#PhilNibbelink

[adamwatchesmovies]

Fievel Goes West (1991)

I’m not a fan of An American Tail. Its tone is too uneven, the main character not uninteresting enough, and the plot contrived. That doesn't mean I was necessarily going to dislike An American Tail: Fievel Goes West. A VHS came into my possession, I figured I’d give it a try. Maybe I’d even like it better than the first! Not a chance. This is a much worse film. I’d wager even fans of the original would dislike it.

Several years after the events of the first movie, cats have returned to The Bronx and the poor Mousekewitz family decide to leave for greener pastures far away (again). Separated from his family on the way there (again), Fievel (voiced by Phillip Glasser) uncovers a nefarious plan by a group of cats (led by Cat R. Waul, voiced by John Cleese) to exploit the mice and then eat them. It’s up to Fievel, his friend Tiger (voiced by Dom DeLuise), and Fievel’s hero, the elderly Wylie Burp (voiced by James Stewart) to save the day.

Beat for beat, the opening rehashes its predecessor while trying to distract us with a few generic Western elements. Being duped by someone pretending to be a mouse again makes the Mousekewitz look stupid and makes us annoyed with them. At least in the first movie, it was a cat in disguise. This time, they're duped by a puppet! A wooden puppet! As for Fievel, he's learned nothing about wandering around alone.  It severely undermines the emotional impact of a tightly knit family becoming separated. The fact that it’s already happened does so as well.

I must also question the film’s premise. I realize I’m being unfair because I'm watching Fievel Goes West. That's what's going to happen! but that’s the problem. It’s a lousy and generic premise. No one stayed up late coming up with this idea. This sequel was obviously rushed into production. So just rehash the first movie and throw in some lassos, big hats, saloons, and cactuses. Voila! Kids like Cowboys so they’ll come to see our movie!

Even as a Western, this movie doesn’t satisfy or entertain. I’ll forgive the questionable depiction of Native American Mice. What disappoints is the iconic scenes you expect that simply aren’t there. No cattle rustlin’, no bank or train robberies, no “pistols at dawn”, no cavalry, no prospectors, can-can-ing femme fatales, banditos, not even any revolvers or horses! I know those might not have been accurate to the very late 19th century/early 20th century, when this film was made, but in that case, don't set the movie in the "Wild West"!

This picture does not look as good as the first film (Don Bluth not being included, it’s unsurprising). The songs are neither memorable nor catchy. The side plot with Fievel’s sister Tanya (voiced by Cathy Cavadini) is dull and the plot involving Tiger is no good. This movie only lasts an hour and fourteen minutes and there’s so much of it that is either repeated from the first film or filler that it's almost like it doesn't exist.

If you remember liking Fievel Goes West and you feel like shattering your childhood memories, I recommend this film. It’s not funny, clever, or memorable. There’s no spark of imagination or true passion present at any point throughout. It’s the kind of kid’s entertainment I hate because a bunch of adults took a look at a shoddy product and said “they won’t know any better, just release it anyway”. (On VHS, January 8, 2016)

[hahuyhoang]

Day 7 - An American Tail - Fievel Goes West #splendidriver #hahuyhoang #ink #inking #drawing #sketch #sketchbook #sketchwallet #movies #memoriesofmovies #artober #fievelgoeswest #anamericantail #donbluth #philnibbelink #stevenspielberg #animatedmovie #illustration https://www.instagram.com/p/CUu1KTEPLqH/?utm_medium=tumblr

[adamwatchesmovies]

We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story (1993)

If you want to see why the bad Don Bluth animated films didn't measure up to Disney's efforts at the time but you don’t actually want to watch a Don Bluth animated film, try We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story instead.

Told in flashback, a Tyrannosaurus named Rex (voiced by John Goodman) explains how he and several other dinosaurs - Triceratops Woog (Rene LeVant), Elsa the Pteranodon (Felicity Kendal), and Parasaurolophus Dweeb (Charles Fleischer) - were given sentience by Captain Neweyes (Walter Cronkite) so they could be brought to present-day New York City and fulfill the dreams of children. Separated from their caretaker, they befriend Louie (Joey Shea) and Cecilia (Yeardley Smith) and embark on an adventure that will bring them to the evil circus of Professor Screweyes (Kenneth Mars).

At a mere 73 minutes (that’s including the credits) this movie feels padded out. You take out the wraparound story and you must have just barely over an hour's worth of material, which is to say not much at all. The characters are not compelling and the story could be summarized in just a few sentences. It's exactly what you expect out of a film with a Tyrannosaurus called "Rex". His three companions get even less characterization than he does. This wouldn't be such an issue if the human sidekicks were interesting. They aren't either. Louie is a generic runaway who left home because his mother loved him too much. Cecilia is upset because her parents are off vacation without her. It's bad enough we'll be stuck with a bunch of kids instead of the ichthyosaurs-out-of-water but the second you hear them speak, you've got their entire stories figured out.

There's only one element of this story that piques your interest at all. The dinosaurs have been granted intelligence by Captain Neweyes. Of all the times and places he could've transported them to, it's the city as his evil, insane bother. This lunatic operates a circus where people go to get frightened and he wants to use the thunder lizards' natural ability to terrify in his show. An evil circus where the monsters are real and magic exists?! That sounds awesome. Prepare to be disappointed. Directors Dick Zondag, Ralph Zondag, Phil Nibbelink and Simon Wells might've started with some ideas of what a scary circus might be, and proceeded to water them down until they were nothing. It’s obvious Screweyes has magical powers, but he doesn’t actually employ ghosts and demons in his act, he uses people dressed up as monsters. Talk about a letdown. What’s the point of having a bad guy with no motivations except “I’m crazy, and I’m evil” if you make him a wuss compared to his time-traveling brother?

We're Back! A Dinosaur Story lures you in with its premise but after you're committed, it stops trying. The characters aren't interesting - not even the villain. The simplistic plot will only entertain the youngest viewers. The visuals are ok but nothing special. You'll notice Screweyes’ design is inconsistent in several scenes and overall, it feels empty and lifeless. There’s a pretty good original song during the first act. That’s all it has to offer. (On DVD, January 23, 2015)