I can remember the year that I first experienced this Don Bluth masterpiece - I was in first grade (probably about 14 years ago), taking second grade classes, and on one day, my teacher showed "The Secret of NIMH" to the class. I was instantly intrigued by the beauty and wonder of the film, despite the fact that I didn't really understand the story in depth as I do now. Ever since that moment, I fell in love with this simple tale with a mysterious back-story of another world of intelligent and almost supernatural rodents.

** I just rewatched the film on the recent 2-disc release last night, listening to the exclusive commentary with Don Bluth in it . . . if you haven't heard it yet, you really should check it out.**

The story is basically simple within the first ten minutes of the film: Mrs. Brisby, a timid, recently widowed mouse, only wishes to find a cure for her youngest son's illness, but little does she know that this will only be the beginning of an adventure that she will never forget. She will have to summon up some unseen courage in order to save her family from most certain death, and meet some new allies and companions that will help make her one of the bravest animated heroines ever.

Although the story is simple, the events that lead to the problem's ultimate solution are just intriguing and interesting to watch. Mrs. Brisby herself is a protective mouse, but one would never expect that one so small could be dealing with such tragedy and agony - the sudden and mysterious death of her husband, little Timmy's sickness, the coming of the farmer's deadly plow once the frost thaws from the ground - while also raising her three other children all at the same time. Thankfully, she runs into an inept crow named Jeremy, who flies her to one that could give her an answer - the Great Owl (who, of course, could eat mice like her). Bravely, she learns that only the rats that live in a rosebush outside of the farmer's main house can move her home to a safe place where the plow will not harm her family, but once she enters the hidden door of the rosebush, Mrs. Brisby learns more than she ever wanted to know about the mysterious rats and their journey from NIMH, including the hard truth about her husband's death and how he changed so many lives simply by risking his own. Such amazing storytelling is . . . truly hard to find in an animated film nowadays. It really makes you think, as if you put yourself into each characters' shoes . . . but despite the technical and grown-up subject matter of humans using animals for testing and creatures fighting to the death to prove a point, even a child can be intrigued by this tale. (although some scenes may prove to be a little intense near the climatic scenes within the last ten minutes . . . but it's necessary for the major problem to find its ultimate solution)

Based on the classic award-winning book, "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH," the film has many obvious differences from the novel: the heroine's name is a major change (of course, because of copyrights to the toy with the similar sounding name), but a lot of other major things are skipped from the book. However, I hate to say it . . . but I prefer the "Secret of NIMH" over the book . . . it's sad but true. The book is good to read if you really, really like the movie. (I just re-read the book in a matter of two days, and realized so many major differences!) I still think it would have been nice to have Timothy have more of a speaking role in the film like he does in the book . . . it really would have made for more drama. (Just don't get me started with the gosh-awful movie sequel . . . the book sequel was much better - thanks.)

In conclusion, this is a film that no animation fan should miss. It's a gem of a film - one that the whole family can keep and treasure forever. A must-buy movie (Although I would steer clear of its film sequel - a complete opposite of the first and a total flop)!

My Rating - 4 Stars

NIMH is one of favorite Don Bluth films, and I now admitted that Bluth is now a favorite animator along with Max Fleischer,Chuck Jones,Hayao Miyazaki and even from Disney David Hand director of Snow White and Bambi (Don was animator from Disney himself); I also would like to point out that this is his first feature films.

I think I remember reading the original book with my Mom when I was a kid in Elementary School; But now I think it kind of slip off of my mind, I would have to read it again. My scenes from the film are when Ms. Brisby meets Justin the rodent hottie; And when she used the stone's magic powers to move her house out of the mud (now that was AWESOME!).

It's difficult for me to describe to you why, exactly, you should see this film. It is, simply and absolutely, a fantastic movie. I would be more specific, but it's all fantastic...the story, the characters, the art, the music, the writing, the acting, the camera angles, the construction, the humor, the suspense, the beginning, middle, and end, it's all...fantastic. I can't seem to figure out whether Don Bluth was a genius for this movie, or everybody else a fool for not making movies like this, or both. And nobody makes movies like this, with the possible exception of a few of the older Disney classics.

Perhaps the best description I can think of for "The Secret of NIMH" is that it's like reading a really good book. By the time it's over, you feel like you've somehow just finished a three- or four-hundred page novel in less than an hour and a half. Anyway that's the feeling I had...but you don't feel like it was rushed at all, and that's the funny part. How do you cram such a beautiful and filled-out story into an hour and a half, and still feel like the movie was just the right length, and moved at just the right tempo? It doesn't make sense, but "The Secret of NIMH" has accomplished just that, and it's a feat that I doubt even the most well-written novel could ever match.

