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The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue (1998)
Both Secret of NIMH films had their drawbacks
In the book on which these films were based, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (O'Brien, 1971), the rats are so much more fascinating than in either of the films. Their plan to move the Brisby household actually works, thanks to the supervision of their mechanical expert, Arthur. In the book, Nicodemus does not get offed, and as far as the original film is concerned, I didn't understand how someone so wise and visionary didn't know better than to stand underneath a structure that could collapse at any minute, or why he didn't see through Jenner's plot. The film would have been so much nicer if Brutus, for instance, had noticed Jenner and stopped him with his electrified spear, then held him in place while Sullivan tied him up and, when they heard from Mrs. Brisby (why couldn't they just stick with Frisby? I don't care if it does sound similar to a toy) that NIMH was coming, they leave Jenner where NIMH can find him and have him sent back. After seeing Mrs. Brisby rescue her house herself with the amulet, some might say, "I think this proves that relying on the kindness of strangers only gets you into trouble." Others might say, "Did you saying 'relying on the kindness of strangers' or 'watching TV'?" This time, Dr. Schultz (the scientist who gave the rats and mice their injections) could give Jenner's cage a padlock. Besides, Mrs. Brisby wouldn't have had to burn her hands on the amulet (why did they even bother adding that?). Why did the Great Owl have glowing orange eyes without pupils? Seriously, he looked nothing like a great horned owl. Also, it never mentions that Mrs. Brisby isn't really a mouse, but rather a meadow vole (which in America is what we often refer to as the "field mouse"). Why doesn't Justin come back with the tools he uses in the book to rescue Mrs. Brisby? Cynthia was supposed to be "slim, pretty and overly fond of dancing", but in the sequel--enough said. Teresa and Martin were supposed to carry Timothy outside, wrapped in several pieces of cloth large and thick enough to avoid exposing him to the cold (okay, so it was raining in the film, but Mrs. Brisby could have asked the rats to bring some sort of waterproof covering, like cellophane). In the movie, they didn't really have the opportunity to help out. It was like the whole point of the film was to make the audience cheer for Mrs. Brisby and yawn at everyone else, forgetting how special they all were, not just she (ie Timothy was supposed to be the smartest and kindest of the four Brisby children). I wouldn't be surprised if this movie made viewers question the importance of teamwork. In the sequel, Nicodemus states a prophecy that only the son of Jonathan Brisby can stop the evil coming to threaten Thorn Valley, so anybody who has read the book might think, "Of course, this explains everything. In the original film, that wasn't the real Nicodemus. That was an impostor. The real Nicodemus would have had much more sense than to let himself be killed--and also, he wears a patch over his left eye (from an encounter with Dragon the cat) and a satchel over his shoulder. Possibly for the movie, he'll also wear a robe similar to that worn by Moses. Soon after he drugged Dragon, and lost his eye, he must have been recaptured by NIMH before he could take his position as the leader of the rats, and been put in a better cage. Don't worry, Nick, your late pal Jonathan's son Timmy is on his way to rescue you, just like you predicted." Timmy could have rescued him, and then Nicodemus could have asked where Timmy's siblings were, and said that he actually wanted all four Brisby children to rescue him to avoid jealousy and hatred, but his prophecy was mistranslated by the time it reached the rats, and apologized for the mistake. He could have said that the evil coming to threaten Thorn Valley was the development of a strip mall. Nicodemus could have explained that he needs every rat and mouse he can find to help him stop it, and Martin (who has somehow wound up at NIMH) could overhear every word of this, and realize that he, too, has a destiny. The three of them could have headed back to Thorn Valley and once more, Nicodemus would have been the leader of the rats, with Justin as his right-hand man, and repeated his message to everyone in Thorn Valley. Nicodemus could have given everybody a chance to help out stopping the mall, including Mrs. Brisby, Teresa, Martin and Cynthia as well as Timmy. They must show the developers a less ecologically sensitive place to build it. On the way, they find themselves forced to outwit--why don't we say, in the sequel, Dragon has a mate named Phoenix, and they have a son named Griffin, and he could be their arch nemesis? They must also deal with natural predators, such as foxes and weasels, and Timmy has the idea to convince them to eat starlings, thereby making things better for the largely displaced eastern bluebirds. Nicodemus could have asked Mrs. Brisby her name, and she could have said, "It's Maia". It would certainly suit her, wouldn't it? After all, it means "good mother", and it goes without saying that she's all of that. As soon as order had been restored to Thorn Valley, Nicodemus could have made some of the rats members of a safety patrol, led by all four Brisby siblings. Where was Elvira, the rats' doctor in the sequel (by O'Brien's daughter Jane Leslie Conly) to the book? Also, why didn't the sequel feature Martin's mate, Breta the meadow vole? Real meadow voles may not have Jenny's blonde ponytail, blue eyes or breasts, but they're adorable just the same. Animals shouldn't need human features to seem more appealing.