Common Sense Media Review
A mystery with spunk, courage, and heart.
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An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster
What's the Story?
In AN AMERICAN TAIL: THE MYSTERY OF THE NIGHT MONSTER, a mysterious rodent-grabbing culprit is terrorizing New York City. Intrepid mouse reporter Nellie (voiced by Susan Boyd) Brie is on the case. While young mouse Fievel (Thomas Dekker) is haunted by nightmares of the monster, his sister, Tanya (Lacey Chabert), and his streetwise pal Tony (Pat Musick) take jobs with Nellie's newspaper to help her investigate. Eventually, Tony convinces Fievel to tag along, and Nellie takes him under her wing. But when the mouse-nappings increase and the giant monster does more damage, Nellie and Fievel decide to follow the facts and find out what's really happening.
Is It Any Good?
This animated film offers plenty of humor and adventure. In An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster, Fievel and company trek through New York's underground society, meeting Scottish and Chinese-coded mice (who often fall into cultural clichés) during their perilous mission, which culminates in an exciting climactic battle and flood sequence. Kids relate to Fievel's fears and learn valuable lessons about cowardice and courage. The story cleverly points out that it's OK to be afraid, because this instinct can protect you from danger, but that our imaginations can sometimes be scarier than reality. Overall, there are sweet characters, lots of action, and a worthy moral. The movie's songs don't live up to earlier hits like "Somewhere Out There," but they're easy enough to listen to.
While the original An American Tail emphasized religious, historical, and cultural values among late 19th century immigrant Jewish mice, the later entries concentrate more on action and comedy. This installment includes a fair share of period flavor and a warm portrait of Fievel's parents. Old New York is colorfully drawn, replete with trolleys and a detailed depiction of the intricate sewer system where Madame Mousey (Candi Milo) and her gang hide out. The workings of an old newspaper office are also interesting, showing how a printing press and a pneumatic tube messenger system operate. And movie buffs will likely be amused by a nod to the classic Odessa Steps sequence from The Battleship Potemkin.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the role that fear plays in An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster. When has fear been a good warning for you, and when has it been your imagination?
How did Fievel's feelings change when he saw the cause of the disappearing mice?
Nellie encouraged Fievel to "follow the facts." Has there been a time when reality has differed from your imagination?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 25, 2000
- On DVD or streaming : July 25, 2000
- Cast : Jane Singer , Lacey Chabert , Thomas Dekker
- Director : Larry Latham
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : History , Fantasy , Arts ( Music and Sing-Along ) , Animals ( Mice )
- Run time : 75 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 21, 2026
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