The Secret Of Nimh (Is It Just me?)

A

Average American

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I know this movie is a classic, and beloved by many people, and has a devoted cult following...

But I never could make it through this movie... I found it overwelmingly depressing, and scary. I've tried watching it sevral times throughout my life at various ages, and never could do it.

I barely remember the plot, and the characters. I don't even KNOW what happens at the end! Do things even work out?

I was severly bothered by the unfairness thrust onto Ms. Brisby. I think the whole thing about the experiments to make the rats smarter really scary as a kid. And I seem to remember the daughters being quite mean to the sick son? It's been nearly two decades since I've seen even a small part of the the movie, so my memory is foggy.

And there were times I was frustrated by the dialogue. That I remember.

"Mommy, what's all that black stuff?" Uh, that would be mud, genius. Didn't you notice your house getting tossed around?

The strange thing is I probably have seen other movies and shows considered FAR more depressing, like Watership Down, or The Wall, and not been that bothered. I like dark music, and shows (check my signature for an example).

So my question here is, what's going on? Why do so many other people seem to love this movie, but I can't even get through it? Why do I like other dark movies, shows, and music, but can't stand this?

Maybe the fans out there can share why this movie means so much to them?
 
The movie is extremely mature, and was back in the time when they could do animated movies and rate them G and still have a sense of intelligence about them. This thing would be rated PG nowadays, or even a light PG-13. It's a very dark movie even by today's standards. Anything from an animal's point of view is depressing...Happy Feet is an example.
 
I actually don't remember Secret of Nimh all that well,though I have seen it before(it's probably been about 20 years since I've seen the film)....I do remember it being fairly dark/having some disturbing scenes...but then,even as a child,I've never been too bothered by anything in an animated film....
Don Bluth seems to like to have disturbing scenes in his animated films....I could easily see children having nightmares from a certain scene in All Dogs Go To Heaven(Charlie's nightmare about going to Hell)...
 
I love love love this movie, despite how 'dark' it can be. Although, I doubt the little kids who are watching don't realise it until they are older. Sure, some of the themes are a little depressing, but the movie does end in a rather happy way. (If I can remember right) and the sequal is pretty good itself. I don't think it ever crossed my mind that there were some more matureish quailties until I looked back at it just now, but even still they are amazingly PG13 stuff.
If you really want a dark scary childrens movie, go watch WaterShip Down. It beats Nimh in the :eek: factor by about a billion.
 
I know that's true for me. I used to watch it on cable all the time back in the '80s and never had a problem with it. It was only years later that I saw it again (for the time in many years) and said to myself, "Man, this movie is pretty dark for a kid's film." Just gives me an even greater appreciation for it nowadays, and I'm eagerly anticipating the upcoming Special Edition Don Bluth talked about on his website.
 
I agree. G rated movies are very rare these days. It use to be that the G rating was for all ages, not it seems like it's only for the toddler crowd, and that PG has become the new G so to speak.
 
You want to see an example of an abomination? Watch the made-for-video Secret of NIMH II: Timmy to the Rescue. That film was everything the first movie wasn't, or so I'm told.
 
80s Theatrical animation. When it wanted to be creepy, it could be CREEPY. Between this and Black Cauldron... Secret of NIMH had some especially moddy/haunting scenes in it. Particularly at the begining. (The Great Owl, Brisby's descent into Mr. Ages lair, again into the Rats Nest... Its easy to see how that could get to someone.

Or you could blame it on the 'hero-shot,' or at least the shot that I remember. Mrs. Brisby, sitting atop a rock or tractor or something. Hunched over (like a real mouse, not some cutesy animated mouse) wearing that ratty red cape, with a moddy background. (Dewdrop on bent-over grass and such). When how you remember the hero is kinda creepy, it definately sets the tone for how you remember the movie.

If its not obvious, I saw this movie as a pretty young kid, then didn't see it again till I was in high school. When I did see it, it was because I searched it out, based on remembering the scene where Mrs. Briby goes to see Mr. Ages. Like I've said, it stayed with me because, for lack of a better word, it felt haunting. And I've loved the movie ever since...
 
Just the title makes me want to stay away. Ahd I read that II is also a musical. :eek: I believe Bluth said he has plans for his own direct sequel to the original, so I hope they avoid the musical route and keep in very much in style with the first one.
 
Oh, trust me, it is. The first movie was a dark, mature tale with loads of atmosphere, wit, and stunning animation. The sequel is a crappy, almost sickeningly bright-colored musical with bargain-bin animation.
 
It still has nothing on Watership Down, the 1978 version. I'm a 29 year old man and that movie still scares me. :(

When I have kids and they're all, "can we watch Watership Down?" I'm gonna be all, "hell naw we can't watch no Watership Down!"
 
See, that's the THING. I've SEEN Watership Down, and I made it through the movie, tear-free, I might add. I was 17 at the time, already jaded, and had just read the book. I've also seen other movies like Heavy Metal, and Heavy Metal 2000. The Wall, and dark shows, like The Venture Bros. Utena, various animes which almost always have some tradegy in them...

So dark and scary almost never ruins my experince. But Nimh....Nimh has always freaked me out.



The Black Cauldren I LOVED. I think I even liked The Horned King and his castle! I wasn't even that phased when the Horned King got sucked into the Cauldron, and put up a BIG fuss about it. The only real part that moved me in the that movie was...

"But Gurgi....Gurgi has no friends." And throws himself into the Cauldron. That was upsetting. I LOVED Gurgi.

I think you hit the nail on the head with Nimh...The great owl, the way his eyes GLOWED was really neat, but really freaky too. I also hated the way he spoke I think, almost like a ghost. And yes, those decents in those lanterns was creepy. I can't even remember paying attention to the movie, and what was going on. I was too fixated on that creepy decent into the depths...

I don't even REMEMBER Ms. Brisby hunched over like you said....I probably bailed out long before that part.

That is what is so confusing to me...I dig all these other movies, but Nimh just overwelmed me when I was younger.
 
First one = Win

Second one = Fail.

Why must they lighten the mood for the next sequal.

Same goes with Land Before Time and An American Tale.

Don Bluth knew what he was doing.
 
I disliked the movie, not because it was scary, but because it really deviated from the original source material, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. All the magic and special effects ran against the idea that the Rats were creatures of Science.
 
Ha, I think I know you from LoSh talk[/lol] :D

Anyway, I was drawn in to see Nimh by a clip with swords and a battle "You killed Nicodemus". It sounded rather exciting. but I was put off by the animal experiments and the ridiculousness of the rest of the story. Didn't care about the characters or the out come by the end.
 
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