It's no secret. this movie sucks.
MGM, 1999
The Secret of Nimh is one of my favorite animated movies. Adventurous, dark, scary, and actually a pretty well thought out tale of the effects of animal testing, though exaggerated. And, while not exactly perfectly adapted from the book (Though to be honest, what adaptation ever is?), It still stands as one of the many great animated movies of the Bluth era of the mid 80's.
Now let's fast forward 16 years later. The craze of DTV animated films was still at its height, and many movies saw weak attempts at cheap sequels. From All Dogs go to Heaven, to Ferngully, to, sadly Secret of Nimh. In 1999, MGM home video released The Secret of Nimh 2: Timmy to the Rescue. This one having nothing to do with Don Bluth Productions. Though considering the downward spiral of lackluster films they were making through the 90's, they probably wouldn't have made much of a difference.
Because this movie sucks on many a level. This movie takes a dark, rather daring film and book, and coats it to a saccharin "We wish we were Disney" style.
So, let's get to watching.
The movie starts interestingly enough with a recap of the first film. In case you were living under a rock for 16 years, or just figured the 2nd movie had nothing to do with the first. Like this was Secret of Nimh 2: Season of the Witch or something.
After the recap, we start off with Timmy and older brother Martin racing on walnut shells, being dragged by rabbits. And, hoo boy, did the animation ever get cheap. I know this isn't on the same budget scale, but you think they could've at least tried to emulate the same design style. When Timmy falls off his nut, he ends up getting trapped in a Cage. Seems that N.I.M.H, The National Institute for Mental Health, were the ones who set the trap, to get more rats to test. But before he gets caught, Martin comes to his aid.
We learn that Nicodemus, the prophet rat who was killed in the previous film had chosen Timmy to be the future hero, to live up to the legacy of his father Jonathan Brisby, who freed the rats of Nimh, and got them to thorn valley. And to this point, Timmy certainly doesn't believe it. Nor does his brother Martin, who tries to encourage him by teaching him to use a slingshot. Timmy tries, and ends up hitting Jeremy the crow, once again voiced by our old pal Dom Delouise. And wouldn't you know it, Jeremy is still as annoying as he was in the previous film. But, hey, it's a kid's cartoon, and every one of them needs an annoying character.
Timmy is sent off to Thorn valley to learn with Justin and Mr Ages. And Martin bitches that he's not the destined hero. I sense foreshadowing.
So Jeremy and Timmy finally arrive at thorn valley. And we get our first song.
Song? The first movie had like one song. Don't tell me this is going the "Many songs like a Disney toon" route. Unfortunately, it's as catchy as the sound of dragging your face on pavement.
After a montage of Timmy enjoying the fun aspects of thorn valley, the song continues with a very depressed Timmy solo. The youngster singing should probably stick to his day job. Also, despite the fact that he's the destined hero, we're over 10 minutes in, and we still don't know what exactly his big destiny is supposed to be.
We move on to another montage of Mr. Ages (Who is a far less lovable grump as he was in the original), and Justin, (Who is voiced by Jesus H. Macy... I mean William H. Macy. And boy does he ever sound energetic) teaching and training Timmy for his destiny. And what is that destiny? Hell if they know. After more lecturing on Timmy's future, we get another damn song. Roughly 2 and a half minutes after the first one, we get another. This time, it's Timmy singing, as he sings about why he never had his father in his life to show him the way, and more about his destiny. and through this whole song, Timmy gets older. Helluva long song. And again, Kids singing Timmy's voice, maybe want to find another profession.
After that ear rape, Justin takes Timmy along on the collection hunt. But they make the destined hero stay on guard. While guarding, he meets a mouse named love interest, i mean Jenny. They get attacked by Killer, the guard dog, and manage to escape, not before learning that Jenny can read. It turns out that her parents were two of the lost 6, mice that vanished during the escape from Nimh. They were recaptured by Nimh and their head scientist Dr. Valentine. She explains that Nimh is planning something, and it's to happen during the next full moon. After the explanation we move on to..
A pair of very annoying alley cats being lead into Nimh. Back at thorn valley, the council decides not to help Jenny rescue her parents, and they also make her stay in the Valley. That night, we learn that she knew of Thorn Valley through a mouse that was captured there. That mouse being Timmy's brother Martin. and what a coincidence, we then just learn that Timmy was told via note from his mother that Martin had disappeared. So, the duo break out of Thorn Valley, and head to Nimh via a balloon.
But on their way, they get attacked by a Hawk, and end up lost in the forest.
Upon deciding to see the Great Owl, who aided his mother in the first movie, they get accosted by a shyster caterpillar named Cecil. and from there it's back to the cats, who are now brainwashed to work for Dr. Valentine to find the escaped Nimh rodents. I gotta admit, it really confuses me why the National Institute of Mental Health is so damn interested in making an army of talking critters. Or maybe that's just that silly foreshadowing i was talking about earlier, who knows? Back to Timmy, who goes to meet the great owl...
Only to discover it's really Jeremy. Apparently Cecil and Jeremy have been conning everybody out of their money. How do I know this? They sing about it, of course. What is it with cheapquels and songs from people who should never do such a thing? First Gilbert Gottfried, then Jean Stapleton, now Dom Deluise? Hoo boy.
But during the song, Jeremy's Great Owl disguise falls off, and the duo escapes the angry mob, as Timmy and Jenny hop aboard to get a flight to Nimh.
As our heroes arrive, they discover that the human scientists have been brainwashed into dogs. Also, that Justin and his gang have also arrived to aid them. Hopefully they didn't have to deal with a singing crow during their travels. but before they can rescue the trapped mice, they get captured by Dr. Valentine's evil feline duo.
But as they are sent to the doctor, we learn the Doc has also been given the brainwash. But if he isn't the villain, then who could it be? Remember that foreshadowing I mentioned earlier? Well, If you guessed Timmy's brother Martin would end up being the villain, you win a prize.
And if you guessed he would be voiced by Eric Idle, you win extra points.
And we move on to song 4, which is pretty terrible, but dammit, Eric Idle's singing, so it's worth the listen nonetheless.
After the song, we learn of Martin's plan, to attack Thorn Valley during the full moon, and turn the inhabitants into his army. He then traps Timmy in a cage, sends Justin's crew to be trapped with the lost 6, and has Jenny sent to be brainwashed into his queen. So, since it hasn't been a whole 2 minutes without a song, we get another one. More sad Timmy and Jenny singing. Nothing worth talking about, so let's continue.
Cecil enters Timmy's cage, and tries to cheer him up, when Timmy then remembers a key he got earlier during the first song, which he uses to break free. After luring the cats into an elevator shaft, and sending them to what i believe is their death, we get the final battle between Timmy and Martin. Which lasts like a minute, when Jenny pushes a book on top of Martin knocking him out. Fucking lame.
They send Martin's Army the wrong way, and free the captured rodents. But before they can escape, the building for some reason catches fire. The rodents escape, but Timmy stays to rescue his brother. He and his brother stay in a cage as firefighters rescue the scientists. Jeremy grabs the cage, and the heroes return home.
So Timmy is a hero, he and Jenny are in love I guess, Martin is all Idled out, and the credits roll.
And that's Secret of Nimh 2 in a nutshell. What a piece of junk. Too many songs, far tamer than its predecessor, and the voice cast seemed quite bored and uninspired. Except for Eric Idle, who always rules all the time. It just goes to show you that Disney may have made many a terrible cheapquel, but at least they can get the formula somewhat right. Can't say the same for MGM, or Fox for that matter. Why do i say Fox? You'll see why next time when we take on...
