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Rating: 3.5 out of 5
One of the films that greatly influenced me growing up was An American Tail. This is one of the few films that can make me cry at the end of the film. Along with the Land Before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven, and The Secret of NIMH, this is another one of Don Bluth’s creations that is unlike a typical Disney film and tells the story in a darker tone and environment. Don Bluth always manages to bring the feels to his films along with a minor history less on what things were like in the real world. Dude has the uncanny ability of making great films with some great songs.
The film is set in 1885 in Shostka, Russian Empire, aka Ukraine. The Mousekewitzes are a Russian-Jewish family of mice. They are celebrating Hanukkah when Papa Mousekewitz gives his hat to his song, Fievel. Papa tells Fievel the story of America and how there are no cats there. The family is filled with excitement when it is suddenly interrupted by Cossack, who unleashes an anti-Semitic attack. The attack is brutal as many of their cats attack the mice village. The attack destroys the village, and the Mousekewitzes decide to pick up their shit, bounce and leave for America.
The family travels all the way to Hamburg, Germany, and takes a steamer all the way to New York City. Everyone is ecstatic, as Fievel has the attention span of a goldfish. He asks Papa all about America and how there are no cats there. During a wild thunderstorm that tosses the ship around, Fievel’s hat is blown up on deck. Fievel goes to retrieve it, only to be washed overboard. The family is crushed, thinking he has died at sea.
Fievel manages to survive and float in a bottle to New York City. He meets a French pigeon by the name of Henri, who gives him a pep talk about never saying never. Fievel then encounters a “rat” named Warren T. Rat, who takes Fievel and sells him to a sweatshop. WTF! Fievel escapes and meets Tony Toponi, a street-smart Italian mouse who has a major crush on Bridget, an Irish mouse trying to rally the other mice to fight the cats. When a gang called the Mott Street Maulers attacks, everyone realizes that cats live in America. OH SHIT!!! Fievel continues his quest to find his once-lost family on the streets of New York City.
I admit that this film is not for children in terms of tone and message. This film goes way over anyone’s head for a kid’s film. First, there are many themes that a kid would need help understanding. First, life in Russia was hard back in the day before the Russian Revolution. Shit was intense in that country, and if you read any history at that time, you will know it was not a place to survive. Another theme that is hard to understand if you’re a kid is the whole Ellis Island and working in sweatshops. Dude literally sold Feivel into child labor. That is messed up and not cool. Also, you see the corruption of politicians. During the rally, there was literally a dead mouse on the table and dude was like, I’ll write his name down as vote. Corruption all over the place. You also see the treatment of Irish mice and how they want to fight for equal rights. It was all crazy for a kid’s movie, and I started to understand the story even more as I got older. The ending is the one scene that gets me because it reminds me of my grandfather, who I called Papa.
The voice actors and actresses of this film did a great job. I enjoyed each and every one of them. First, Christopher Plummer is the voice of Henri le Pigeon. This blew my mind because I never would’ve thought it was him. Dom DeLuise as Tiger was also great. DeLuise has a natural and distinct voice, and like Tiger, he is fun and loving and shows his personality through his character. I don’t want to take away from anyone else, but those two are the ones that really surprised me, especially Plummer.
These movies are all about the music. An American Tail has some great music. The first song I must discuss is “There Are No Cats in America.” This song is a fun song as the mice sing about how there are no cats in America. You find it a little amusing because everyone knows that there are cats everywhere, but the song is fun-loving and joyful. The second song that stood out to me is “Never Say Never.” Plummer helped sing this song, but I love the message of the song. It is fun and has that Maurice Chevalier vibe and style to it. You should never say never because you don’t know how things will turn out. Another great song is “A Duo.” I almost forgot about this song, but I have to mention it. It is a fun song sung between Tiger and Feivel. It is one of the most famous songs from the movie.
The song that is above and beyond in this film is “Somewhere Out There.” This song will make you sing and cry at the same time. In the movie, it was sung while Fievel and his sister were looking at the moon and wondering where each other was at. The version that gets the most shine as it won two Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television. James Ingram brings it along with Linda Ronstadt.
An American Tail is one of those kid’s films that really isn’t a kid with themes and plot. It is better for someone who is around a teenager’s age. This doesn’t take away from the film’s music, as those songs are the greatest part of the film. An American Tail is a film that should be watched and put on, at least for background sound and music.
BONUS CLIP!!!
