Product Details

• Actors: Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, Geraldine Page, Joe Flynn, Jeanette Nolan
• Directors: Wolfgang Reitherman
• Writers: Larry Clemmons, Ken Anderson, Ted Berman, Vance Gerry, Fred Lucky
• Format: Animated, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (DTS-HD High Res Audio), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Studio: Disney
• DVD Release Date: August 21, 2012
• Run Time: 78 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (130 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0084IHVQG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,629 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #92 in Movies & TV > Blu-ray > Kids & Family

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

After Walt Disney's death in 1966 and the release of The Jungle Book (1967), his studio seemed to be sleepwalking, producing films that were beautifully animated but lacked compelling stories. The Rescuers (1977) was a welcome bright spot. The first collaboration between the animators who had been working for Disney since the days of Snow White and a cadre of young artists, the film displays an energy and a charm that had been sorely missing for nearly a decade. Based on a series of children's books by Margery Sharp, The Rescuers sends the intrepid mouse Miss Bianca and her reluctant companion Bernard to the rescue of the orphan girl Penny. Among the highlights of the film are Ollie Johnston's animation of Rufus, an aged cat who was essentially a self-caricature, and Milt Kahl's wonderfully flamboyant villainess, Madame Medusa. More than three decades after its release, it's still easy to see why The Rescuers scored a hit with audiences and critics, outdrawing Star Wars in France and Germany. The Rescuers Down Under (1990) is the forgotten film of the Disney renaissance of the '80s and '90s. The first sequel in the studio's history and the first non-musical since Victory Through Air Power in 1943, Down Under brought back Eva Gabor and Bob Newhart as the voices of Bianca and Bernard. 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. But Cody isn't a terribly interesting character and much of the story feels by-the-numbers. Although The Rescuers Down Under was eclipsed by The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, which came before and after it, no fan of Disney animation will want to miss this delightful double bill. The color on the Blu-ray transfer is somewhat oversaturated, especially on the older film, so technically minded viewers will want to adjust their TVs accordingly. (Rated G: cartoon violence, some scary situations, alcohol use) --Charles Solomon

Product Description

The Rescue Aid Society, an international organization of mice with headquarters in the basement of the United Nations building, receives a plea for help from a little orphan girl named Penny who has been kidnapped by an evil woman, Madame Medusa. Medusa intends to use her to retrieve a fabulous diamond, the Devil's Eye, from a pirate cave. The case is taken by lovely Bianca and Rescue Aid Society custodian Bernard, who becomes her shy assistant. Together, after avoiding two brutish alligators, enlisting the help of the local swamp folk, and turning Medusa and her henchman Snoops against themselves, they rescue Penny and the diamond.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Bonus DVD Packaging August 25, 2012

By J. Monroe

Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is not about the Blu Ray, which is outstanding in both the picture & sound. Instead, the review is about the packaging of the 2 bonus DVD's. Disney decided to go with a double case instead of a triple case. This resulted in the 2 bonus DVD's being stacked on one spindled on-top of each other, resulting in the top DVD being scratched. Surely Disney could have spent a few more cents & gone with the proper case to accommodate the 2 bonus DVD's & the 1 Blu Ray. A little disappointing for a company that always stood for quality.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Mouse Giveth, the Mouse Taketh Away. Original Bonuses are dropped! August 25, 2012

By Paul J. Mular TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Blu-ray

WHAT'S MISSING from the original DVDs?
The Rescuers' biggest casualty is the loss of a 15-page Scrapbook holding concept art, character designs, behind-the-scenes production photos, and publicity artwork. Also dropped, and of lesser interest, is "Under the Hat Villains", a 90-second Toon Disney short celebrating the studio's animated villains (including Medusa) with clips and some animator comments. The last omission from the original movie's DVD is "The Ultimate Case" set-top game, which let you sleuth around rooms to find Penny's missing teddy bear (with the Devil's Eye Diamond inside) à la Bernard and Bianca with clues from "Orville."

Lost from The Rescuers Down Under's original Gold Classic Collection DVD are its original theatrical trailer, a virtual DVD storybook, and a 16-question trivia game. And expectedly not resurfacing from inside its case are an Animals of the Outback booklet and chapter insert.

You may want to hold on to your original DVDs and sell off the bare bones DVDs included here.

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars HALLELUJAH! (AND A DOUBLE-HEADER TO BOOT!) June 13, 2012

By 'Matahari' TOP 100 REVIEWER

Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase

If Disney treats this RESCUERS (double-header) release with the same quality transfer as some of their other recent blu ray releases (i.e Lion King and Beauty And The Beast etc.), then we will be in for a real treat!

THE RESCUERS
The Rescue Aid Society goes on a mission (in this 1977 Disney release) to rescue a little girl named Penny who has been kidnapped, when law enforcement fails to locate her. Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor), the Hungarian representative volunteers to accept the assignment, and chooses Bernard (Bob Newhart), the adorable and stammering janitor, as her co-agent.

THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER
Set in the Australian Outback, this 1990 Disney release is about a young boy named Cody who rescues and befriends a rare golden eagle called "Marahute", who shows him her nest and eggs. Later on, the boy is caught in an animal trap set by McLeach (George C. Scott), a locally wanted poacher. McLeach finds finds one of the eagle's feathers on the boy's backpack, he is instantly overcome with excitement, for he knows that to capture such a bird would make him very rich. He throws Cody's backpack to the crocodiles to trick the rangers into thinking that Cody was eaten, and kidnapps him in attempt to force him to tell about the whereabouts of Marahute.
The Rescue Aid Society elite field agents, Bernard and Bianca, are assigned to the mission, interrupting Bernard's attempt to propose marriage to Bianca.

There is a 'special' appreciation that is brought to bear on many of the older full-length disney animated feature films, due in part to the thousands of hand drawings that went into making them (i.e. before the advent of CGI's), not to mention the adorable voice characterizations (in these films: Eva Gabor and Bob Newhart) and the very 'colorful' (hand drawn and painted) backgrounds throughout the feature films.

(Note: By 1990, cga's were becoming more common place in productions, and Down Under utilized computer generated animation which yielded delightful results!)

Really looking forward to this!

Closed Captioning is included for the hearing impaired.

*UPDATE 8/21/12* I am not a technical analyst, so my update on picture quality is from a 'common' person's perspective - I do find this blu ray transfer a 'definite upgrade' worthy of replacing my prior DVD. I also (upon opening) had to remove one of the DVD's and put it in it's own case, as the two were stacked on top of one another on the same spindle on the left, with blu ray on it's own spindle on the right (not a wise packaging move). I am personally satisfied and glad I made the purchase.