I know I'm being rather vague and melodramatic in this review...but I can't compare this to other movies I've given four-star reviews to. Unlike some of my other favorites, "The Secret of NIMH" did not shock me, it did not surprise me, it did not leave me blinking in disbelief or incredulity. What it did was simply absorb me, through and through, eyes and ears and everything in between. And maybe that's the best kind of story there is.

The Secret of NIMH is one of those gems that seems to be unknown to the rest of the world, but I have never forgotten it. The first time I saw it, I completely got wrapped up in this touching story of Mrs. Brisby and her plea to save her son, Timothy, who is sick from pneumonia.

It is a great story. Many times does it get emotional between Mrs. Brisby and her young children, especially one scene in particular. It features the movies only song, but its an enchanting song. The "Flying Dreams Lullaby", plays in background as Mrs. Brisby and her children have a tender moment between mother and children. Its the scene that makes me tear up every time. And I wouldn't be surprised if the scene was emotional enough to get tears from adults, especially parents.

Besides the emotional parts, the film has a very dark-atmosphere. It has many dramatic action scenes and this is where the animation really shines. The animation works its magic and uses colors to enhance the moods so beautifully. Its really a wonder for a huge animation fan to see. Its stunning and is even right up there with some of Disneys best work. Detailed backgrounds and rich colors in every single frame. I particularly loved some of the background shots in the underground home of the Rats of NIMH. Lovely, glowing red, green, yellow, and blue lights. Even Mrs. Brisby mentions them.

Speaking of Mrs. Brisby, she is really what makes the movie what it is. Her character is conceived so wonderfully. She shows many sides of herself and grows so much throughout the movie. Beginning as a timid fieldmouse into a brave and strong hero. The whole film is filled with great and likable characters. Jeremy, the much needed comic relief. He is very funny, but is not at all annoying or intrusive, something Disney often does far too much with some of their 90's movies. And he also has something that most sidekicks don't have: His own storyline in the movie. Then there's Nicodemus, the wise, mystical character. He is the star of all the scenes hes in and sets the film off to a great start.

Now before I end this review, even though I like to avoid mentioning other reviews in my own, I feel compelled to include this. Some reviewers have stated that they believe The Secret of NIMH to be a propaganda film against lab testing. That statement reminds me of the reviews that say Disney's "Bambi"(1942) is a propaganda film against hunting. Both being, in my opinion, complete exaggerations and nonsense. Is Bambi an anti-hunting movie? No, not really. In a movie that is from a deer's point-of-view, its perfectly reasonable to have hunters as a menacing force, since deer are some of the most commonly hunted animals in real-life. Same goes for this film. Now if my facts are straight, 90 of the animals used in lab testing are mice and rats, which are the two main animals featured in The Secret of NIMH. Never do either of the films denounce these two things directly, but they are still there to do the same as any menacing force in any other film would do: Help move the story along.

Don Bluth achieved everything he had set out to do with his debut film, The Secret of NIMH. If I had never seen any of Don Bluth's later work("The Land Before Time"(1988) being a possible exception) I would have thought Don Bluth was a sheer genius, with even the potential of being the next Walt Disney. Sadly, Don Bluth never really hit his marks again as he did with The Secret of NIMH, which is often thought by many, including myself, to be his greatest achievement and masterpiece.

Its one of my favorite animated films. Easily has a place in my top 5. See it.

There are some films that you know are going to be good even before you pop them in the DVD player. NIMH is one of them.

Wow. Just wow. It truly took my breath away. The animation, the story, the characters. Just wow.

I'm not one for brief reviews, but this is simply too stunning for words. If you enjoyed Don Bluth's other classics, such as An American Tail or The Land Before Time - you'll love NIMH.

One of the best animated features ever.

this movie is amazing the music by jerry goldsmith is brillant the movie is quite dark but i love it dark. mrs brisby is a great character don bluth did a great job with this movie. its his best along with a land before time. and the animation could,nt have been better its just as good as the book which is rare.

Don Bluth left the Disney corporation feeling that the company had lost its magic. His first feature film The Secret of NIMH proved to be his masterpiece, and an achievement he has yet to match. This 1982 film was adapted from the Newbery Medal winning book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, though the mouse's name was cahnged to "Brisby" for the film because of the flying toys. Sadly, in spite of its quality, this was another Bluth bomb earning under $15 million.

The story is simple. Mrs. Brisby needs help to move her cinder-block house out of the way of the tractors. She can't just move because of her sick little pinky Timmy. So, she enlists the help of some super smart Rats led by Nicodemus who were befriended by her late hubby. These rats were test subjects in the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The "secret" being that the rats have psychic abilities and inexplicably they have also acquired magical artifacts.

