Rusty: The Great Rescue
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Rusty: The Great Rescue is a 1998 movie with talking animals, slapstick humor, and several jokes involving defecation. There's also a potentially scary scene for younger viewers when a crocodile nearly eats a puppy. Aside from this, this movie is a light-hearted adventure with animals voiced by everyone from Rodney Dangerfield to Bobcat Goldthwait (among other stars from television past), with some sweetness to go with the pratfalls.
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What's the Story?
Boyd (Hal Holbrook) and Edna (Rue McClanahan) are the guardians of their grandchildren, Jory and Tess. They live in a rural animal shelter with a quirky crew of talking turtles, geese, elephants, and many more, as well as a playful young beagle named Rusty. Two greedy relatives -- Bart (Charles Fleischer) and Bertha -- scheme to take custody of Jory and Tess so they can get a hold of the trust fund left to the children by their late parents. Desperate for money to pay for a lawyer to help them make their wicked plan a reality, Bart and Bertha sneak onto the animal shelter and steal the newborn puppies and sell them to a rich man in the market for a new pet, and anyone else willing to pay top dollar. It's up to Rusty -- with help from his animal friends -- to rescue his new siblings and save the shelter.
Is It Any Good?
The movie has a predictable-enough storyline and some questionable scatological humor. Despite that, RUSTY: THE GREAT RESCUE is -- for animal lovers especially -- an enjoyable movie filled with talking animals, and a bit of sweetness to go with all the slapstick comedy and wacky pratfalls. The silliness gets to be a bit much at times, but perhaps this is to be expected.
If this is an above-average animal movie, it's due in no small part to the cast. Hal Holbrook and Rue McClanahan bring their considerable talents to a middle-of-the-road script, and the animals are voiced by, among others, Rodney Dangerfield and Bobcat Goldthwait. While not the most original movie out there, for families who enjoy comedic romps, talking animals, and adventures in the wild, Rusty: The Great Rescue will prove entertaining.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about movies with talking animals. What were some of the animals who talked in this movie, and what were they like?
What similarities and differences do you see between this movie and other movies with talking animals?
If you could make your own talking animal movie, which actors would you hire to do the voices?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: March 14, 2006
- Cast: Charles Fleischer, Hal Holbrook, Rue McClanahan
- Director: Shuki Levy
- Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Cats, Dogs, and Mice
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: G
- Last updated: February 25, 2022
For kids who love animals
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