The Secret of NIMH [VHS]

I remember seeing this on VHS when I was little, but I knew it was a theater release film. For years, I wondered if this title was originally in widescreen or 4:3 ratio as that is all I had ever seen it in. But I always suspected, it was a widescreen film. Finally, the blu-ray is released and its the first time ever, that I found it widescreen. For that reason alone, its worth the purchase. As for the transfer, its a very nice transfer. I wouldn't say its perfect, but its nice. I noticed a lot of "dust" for lack of a better word in a lot of the scenes. Honestly, I think it was on the original cells when the they were laid across the backgrounds, although it could just as likely be related to the aging/degrading of the original masters. You have to remember that the studio that made this film had just been formed, and was pretty much being run out of a garage. And while some backgrounds looked grainy, I don't really think it was "grain" from the transfers. I believe it comes from the high def details that come out when you take a painted background and blow it up to 42" on the new TVs. Other background scenes were perfect. And for the most part, the widescreen format doesn't particularly add a great deal of "WOW" factor to the movie. Most scenes seemed framed by the edges, so cutting out the edges just takes away a little of the depth. Although, there were some exceptions like some of the up high views of the farm that really put the whole world of the story into view. You see what seems like a rather small world but becomes immense when considering the nature of the main characters. Also, the scenes where Ms. Brisby first goes to the rats of NIHM, the widescreen really shows off the efforts of the animators. Its animation at its best. All in all, the new transfer makes this film look as good as it ever has, possibly with the exception of its original release. And the transfer allows this great film stand toe to toe with about 90% of the Disney films of the same era. The animation style puts you in mind of The Black Caldron. But the true strength of this movie lies in its story. Its an interesting premise that is usually reserved for sci-fi films. Its a film that seems to have everything a kids film would want even if some of it sometimes contradicts the setting. You have hero's and heroines, villains and treachery,sword fights, sages, wizards and magic. You even have a Dragon. Spoiler alert: its the name of the cat, but equally as evil and menacing when your heroine is a mouse. So if you remember this film fondly from your childhood, buy it. If you've never seen it, but you love animation, buy it. If you have kids, buy it. And if you already own the film on DVD or Laserdisc or both (like me), you obviously like the movie so you might as well buy it before it goes out of print as most great films do and usually far too quickly. Hope that helps anyone who is asking the question, should I buy this.

This is a classic. It’s a great story but is kind of dark in places for really little ones. Highly recommended.

A really great, heart warming story about a family of mice that overcome challenges with help from animal friends. It's cute and has a good lesson. I hate to review movies/books as they are so subjective. Good for all ages in my opinion. Having said all of this, I never hesitate to update my reviews should new info seem useful. All of my reviews reflect my honest, personal experience with the reviewed item - your experience may be different. I am not influenced by any outside source. I receive/accept NO free products or discounts that are not available to all shoppers- ever. For some reason our shopper ranks are no longer visible - so, to give you a little more info about me, I am a top 50 reviewer (#30 the highest rank achieved). Those numbers used to fluctuate over time - up and down but I noticed that they stopped updating regularly - perhaps to phase them out. I've been doing reviews for over 25 years with Amazon - nearly 6,000 reviews posted, viewed over 50,000 times, and over 24,000 likes.

*FILM*The Secret of NIMH, based on the american novel, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, is one of the most beautifully animated films ever to have been created. Designed and overseen by the limitlessly talented Don Bluth, this film carries his trademark animation styles and is one of his greatest works. It is a simple story. Simplified from what the book is and made to be a story that is enjoyable to watch as a movie, with a little bit of magic thrown in their too, a complete absence of it in the book version... never really was explained... what was the amulet all about... doesn't matter... it's simple and I love it. Its a simple story of a mothers love and how far she'll go to save her son form sickness and death. There are no films made these days that can compete with this story telling and unique design and animation. The pace just wouldn't hold today's audience, just like films such as Bambi and Dumbo, that both share simply developing story arcs, however, lack the pace to break to box office these days. The Secret of NIMH features some of the best character design done on a traditionally animated character. Completely hand drawn, Mrs. 'Brisby' is elegant and strong, also a brilliantly alluring creation. No mouse is better suited to be single mother. This movie is a treasure of traditional animation. I've seen it countless times and I hear the voices of the characters in my head throughout my merry days. They've changed the way I behave, I should really be careful.Dom DeLouis, you where a delightful voice.*Product*The Blu Ray version of this film has not had anything special done to it that I can see. Its not like they've gone through every frame and restored it. Personally, I'd prefer they didn't(by they, I mean whoever screwed (in want of a better word) up the cover art to FernGully). They could, if they wanted to, gone through the whole thing and coloured it in digital paints, and destroyed the film in the process. Instead, they've transferred an old copy with lines and stuff in it to a 25 GB Blu Ray DVD without a menu and left it the same way it was. That's fine. They've left it alone. I'm happy with that. The pictures the best its ever been for this film and the sounds fine. The cover art could be the original poster which is many times better than this one, however, its not too bad.Buy it. Its a great film and a good Blu Ray.

"The Secret of NIMH" was a beloved movie from my childhood!!! Even as an adult I still find myself in awe while watching this movie!!! The plot is unlike anything I have ever seen! It's truly one-of-a-kind and beyond unique and special! The messages portrayed in this movie are powerful for children and adults alike!!! If you haven't seen this movie, and enjoy movies about animals from their perspectives, then this is most definitely a movie you need to look into!!!