What makes this film so great is its dark and mysterious atmosphere. Them rats are creepy as is an owl that Brisby meets up with early in the film. The animation is top notch. There are tons of mouse / rat movies out there, but this one stands apart as a true classic worthy of a rare A.

The Secret of NIMH is a quite fast-and-loose adaptation of O'Brien's original novel; there's a much stronger fantasy element - the animals don't just talk, they use magic - and some of the characters have been changed to fit: the rats' leader Nicodemus has been re-imagined as an old wizard, while Jenner - a rather vague character in the novel - is now clearly defined as the villain. Mrs. Frisby has also been renamed Brisby, probably to avoid confusion with flying plastic discs.

The film defiantly avoids a number of Disney's ruts. Jeremy, the comedy sidekick, is laid-back and unobtrusive as opposed to wacky and in-your-face (just as well, given that none of his lines are exactly comedy gold), the only song in the film is played in the background (in fact, there's often a marked lack of any kind of music, instrumental or otherwise) and the tone is, at times, quite dark. However, one of the film's triumphs is how it works as both a subversion of and tribute to the Disney canon.

Bluth, despite his public distaste for the direction the studio was taking at the time, is an unabashed admirer of the animations produced during Walt Disney's lifetime. So, while the characters often fit into standard Disney roles - Mr. Ages is a lovable curmudgeon, much like Grumpy or the gopher in Winnie the Pooh, while the idealised Brisby children resemble Thumper or the Peter Pan kids - but they still fit into the new, more sombre tone perfectly. This is in marked contrast to The Black Cauldron, released three years later, in which the stock Disney characters clash horribly with atmosphere that's trying so hard to be heavy.

The rodents' enviroment is a fully fleshed-out fantasy world. The farmer's cat is depicted as an enormous grunting monster and puddles of water reflecting long grass become misty green ponds; even the farmer's house looks a little surreal. One of the most memorable scenes is Mrs Brisby's encounter with the owl. When she enters the owl's lair (a hollow in a tree, rendered as a huge cave), she is unknowingly followed by a spider; the only notices it when the owl's talon drops down and squashes it. The camera then pans up to show the whole owl, covered with cobwebs, his eyes glowing and his face turned upside down. Considering the relatively low production values the animation is commendably fluid, although the characters' bodies tend to bounce around a little frantically at times and don't always match up with the tone of the speech. There are plenty of great little details, though, such as Mrs. Brisby getting down on all fours when she runs.

Despite revolving around a bunch of rats living in a hole under a bush, the film portrays a range of beautiful locations. Near the start we see Ages' home, a mad scientist lab filled with glass spheres containing bubbling liquid; later on there's the rats' home, a series of subterranean buildings illuminated with fairy lights. Even the scenes set above ground are richly drawn - rarely taking place during the day, they're either atmospherically gloomy or set against a beautiful coppery sunset. The aesthetics have something of Watership Down about them.

And these aren't insignificant details. They play a big part in creating the atmosphere, which is what really carries the film. The story and characters are ultimitely a little weak, and there isn't even the happy-go-lucky joy ride element of Disney movies; the movie relies on the viewer being drawn into its world simply because it's so well-rendered. Compared to Disney movies, The Secret of NIMH can be seen as an exercise in understatement.

I had kind of a hard time grading the film. KFO labels the 3-star rating "Good, an enjoyable romp", which kind of belittles the movie; it's more than just a romp. But at the same time I can't really give it 4 stars ("Excellent! A Must-See-Film") as the film just seems, well, a little incomplete. I'm finding it hard to see it as much more than a very promising warm-up to a new generation of animated movies that - let's face it - never really materialised.

An absolutely fantastic film from start to finish. TSoN, while somewhat shamed by its deplorable sequel, is a fantasy that one can appreciate from all levels. A must-see!

I don't think there was one film I watched over and over again as a child except The Secret of Nimh, aside from maybe Bambi and a select few others.

As a kid of course, I didn't know anything about big corporate companies and animation studios making animated features, but even then, I knew there was something different about this film compared to Disney's squishy squashy movement and antics, and I knew it simply wasn't disney made. There was something raw, realistic, and wonderfully harsh about the realism and movements of the characters and the film itself. This is why i fell in love with it as a kid, because i felt closer to the deeper and darker themes.
When i look back, i have alot of respect and admiration for the movie. Even now, few films can compare to The Secret of Nimh, though i must mention, the 'stone' somewhat seems to stick out of the story, and it's appearence in the beginning is all that can save it, but as a child, the presence of that item really added to the fantasy feel about it, and made it seem that much more magical and powerful as a whole. I loved the feeling, and still love the feeling of things that can't fully be explained and remains mysterious when it comes to good books and movies. The Secret of Nimh definately holds up to that.