Watch Kids' Reviews of
SECRET OF NIMH (HDNET)

Looking for a touching animated tale of a mother who will do anything for her sick child? Well, you will absolutely love this film. This classic film is adapted from the novel "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH", which was written by Robert C. O'Brien.

This film is about a widowed field mouse named Mrs. Brisby (voiced by Elizabeth Hartman), who lives in a cinder block on the Fitzgibbon Farm. Mrs. Brisby is preparing to move her family from the field they live in before the field is plowed. The only problem is her ill son Timothy (Ian Fried), may be too sick to move. As moving day approaches, Mrs. Brisby must find a way to save their home and her sick son. This leads her on a journey to speak with the Great Owl, (John Carradine) and then on to the underground rat city where she undergoes a wondrous adventure.

My favorite character is Mrs. Brisby because she is a strong mother and does not care what anyone says. She will find a way to bring her family to safety.

My favorite scene is when Jeremy (Dom DeLuise) finds love. I like this scene because it is very cute how he finds a crow just like him and then they take their yarn and fly into the sunset.

Don Bluth is the animator, and he left Disney a few years before this film came out. He animation is fantastic. It is really well done and adds to the imaginative storyline. It's classic animation and the colors range from the dark colors of the underground rat city, to brilliant reds as the story peaks. It's eye catching and truly captures the mood of every scene.

Although this is an animated film, I believe this film appeals to kids as well as adults. I recommend this film for ages 5 to 18. I rate this film 5 out of 5 stars. Reviewed by Julianna Noone, age 12, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.

This film is an adaptation of the book "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM" by Robert C. O'Brien. I like this anthropomorphic movie because it's a story about rats and I have a pet rat! The storyline is about a mother field mouse, Mrs. Brisby, (Elizabeth Hartman) who lives on a farm with her four children, Theresa, Cynthia, Martin and Timothy. When plowing day comes earlier than usual, Mrs. Brisby has to quickly move her cinderblock house before it's destroyed. Timothy is sick with pneumonia and could die if he goes outside. The wise owl, (John Carradine) tells her she must visit the rats that live under the rosebush for help. The rats are extremely intelligent and have electricity. They have escaped from NIHM, The National Institute of Mental Health, after being participants in an experiment to make them as smart as humans. Mrs. Brisby goes to Nicodemus (Derek Jacobi) the wizard leader of the rats, in hope he'll help with her dilemma.

My favorite character in this film is Jeremy the crow (Dom DeLuise). He is a very funny and klutzy and attracted to shiny things!

My favorite scene in this movie is when Mrs. Brisby is on her way back home from visiting Mr. Ages, the doctor (Arthur Malet) and meets Jeremy. This is a hilarious scene because Jeremy is all tangled up in some red string and gets the unwanted attention of the farmer's cat, Dragon!

"The Secret of NIHM" is written and directed by Don Bluth and animated by Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy. I give this film 4-out-of-5 stars because it's a great story and I like the style of the animation. This thing I don't like is that it depicts rats as being scary creatures. This movie isn't suitable for children under the age of nine because of the violent and scary scenes. I recommend this film for kids 9 - 12. Reviewed by Camille Bajema, age 10, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.

Screening all this month on HDNet - kidScene, October 2012. Originally released in 1982.

To save her ill son, a field mouse must seek the aid of a colony of super-intelligent rats, with whom she has a deeper link than she ever suspected.