While not containing the most famous cartoon mouse, The Secret of NIMH nonetheless is a childhood classic about mice for kids from the 80s, launching the animation studio Don Bluth Productions to rival Disney. As such, the film takes a departure from the usual kid’s cartoon standards, taking less time in musical spectacle, and more time in stylistic art to express emotion, as well as take on a more complex plot about a mice family with more personal stakes. It’s what makes The Secret of NIMH an underrated classic that deserves a rewatch for those who have watched it in their childhood.
Synopsis
A widowed field mouse must move her family -- including an ailing son -- to escape a farmer's plow. Aided by a crow and a pack of superintelligent, escaped lab rats, the brave mother struggles to transplant her home to firmer ground.