Bob Newhart & Eva Gabor Star in the 35^th Anniversary Release!!

FIRST TIME EVER IN SPECTACULAR BLU-RAY^TM HIGH DEFINITION!!!

Who could ask for better! I posted several days ago about all of my favorite old movies involving mice. I never realized that until now. Before they sent us the BluRay, I had tried for years (unsuccessfully might I add) to instill my love of this movie into my young 7 year old daughter, Gigi. Giana just wouldn't bite. I lucked out and actually got her to sit through it. The revived artwork on the BluRay finally caught her interest and I got her to admit that it is a really good movie! The Rescuers is a gripping story of a little girl who longs to be adopted by a real family but ends up getting tangled with the likes of

Madame Medusa.

"Rufus is Penny's elderly cat from The Rescuers. He first met Bernard and Miss Bianca and gave them the information of the whereabouts of Penny. He was voiced by John McIntire.

Being an elderly cat, Rufus has very little interest in anything that other young cats do (like chasing mice). Despite this, he is shown to be very kind and warm as he was able to cheer Penny up in her time of sadness to never lose hope in getting adopted. In regards to mice, he has no interest in harming or chasing them, as shown by his willingness to help Bernard and Miss Bianca in their search for Penny.

Rufus first appears in the movie at Morning Side Orphanage where Bernard and Bianca are looking for clues to what might of happened to Penny. When Rufus sees Bernard and Bianca he tells them that they should probably leave because he'll kicked out onto the streets and that he's too old to chase mice. Rufus also tells them that the last time he saw Penny she was sitting on her bed and was sad because on Adoption Day at the Orphanage a man and lady came and looked at Penny but chose the little red headed girl. Rufus says that there was this weird lady who ran a pawn shop down the street with her partner who tried to give Penny a ride but he believes that Penny wouldn't have anything to do with them. Bernard and Bianca decide to go down to the pawn shop and investigate to which Rufus replies, "Two little mice? What can you do?"

Rufus doesn't appear again until the end where Penny is holding him while she is being interviewed by the news on the day she gets adopted. It is presumed that Rufus got to go and live with Penny and her adopted parents." Rufus is my favorite character in the Rescuers.

"Prior to the film, Medusa discovers that the world's largest diamond, the Devil's Eye, is buried deep underground in a pirate's cave in Devil's Bayou. Much to her disappointment, the cave entrance is much too narrow for her to fit through. Neither her incompetent henchman, Mr. Snoops, nor her two pet crocodiles, Nero and Brutus, can fit through it. It is then that the witch decides to return to New York City, where her pawnshop is located, and captures the poor orphan Penny to fetch the diamond for her

"Soon after that, the evil treasure huntress Madame Medusa needs a child to fetch a certain diamond hidden within a crack too narrow for adults to fit down. She thus kidnaps Penny to fetch the diamond for her; Rufus says that Medusa offered to give Penny a ride in her car. For weeks afterward, the police searched for the girl, but had no success in finding her and eventually gave up the search.

When a message in a bottle from Penny finally arrives in New York Harbor, some hobo mice discover it and send it to the Rescue Aid Society of mice. Miss Bianca and her co-agent Bernard read the message and soon find out that Penny is being held in Devil's Bayou. The two mice set about in search of the girl to rescue her.

LATER ....

After rescuing the diamond from the black hole and successfully defeating Medusa, the 3 friends soon return to New York City, where both the diamond is donated to the Smithsonian Museum and Penny is adopted."

I appreciated that this movie is so old that it was before a time when animators/writers were not scared to input scenes of Christianity into films. This classic movie actually shows Penny praying. Which is sweet, and while not politically correct- very important for children to know about. And even see in film, I think.

There are a lot of Disney animated classics coming to blu-ray this year! The Aristocats, The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under, Pocahontas, Treasure Planet, and Home on the Range are all being released this summer, and finally Cinderella is going to be released this fall! If my math is right, nineteen films from Disney Animation are available on blu-ray, so with these new titles that will bring the Disney Animation blu-ray collection up to twenty-six. ( We loved Treasure Planet & hope they also release from the Vault The Little Mermaid, which is rumored to release later this year! In addition- I'd LOVE to see Atlantis come out on BluRay because I have always loved that movie!!! With any luck, they'll do a 2-pack of Atlantis and Atlantis II Milo's Journey - in a special 3 disc set as they did with the Rescuers. Trust me- if you missed seeing The Rescuers as a child you will love this movie!

