Short Review: The Secret of NIMH

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I decided to get back to my "To Watch" list, so last night I watched The Secret of NIMH for the first time. You probably know it as the pretty-looking movie where rats get stabbed.

Aside from the gorgeous artwork that you've most likely already heard so much about (every frame looks like a painting worthy of being hung in a museum and the animation is as smooth as many butters), the best thing about this movie is the way it masquerades as a fantasy epic when in reality its science-fiction. The animals seem to see humans and technology like a human would see monsters and magic, which creates a mystical mood that you would never expect to see in a movie about the National Institute of Mental Health. However, this mood isn't all good, as it ultimately brings about an underwhelming happy ending. Apparently Don Bluth changed the ending from its source material to send a message across that some problems are solved by love, not brains, but amidst the heap of catastrophe that the movie had built up, it just felt like a cheap way out.

The first act of the movie is extremely slow and only serves to introduce around half of the cast. The movie doesn't get really good until around thirty-five minutes in, when Mrs. Brisby meets Justin and the rest of the rats, who just so happen to be the most important characters in the movie. For the most part, the characters in this film are well-rounded, have clear motivations and developed throughout the story, the best examples being the unlikely hero Mrs. Brisby and the grumpy yet thoughtful Mr. Ages. But due to the movie's pacing problems, the main villain Jenner comes off as one-dimensional. While he's a satisfyingly vile villain, there's nothing really behind his wickedness; he comes off as more of an obstacle than a character. While we're on the topic of bad character writing, Jeremy should be mentioned too. He hardly serves any purpose in the story (the only important thing he does is let Mrs. Brisby fly on him once), yet he has more screen-time than pretty much everyone except Mrs. Brisby and maybe Justin. He's also mind-numbingly annoying.

Disregarding the ultimate resolution, I must emphasize just how awesome the latter two acts are. The story kicks into full-gear through the haunting flashback of the escape from NIMH, and from there on out it's a trauma conga line. In the climax, pretty much everything that can go wrong does, creating one of the darkest and most epic climaxes I've ever seen in an animated movie. The movie pulls you in through realistic scenes of suffering. Of course, they would've been even more effective if the movie had its story spread out better. Or perhaps it just should've been longer.

NIMH has a lot of glaring flaws when it comes to pacing, but with its beautiful scenery, unique concept and shockingly intense climax, it's still an artistically solid experience.
© 2012 - 2024 lukeguy97
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Memory627's avatar
The movie was great, even with its flaws.
But then the made that so-called "sequel"... ugh