[DaveFi]

So this movie was on HDNet Movies this morning, and being that I love animation, especially classic hand drawn animation (Don Bluth did this one) I thought I'd watch. It's been a long time since I've seen this one, but I never realized what a violent movie this is - I double checked and it was indeed rated "G".


To sum the story up, it's about a bunch of lab mice and had experiments done on them (shows some of this) and eventually they gain intelligence, break out, form a society, have a coup d'état, fight, back-bite, stab, sword fight, etc, in the process. Wow. This is not your ordinary "Girl eats poison apple" fairy tale to be sure. Hard to believe they gave this one a "G", even in the early '80s.


Has anyone else caught this one?

 

[Roger That]

One of my favorite movies from when I was younger, though I couldn't tell you much about it. I do remember it having quite and impact, presumably due to the level of adult themes in it and being so young.


Would be curious to see it now that I'm old enough to understand it all.

 

[Tulpa]

Count me in the "caught it years ago' crowd. I don't remember that much, but I thought it was pretty good.


I liked Watership Down better, though, for "serious" animated films from that same era. That one's rated PG.

 

[DaveFi]

What was really surrealistic was seeing the lab rodents getting injections and watching some of them graphically get stabbed and killed at the end of the movie and other various scenes of death and destruction all through the movie. I was like

!!!

 

[ADU]

NIMH is a somewhat intense/dramatic film. And it's one of the reasons for the caveats at the beginning of this thread . I think there's a point to it though, as opposed to simply being gratuitous.


It also has a beautiful score and some very well-done animation, which is why I recommend it. I marvel at the skill it must have taken for some of the crow and owl scenes, for example. It's hard to believe what can be done sometimes with just a few well-drawn lines.


I can also imagine how seeing it in HD would enhance that, and look forward to checking it out on Blu-ray at some point, if/when it's released in that format. So far I've only seen an older 4:3 DVD release. (AFAIK, the 2009 DVD is the only one in 16:9 widescreen.)

 

[Hicks]

Yes, I used to watch this all the time as a kid, one of my favorites and I also read the book which is excellent too.


I really love the Don Bluth style of animation and the visit to the great owl is an outstanding representation of his aesthetic.


Although it's rated PG, nothing trumps Watership Down in terms of violent cartoons that were ostensibly for kids.

 

[Tulpa]

Yeah, Watership Down is pretty rough for the kiddies, although not gratuitous or anything. It predated PG-13 by several years, though, and it certainly isn't an R film.

 

[Dbuudo07]

I remember loving this movie when I was a wee lad, but like others, I can't remember all that much. Thanks for the reminder. I'm going to look for this next time I go DVD shopping. I've never seen, or heard of Watership Down, but I'll check it out if I can find it.


For me, violence wasn't a problem when I was growing up('80's baby). All of my friends and I watched tons of graphic violent films, but never felt the need to copy any of it. Times have sure changed.

 

[Polydorus]

Since it was advertised as a return to classic animation I was a little surprised at the dark story line. Liked the movie, however.

 

[Hicks]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Dbuudo07 /forum/post/18243338


I remember loving this movie when I was a wee lad, but like others, I can't remember all that much. Thanks for the reminder. I'm going to look for this next time I go DVD shopping. I've never seen, or heard of Watership Down, but I'll check it out if I can find it.


For me, violence wasn't a problem when I was growing up('80's baby). All of my friends and I watched tons of graphic violent films, but never felt the need to copy any of it. Times have sure changed.

Indeed it's amazing what they could get away with in PG movies back then, like Sheena for instance.

 

[DaveFi]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Hicks /forum/post/18244413


Indeed it's amazing what they could get away with in PG movies back then, like Sheena for instance.

And hence the invention of the "PG-13" theatrical rating which ruined the motion picture industry for serious "adult" movies (no I'm not talking about porn).

 

[indijones75]

The secret of N.i.m.h. is based on a book "Mrs. Frisby and the rats of N.I.M.H. The book is exponentially more disturbing than the movie. I love both however because they are for older children and they don't dumb down the content to reach a wider audience or to lessen the chance of offending someone. They are both awesome stories. By the way, folks need to check out Flowers for Algernon. A wonderful story as well about genetic testing to increase intelligence. Excellent fiction.

 

[GoCaboNow]

I caught this the other day with my four year old. I had only vague memories of it as I was too old to care on it's initial release in 82. While we were watching I was thinking they don't make em like this any more. Pretty intense. My four year old loved it - for the most part. Some scenes and concepts were a little graphic for her but fortunately we were just watching on our TV and not in the theater so it was easier to take for her. One of my favorite books as a kid, along with Flowers for Algernon.

 

[Tulpa]



Quote:
Originally Posted by indijones75 /forum/post/18245266


. By the way, folks need to check out Flowers for Algernon. A wonderful story as well about genetic testing to increase intelligence.

That ones also a movie, "Charly." Cliff Robertson won the oscar for his role in it.

 

[StreetPreacher]

Definitely one of my favourite movies. I watched this a few years ago for the first time after seeing it as a child, and was impressed with how dark and violent the film is. I think the ending is still one of the most emotional scenes I've witnessed in any film!

 

[moothemagiccow]

I thought it was awesome as a kid.

 

[BrandonEspinoza]

I can see why a lot of people had a gripe with this film. I don't understand why the MPAA gave it a G Rating, it should've been PG for moderate violence and a lot of darker films got the rating right, and for good reason, so kids can't be scarred for watching it like Watership Down (PG) & Felidae (R), as examples. If they ever re-release in theaters and or a limited copy release The Secret of NIMH, it should at least have a PG rating.

 

[lordcloud]



Quote:
Originally Posted by indijones75  /t/1231244/the-secret-of-nimh-what-a-shockingly-strange-and-violent-g-movie#post_18245266


By the way, folks need to check out Flowers for Algernon. A wonderful story as well about genetic testing to increase intelligence. Excellent fiction.

Still what I would consider a great book, if for no other reason than the strength of the emotional impact the end had on me as a kid.