rescuers

THE FLICK: The 70’s were an era of rebirth for the film industry. Studios, befuddled by a generation of baby boomers who craved something different, were forced to make “different” kinds of pictures. But who would think this would apply to animated films, too? “The Rescuers” has all the elements of a traditional Disney movie – cute characters, scary villains, and a healthy dose of comic relief. But it feels rawer than most of the studio’s classics, slightly unfinished, with an animation style closer to the Scooby Doo episodes of the 60’s than “Lady & the Tramp.” The plot, too, is a little darker than most, sending two mice (Bernard, voiced by Bob Newhart, and Bianca, by Eva Gabor) to rescue a runaway orphan from the clutches of some dastardly treasure hunters. They’re assisted their hunt through a spooky swamp by a clumsy albatross, a dragonfly named Evinrude, and a cast of alcoholic hillbilly critters. The unpolished feel of the film (even the music is sparse and “soft rock” in tone) works in its favor, forgoing the usual sing-a-longs and dance numbers for a Grimm’s fairy tale atmosphere. “The Rescuers” is a family film for the 70’s, jumping the rails of Disney’s predictable train track at times, then easing itself back on. That unpredictability is what makes it as much a classic as anything else in the studio vaults. THE FEATURES: Apparently, it wasn’t enough of a classic to warrant the 2-disc treatment other Disney films are getting these days. But there are a few extras attached. The 30-minute True Life Adventure “Water Birds” is the kind of kid-friendly documentary stuff that used to air on Wonderful World of Disney. It’s not as informative as the Discovery Channel but it will kick your nostalgia meter into overdrive. “Under the Hat Villains” is a brief history of the studio’s classic bad guys (and gals). There’s also an animated short, “Three Blind Mousketeers,” a fair amount of sketches, photos and publicity from the film, plus a navigational menu game for the kids. And even though the songs from the film aren’t what you’d call catchy, there’s a “Sing-A-Long” feature from the Oscar Nominated track “Someone’s Waiting For You.” FINAL SCORE: “The Rescuers” holds up well after all these years. While not straying too far from the Disney formula, there’s just enough unique touches to make the film stand out among the studio’s other work. The DVD, while not exactly loaded, “ is far from a bare bones release and