| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Derek Jacobi | ... |
Nicodemus
(voice)
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| Elizabeth Hartman | ... |
Mrs. Brisby
(voice)
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| Arthur Malet | ... |
Mr. Ages
(voice)
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| Dom DeLuise | ... |
Jeremy
(voice)
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| Hermione Baddeley | ... |
Auntie Shrew
(voice)
|
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| Shannen Doherty | ... |
Teresa
(voice)
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| Wil Wheaton | ... |
Martin
(voice)
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Jodi Hicks | ... |
Cynthia
(voice)
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Ian Fried | ... |
Timothy
(voice)
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| John Carradine | ... |
Great Owl
(voice)
|
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| Peter Strauss | ... |
Justin
(voice)
|
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| Paul Shenar | ... |
Jenner
(voice)
|
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| Tom Hatten | ... |
Farmer Fitzgibbons
(voice)
|
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| Lucille Bliss | ... |
Mrs. Fitzgibbons
(voice)
|
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| Aldo Ray | ... |
Sullivan
(voice)
|
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Mrs. Brisby, a widowed mouse, lives in a cinder block with her children on the Fitzgibbon farm. She is preparing to move her family out of the field they live in as plowing time approaches, however her son Timothy has fallen ill, and moving him could prove fatal. Mrs. Brisby visits The Great Owl, a wise creature who advises her to visit a mysterious group of rats who live beneath a rose bush on the farm. Upon visiting the rats, Brisby meets Nicodemus, the wise and mystical leader of the rats, and Justin, a friendly rat who immediately becomes attached to Mrs. Brisby. While there, she learns that her late husband, Mr. Jonathon Brisby, along with the rats, was a part of a series of experiments at a place known only as N.I.M.H. (revealed earlier in the story as the National Institute of Mental Health). The experiments performed on the mice and rats there boosted their intelligence, allowing them to read without being taught and to understand things such as complex mechanics and ... Written by MIss Victoria
I voted a 10 on this movie mostly for its hauntingly breath-taking original musical by Jerry Goldsmith. Surely this film's score has to be some of his very best work.
The awe-inspiring wisdoms of Nicodemus and The Great Owl, the comic reliefs of Mr. Ages, Jeremy and Auntie Shrew, the fascinating struggle between good and evil (Justin and Jenner), and of course the unmatchable greatness of the Brisby family name make this film one of the best animated movies ever.
The movie's ending climax is powerful and gorgeous. You are left utterly stunned. Mrs. Brisby proves once again that she is just as brave and capable as her husband, if not more so, by never giving up hope and eventually succeeding in keeping her family safe.