Whenever this film came on as a little girl, I could not watch it because it gave me night mares. Even if there were real kids who were in horrible (but obviously not the same) experiences, I had no way to relate to it. Yet looking back, it was a perfect offering for the decade.

I largely developed my current hypothesis about this film from realizing (as sad as it seems) compared to the nightly broadcast of the vietnam war and other urban/social programs---this WAS very kid friendly for it's time. In a time when American social protest was still very visible, the children's fare Disney itself had previously produced seemed outdated and simplistic.

It's also worth noting that efforts in locating missing and exploited children really did not begin until this time, even if it certainly was not Disney's intention to bring issues to the forefront. Again, the somber screenplay and emphasis on social justice owes much to the day's politics where many social safeguards we are accustomed to were non-existent.

The fact that Penny was adopted from an orphanage with little or no safeguards and subjected to such intolerable conditions for so long without any human contact other than the two creeps is another really telling area of the movie. To some extent it was hollywood dramatization, but to another extent that was how things were back then. Thankfully, world governmental bodies (such as the rescue aid society) are around.

Many years later, I like this movie, but am convinced it is more adult oriented. I am now fancinated by this screenplay and see something new each time I am watching. While it might not work for somebody accustomed to the light hearted nature of today's Disney movies, anybody willing to open their mind would love this movie.

11 of 11 found the following review helpful:

A charming and overlooked Disney animated classic!  Apr 16, 2005

In the grand Disney library of classics there are a few that you could consider sweet and simply sweet, a few of those would be Disney films that easily bring a tear to your eyes, like Dumbo, Bambi, The Fox and the Hound and this timeless Disney adventure, The Rescuers. There's something so sweet surrounding the adventurous tale of a little orphan girl, being forced into a dangerous underground cave by an evil woman, you get to feel for this character in every angle and with that love the entire film more and more each time to watch it. I mentioned this being a sweet and charming film mainly because of the character of Penny, the little orphan but certain scenes jump out as most charming, one of them takes place in Penny's home, Morningside Orphanage where she shares her feelings and emotions with the local cat, Rufus, crying because she longs for the love of a mother and father. Another one happens while Penny is lonely and feeling hopeless, praying for help, the whole scene in her bedroom is absolutely beautiful, surrounded by lovely music and a sad and blue atmosphere. All of these things make Penny not only one of the most well developed Disney children in their history but also make her deserve everything she gains at the end of the film, which is happiness.
Opposite to Penny and the sweet animals in the film is the main villainess, Madame Medusa. Now, she is not often considered one of the greatest Disney villains but that is because few take the time to look at her from the film's point of view, now if Madame Medusa is not as evil as Maleficent or the Evil Queen is because she is expected to be defeated by a bunch of small critters which would have never been able to defeat a more dangerous and malicious villain like Shere Khan or Judge Claude Frollo, that's why characters like Madame Medusa and Mr. Snoops are just what a story like this needed for villains. Brutus and Nero, the aligators were also very challenging villains to deal with, as they followed orders from Medusa and their natural instincts, even with these, the rescuers where able to defeat them, making them even greater heroes.
It is a real shame that this wonderful film is often put aside and looked over when considering Disney's animated classics, for this film is a true jewel. Animation here is that sketchy style that Disney used after failing financially with Sleeping Beauty in 1959, but don't get scared, the film's sketchy style sort of adds to the mood of the story, you won't get cheap and dirty looking animated scenes like in Robin Hood, where animation was awful. The main problem here is this is one of those older Disney films which are desperate for a deep digital restoration, for some reason it isn't being given one, this is a big problem since they make the movie seem dirty and grainy and the colors seem washed out and faded. Let's keep hoping that Disney will make this their next grand release, many would love to see what this film has to offer in its original brilliance (Or beyond it, like in the recent restoration of Bambi (1942). Just a quick note, if you are thinking of buying the DVD, don't bother, any of the tape releases is just as good and the bonus features here are pretty dull and not too interesting, few even relate to the film.
Disney behaves pretty ungratefully towards this film, they have probably forgotten that it was The Rescuers that brought back to critics an interest in animation, perhaps without this lovely jewel, critical failures like The Fox and the Hound (1981) or The Black Cauldron (1985) and perhaps the beloved The Little Mermaid (1989) would have never been the same since some of the backgrounds during the soft "Kiss the Girl" scene came from this feature.

As closing thoughts, I will say that if you have never seen this film, you should give it a try, especially if you loved other sweet animated features from the studio. The film was followed by a terrible and weak sequel which never showed half the heart and warmth achieved with the original film. Greatly recommended, a winner in the Disney library!

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