Such a frustrating disappointment

How sad is this?

I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

As today was rather uneventful, I made the decision to view a Blu-Ray copy of this film my brother had provided to me as a gift. I had last watched this film about 5 or 6 years ago as part of a 6th grade Humanities class, so I figured a slight nostalgia trip would provide some entertainment for an otherwise boring day. Looking at it again, how has it held up for me?I was pleased with the animation quality in general, since in spite of it depicting things that are too weird to work with a cartoony style (like jiggly body parts) in a G rated film, the effects (such as the cat shadows, light flashes, and the Great Mouse of Minsk) are very well done for 1986. It isn't as breathtaking as The Secret of NIMH, but the animation is bound to please many who view it. The characters range from actually fascinating to ones who can be summed up by a trope, both in terms of actions and personality. Fievel turns out to be a rather sympathetic character in spite of his naïveté and frail emotions, giving us the message of determination with Henri that sums up what the US should be for the world. As I said, most of the other vital characters can be summed up in tropes (the con Warren, friendly fat man Tiger), which is unfortunate considering both The Secret of NIMH before it and its Disney rival TGMD offered characters that required a whole TV Tropes page to sum up. The biggest issue this movie has, though, is its story. I will give that it did write out the action and calm scenes well, but there are some supposedly minor things that actually impact how one may end up viewing the film. As one example, when Fievel goes into the sewers for the first time, he doesn't bring his hat with him. After the cockroaches chase him, he somehow has his hat even though he never went back up to retrieve it. In one scene, Fievel appears to sleep in a straw basket on a puddle of water, which disappears the following day. Fievel seems to know Bridget's name in her introduction scene even though she never informed him of that. Lastly, Tony had no information that Warren was actually a cat, and merely acted on Fievel's tip that he was an impostor. The story, in summary, had great potential that was unfortunately mostly lost in a series of not-so-convoluted errors. On the bright side, though, the music is actually really endearing, and the action and humor do work very well.An American Tail came off to me as one of those movies you liked more as a child than in coming years. Families will get some laughs, some scares, and some tears from this movie, but given its writing goofs, I am not confident that everyone who views this will end up really pleased. However, unlike All Dogs Go To Heaven, it's not a film I will say is overrated. It is still emotional, hilarious, and adrenaline-inducing, which should be enough to provide many with a satisfying movie experience. In my book, that's just enough to give this film a passing score. Just be aware, parents, that there is alcohol, cigar use, and occasional bright flashes in this film.

This a very good animated movie.The animation is fantastic and it is full of colorful characters. The film is lively and full of adventure and excitement. The majority of the characters are memorable with distinct personalities. And to bring these characters to life some very good actors have been selected like Hal Smith(the original voice of owl in Winnie-the-Pooh). New York City is beautifully brought to life. The animation is really top class.This film is most reminiscent of Pinocchio in structure. What with our innocent protagonist wandering around in a strange new world meeting various characters some good,some bad and like that movie An American Tail is an episodic story. But it is well told with class and finesse.Of course it has bad things about it. And there are some plot conveniences.the character of Tony is relentlessly annoying and you just want him to shut up.Also in the beginning the main character does an incredibly stupid thing involving a hat. but i guess he gets to paid for it big time after.But overall a great film well worth showing your kids or just watch yourself. Also, I'm not a hundred percent sure but I think the Swedish dubbing is very good so if you are a Swedish parent definitely show this film to your children without missing much. However, I have not seen the dubbing myself but I'm pretty sure it's good. So check that out Swedish parents.

After the darker and epic masterpiece "The Secret of NIMH", he teams up with Steven Spielberg (who directed the heartwarming E.T. and the shark monster "Jaws" and would later direct the adaptation of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park) along with David Kirschner to direct the idea he came up with known as "An American Tail".It takes place in Russian in the year 1885 where a family of mice gets chased out of their homes by the cats. On the way to America, a land where they think has no cats, a young mouse named Fievel Mousekewitz gets separated from his parents on the way. When he arrives alone in the New World, however, he keeps up hope, searching for his family, making new friends, and running and dodging the cats he thought he'd be rid off.Since this is Bluth/Spielberg's first team up to make an animated film, it's an amazing effort from the greatest directors in the history of cinema. The story was so touching while having funny moments, scary moments, and very sad moments. The animation is breathtakingly beautiful and so are the colorful backgrounds. The characters are likable and so is the excellent voice acting. The James Horner music score/songs were so catchy you would leave the theater humming "Somewhere Out There" for about four minutes.An American Tail is another masterpiece not only from Don Bluth, but from Steven Spielberg as well and would recommended to fans of traditional animation and Bluth fans.5/5

This is an erratic animated feature with some bravura moments. A first glimpse of The Statue of Liberty, viewed through a green bottle. An operatic trawl through the underbelly of New York. A climactic reunion amid the fountains of an orphans' commune. Elsewhere, the animation is as changeable as the storyline and having a kid with a strong American accent voice your Russian immigrant hero is rarely going to work, no matter how appealingly drawn he is - in both senses of the phrase. Yes, it's formidably scary, admirably heavy and has a handful of nice James Horner songs, but a tighter script, slicker chase sequences and a more coherent worldview could have made this something genuinely special.