The Rescuers Down Under (Gold Collection)

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Hold on tight for thrilling, fast-paced adventure in the heart of Australia in Disney's animated classic THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER! Deep within Australia's vast and unpredictable Outback, a young boy named Cody forges an incredible friendship with a great golden eagle. But when a ruthless poacher sets out to capture the eagle, Cody steps in to protect him. Knowing he can't do it alone, a call for help goes out that's answered by the world's bravest mice, Bernard and Bianca. Flying in on the wings of their hilarious albatross friend Wilbur, these top mouse agents are ready to tackle their biggest, most dangerous mission yet! Say "G'Day" to a classic Disney adventure full of unforgettable characters, heartwarming friendship and incredible animation -- a down-under delight your family will love!|This was the first Disney animated classic that was essentially a sequel -- to the 1977 hit film THE RESCUERS.|The production required a team of more than 415 artists and technicians. Five key members of the creative team traveled to the Australian Outback to observe its unique beauty, which they wanted to capture on film. They came home with hundreds of photographs of Ayers Rock, Katherine Gorge, and Kakadu National Park, and countless filled sketchbooks.|When Jim Jordan, who had voiced the albatross Orville in the original THE RESCUERS, passed away before the sequel was made, Roy. E. Disney suggested the character of Wilbur, Orville's brother, as a replacement. The names, of course, were a play on the Wright brothers.|For the first time, computer technology took the place of the Xerox process and the hand painting of cels (and it also enabled the inclusion of several spectacular visuals). The marketing effort for the film didn't call attention to the fact that cels weren't used so the film would be reviewed on its own merits, rather than in comparison to earlier Disney films. .com ---- No, this isn't a quickie, direct-to-video sequel, cashing in on the success of the 1977 animated hit about adventurous mice, but a full-blown theatrical effort. This time around, Bernard (voiced by Bob Newhart) is trying to pop the question to Bianca (Eva Gabor) when they're summoned to Australia, where a young boy has been kipped by a pallid, gray-faced poacher (who looks like and is voiced by George C. Scott). Wilbur, a chatterbox of an albatross (John Candy, replacing the late Jim Jordan's character Orville), and Jake (Tristan Rogers), a kangaroo mouse--Bernard is jealous of the dashing rodent--assist the Rescuers in saving the day and imparting a mild environmental message. The film opens with an absolutely breathtaking aerial sequence--this was made near the beginning of Disney's animation renaissance--so impressive it would seem the story, literally, has nowhere else to go but down, but some smart gags, excellent animation, and rollicking adventures ensue. So why isn't it better known? It had the bad luck to open, in 1990, site another kids' film--Home Alone. --David Kronke