Let's move on to the Rescuers 2 - or rather The Rescuer's Down Under - Giana has a thing for movie with little girls and has a hard time connecting to movies where little boys are the main characters, BUT that's not to say she didn't like this movie! She absolutely adores the mice: Bernard and Miss Bianca, and even though it means absolutely nothing to her that they are voiced by Bob Newhart & Eva Gabor, at least I understand the significance there. (Dang! I AM getting old, huh?) I love that this story introduces a new character who is in competition with Bernard, Jake the Australian "hottie" who is much more buff and suave than the chubby (but nice) Bernard. In the end, of course *spoiler* Miss Bianca choose good old trusty Bernard (but not util the films last scenes), and a good choice too- I'm sure, as you can never trust overly confident hotties! (LOL)

The dauntless agents of the mouse Rescue Aid Society go to Australia to help Cody, a boy who's been kidnapped while trying to save a giant eagle from a wildlife poacher. The film includes some thrilling aerial sequences of Cody and the eagle, inspired by the work of Hayao Miyazaki. In this movie the picture is spectacular and although in my opinion the story isn't as good as the original, it is still up to par with other Disney Classics. I love that the movie isn't afraid to take you by the edge of your seats, as they try to rescue the Eagle with their new-found kid companion Cody. Although I liked Penny's sweet innocent voice and character much better than Cody, I love how he's so brave and adventurous, surely an inspiration to little boys of our generation, who have yet to see this movie!!!

My favorite character in the 2nd movie, Rescuers Down Under was the albatross named Wilbur, although I also thought the eagle was beautiful too. I also loved Red, the Kangaroo and Krebbs the Koala.

2-Movie Collection

Releasing For the Very First Time on Disney Blu-ray

and HD Digital- August 21, 2012

Film Synopsis: To commemorate the 35th anniversary of an original classic, Disney proudly presents a special 2-movie collection featuring all-time family favorites, “The Rescuers” and “The Rescuers Down Under,” for the first time ever on Blu-ray! Join two of the world’s bravest mice – Bernard and Bianca – as they set out on two thrilling rescue missions full of comic adventure while soaring through the Devil’s Bayou and flying sky high in the Australian outback. Buckle up for the ride of your life as these tiny heroes with great big hearts outrun and outwit their rivals to save the day. Brimming with lovable characters and unforgettable music, the 2-movie collection is high-flying fun for the entire family! Share the laughs and excitement for the first time on Disney Blu-ray.

Talent/Cast: Bob Newhart (“Elf”) as the voice of Bernard

Eva Gabor (“Green Acres”) as the voice of Miss Bianca

“The Rescuers” additional cast:

Joe Flynn (“The Love Bug”), Jim Jordon (“Chico and the Man”), Jeanette Nolan (“The Horse Whisperer”), Pat Buttram (“Who’s the Boss?”)

“The Rescuers Down Under” additional cast:

John Candy (“Uncle Buck”), Adam Ryen (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Wayne Robson (“The Incredible Hulk”) Tristan Rogers (“General Hospital”), George C. Scott (“Patton”)

Directors: “The Rescuers”- John Lounsbery (“The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh”, Wolfgang Reitherman (“The Jungle Book”), Art Stevens (“The Fox and the Hound”)

“The Rescuers Down Under” - Hendel Butoy (“Fantasia 2000”), Mike Gabriel (“Pocahontas”)

Producers: “The Rescuers” - Wolfgang Reitherman (“The Aristocats”), Ron Miller (“Tron”)

“The Rescuers Down Under” - Thomas Schumacher (“The Lion King”), Kathleen Gavin (“The Nightmare Before Christmas”)

Writers: “The Rescuers” - Margery Sharp (“The Notorious Lady”)

“The Rescuers Down Under” - Jim Cox (“Oliver & Company”), Karey Kirkpatrick (“Over the Hedge”), Joe Ranft (“Toy Story”), Byron Simpson (“Something of Mine”)

Release Date: August 21, 2012

Release Formats & 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + 2 DVDs) =

Suggested Retail $39.99 U.S. and $46.99 Canada

Prices:

2-Disc DVD = $29.99 and $35.99

Price:

$24.96 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25

HD and SD Digital = Consumers should contact their television provider or preferred digital retailer for more information and pricing.

Rating: G in the U.S. and G in Canada

Bonus material not rated.

Feature Run Time: Approximately 78 minutes (each film)

Bonus Features: 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack:

“Peoplitis” deleted song; The Making of “Rescuers Down Under;” “Three Blind Mouseketeers” animated short; Water-Birds, A Walt Disney True Life Adventure documentary; “Someone’s Waiting For You” Sing-Along

2-Disc DVD:

The Making of “Rescuers Down Under;” “Three Blind Mouseketeers” animated short; Water-Birds, A Walt Disney True Life Adventure documentary; “Someone’s Waiting For You” Sing-Along

HD and SD Digital:

“Peoplitis” deleted song; The Making of “Rescuers Down Under;” “Three Blind Mouseketeers” animated short; Water-Birds, A Walt Disney True Life Adventure documentary

Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray Feature Films: 1.66:1 Widescreen

DVD Feature Films: 1.66:1 Enhanced for 16x9 Televisions

Audio: Blu-ray Feature Films: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital

DVD Feature Films: English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital

Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish

FIRST TIME EVER IN SPECTACULAR BLU-RAY^TM HIGH DEFINITION

Souces:

http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Rufus_(The_Rescuers)

Image credit:

http://cbl.orcein.net/minor04/rescuersdownunder.htm

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