Tiger who sounds a lot like Dom DeLuise has gone west also.But not all cats are good, especially to the mouse community.
I'm completely biased because when i was little I spent this whole summer where all I had to watch was "Fievel Goes West" or the three Indiana Jones movies.
I know I sound crazy, but this is an awesome movie with great songs and adorable characters!!!.
In this second part The Mousewith Family has already succeeded in establishing his new home in New York, after the occurred events in the first film, but the problem is that the dad is not very satisfied with the quality of life they have there, and later to escape a dangerous hunting by cats, they come floating through a tin of sardines to the sewer where they to buy some tickets to live in the west where supposedly cats and mice live together in harmony.Inside the train, Fievel hears some cat's voices in the other wagon and he goes to investigate.Inside, he found that when they reach their destination cats become all mice in mouse hamburgers.Then he decides to save his family and others from certain death.I have seen all the films from An American tail and they are all very interesting and fun but this is my favorite of all.
I love the song: dream to dream singed by Tanya, powerful and beauty at the same time.the one thing that i don't liked from this second part was the little change was that the design of the characters and the final battle was a little short, but all the other things are awesome.In conclusion, I would like to comment that after seeing so many times the four films from An American Tale Have helped me to create my own version, as I already have 30 minutes he he he and the truth is quite interesting and fun.bye.
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West is probably one of the best Animated Children films of the 90`s.
All in all, its still a great film to watch on a boring weekend afternoonThe Lion King is one of the highest grossing movies of all time, but it`s not as good as any of the American Tail movies except for the direct to video sequel..
Families will likely enjoy this movie more because of its humor, more vibrant animation, and catchy songs.
It beats out many other animation sequels and even some films Don Bluth himself actually contributed to, so it makes a nice alternative for those who want to start a Bluth collection but are afraid of having to ask for the worst of his movies.
WAY OUT WEST WHAT A GREAT SEQUEL (Not just for Kids).
Out of movie sequels and generally in sequels especially to Don Bluth's films like the god awful atrocious Secret of Nimh 2 to the mediocre Bartok the magnificent and then All dogs go to heaven 2 but unlike any of these sequels Fievel goes West succeeds and is about as good as the original American Tail of course when this movie was released in December 1991 it was released with Disney's Beauty and the Beast so yeah we kinda of know what happened there.
But anyway the movie has a lot of excitement for Kids and Adults in this feature because in the first film they used the 19th century Tsar Russia against the Jews and in the sequel its the mice against Cat R Waul played by John Cleese but it goes away from its Jewish counterpart I mean the place they are given hope but is mainly to trick them into labour and then execution but other than that the story might not be the strongest but the characters are funny and likeable especially Tiger played by Dom Deluise.
But what else is there to say the music from James Horner and the three songs in this movie are upbeat epic and fun.
So parents if you want to watch something that you will enjoy with your kids that is not the Emoji movie or nut job or minions then this is definitely worth it and trust me this one of the best animated sequels out there and I wish there would be more Western animated films you will enjoy it..
Still it's nice to see it is possible to make a sequel to a Don Bluth movie without completely screwing the original over.
Growing up, I must have seen An American Tail and feivel Goes West a million times.
In short, this movie doesn't feel like the original hardly at all.
Its characters are (mostly) okay, the plot is relatively original by American Tail standards.