The Secret of NIMH
- Review Date: March 21, 2005
- Rated: G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Release Year: 1982
- Running Time: 83 minutes
Common Sense Media says
Fascinating, but very dark with some creepy imagery.
- Review Date: March 21, 2005
- Rated: G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Release Year: 1982
- Running Time: 83 minutes
The Secret of NIMH gallery
What parents need to know
Educational value
Positive role models
Violence & scariness
Sexy stuff
Language
Consumerism
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this animated movie about a group of intelligent rats who escape from an animal laboratory is suspenseful and rather dark. Several scenes include animal children in peril and a sword fight between rats ends in one death with a little blood. The worst part for sensitive viewers: a flashback shows the animated animals being imprisoned and injected with a needle.
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What's the story?
Mrs. Brisby (Frisby in Robert C. O'Brien's prize-winning book, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of N.I.M.H.) is a widowed mouse living on a farm with her four children, including Timmy, who's bedridden with pneumonia. When they're forced to find a new home, the Great Owl advises Mrs. Brisby to seek the help of Nicodemus, the king of the rat colony. Venturing underground, she discovers an entire civilization of rats that tell her that they revere her late husband Jonathan. Nicodemus explains that Jonathan helped them escape from NIMH -- the National Institute of Mental Health -- when he was a fellow prisoner there and where they were experimented on and injected with super-intelligence drugs. Nicodemus agrees to help Mrs. Brisby move Timmy and gives her a magic amulet. She returns to the farm to find that her home is sinking in the mud and hopes the amulet can really save them.
Is it any good?
QUALITY
Conceived as a return to the lush, "old-fashioned" style of such Disney classics as Pinocchio, this animated movie is an impressive example of cartoon art, featuring fully animated character motion and a three-dimensional look. The animation is rich and warm, filled with exquisite detail and color, which brings the dazzling, set pieces to life (including a duel during a lightning storm, and the finale involving the magic amulet).
The voice cast is also excellent, boasting such names as the distinguished British actor Derek Jacobi, veteran character actor John Carradine, the reliably comedic Dom DeLuise, and even a young Shannen Doherty as a mouse. However, parents should be strongly cautioned that the story's tone frequently careens from cheerfulness to grimness, which may frighten children. It does not shy away from being downright terrifying at times, most notably during a gruesome flashback showing animals being tortured.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about scariness in movies. Which parts were the scariest? What made these scenes scary? Would the movie have been more or less scary if it weren't animated?
Who were the heroes in this movie?
Talk about animals in laboratories. Why are they there? How does your family feel about animal testing?
Movie details
| Theatrical release date: | January 1, 1982 |
| DVD release date: | March 23, 1994 |
| Cast: | Derek Jacobi, Dom DeLuise, Elizabeth Hartman |
| Director: | Don Bluth |
| Studio: | MGM/UA |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Topics: | Magic and fantasy, Adventures, Book characters, Holidays |
| Run time: | 83 minutes |
| MPAA rating: | G |
| MPAA explanation: | all audiences |
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QUALITY
awful!
Violent, scary, witch-like. A wonderful children's classic taken to a "dark" level, makes the wise leader Nicodemus a wizard-king. Involves 2 murders, is all DARK. Certainly not for little kids, or for those who've loved Robert C O'briens classic. Puts NIMH in a cruel light, shows animals being "tortured". Absolutely horrid, would NEVER watch again. Had my 11 year old brother almost crying.
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QUALITY
Definitely not for under 8
My nearly-8-year-old had starting watching this yesterday while I frantically searched here for clues. I sent my 5-year-old out of the room. The 8-year-old was fine with all the scenes people talk about here, but my hyper-sensitive especially around animals 5 year old would have been freaked by the glowing eyes. I want to clarify a point people have made about the flashback scene in the lab. Unless I missed a scene, the flashback in no way portrays torture; the rats are injected and they make it a little scary but I think kids would just associate it with a shot and think it was a good thing. Then the rats grow exponentially and squirm a bit while they do it. That's it. The problem I have with this movie is more about the violence of the two rats fighting and the graphic quality of the stabbing. The good side is that it's a mother that's the hero(ine),
What other families should know
Too much violence
Great role models
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QUALITY
Okay, can we get some sense of imagination here, people?
In the world of today, kids kinda need to be scared, and I think they like it more than they let on. With all the lies told by parents nowadays, kids need to be exposed to this kinda thing. This is one of the best movie adaptations ever! Perhaps it is too frightening for younger children. I guess maybe it would be a good idea to wait a while. Still, this is Don Bluth's best film and deserves a lot more respect.
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