Parents' Guide to

The Rescuers

By Ellen MacKay, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Great adventure, but too dark for preschoolers.

Movie G 1977 76 minutes
The Rescuers Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 7+

Based on 16 parent reviews

age 7+

Fun movie

The shooting part was inappropriate for 6 and under. There was negative language "brat" etc. that seems startling in 2019. My children do not hear adults talk to children that way.

This title has:

Too much violence
age 7+

Fun movie

The shooting part was inappropriate for 6 and under. There was negative language "brat" etc. that seems startling in 2019. My children do not hear adults talk to children that way.

This title has:

Too much violence

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (16):
Kids say (20):

Although Disney animation was in a slump during the 1970s, the studio still managed to produce this worthwhile film. A more modest effort than recent Disney extravaganzas, The Rescuers still makes for great family viewing. Medusa is a villainess in the grand tradition of Cruella Deville, and the unlikely voice pairing of Eva Gabor as va-va-voom Miss Bianca and Bob Newhart as the timid janitor Bernard works exceptionally well. They enliven the melancholy Devil's Bayou, a haunting setting if ever there was one.

Because the film is unusually dark (literally and story-wise) a cast of animated misfits adds needed comic relief. Unfortunately this appealing mix is a bit dampened by sappy ballads that accompany some boring slide animation, dating it a little. Otherwise, this is a worthy Disney sleeper.

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate