An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)

A family of Emigre mice decide to move out to the west, unaware that they are falling into a trap perpetrated by a smooth talking cat.

Directors:

Phil Nibbelink, Simon Wells

Writers:

Flint Dille (screenplay), Charles Swenson (story)

Stars:

James Stewart, John Cleese, Amy Irving

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Phillip Glasser	...	Fievel (voice)
James Stewart	...	Wylie (voice)
Erica Yohn	...	Mama (voice)
Cathy Cavadini	...	Tanya (voice)
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Papa (voice)
Dom DeLuise	...	Tiger (voice) (as Dom Deluise)
Amy Irving	...	Miss Kitty (voice)
John Cleese	...	Cat R. Waul (voice)
Jon Lovitz	...	Chula (voice)
Jack Angel	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Fausto Bara	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Vanna Bonta	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Philip L. Clarke	...	Additional Voices (voice) (as Philip Clarke)
Jennifer Darling	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Annie Holliday	...	Additional Voices (voice)

Storyline

Some time after the Mousekewitz's have settled in America, they find that they are still having problems with the threat of cats. That makes them eager to try another home out in the west, where they are promised that mice and cats live in peace. Unfortunately, the one making this claim is an oily con artist named Cat R. Waul who is intent on his own sinister plan. Unaware of this, the Mousekewitz's begin their journey west, while their true cat friend, Tiger, follows intent on following his girlfriend gone in the same direction.

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Plot Keywords:

sequel | character name in title | good versus evil | card game | cartoon mouse | 

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Taglines:

Look out pardners, there's a new mouse in town!

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Musical | Western

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 November 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fievel au Far West

Box Office

Gross USA:

$22,166,041

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$40,766,041

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Amblimation, Amblin Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an interview with the RubberOnion Animation Podcast in January 2016, Don Bluth claimed that following the release of An American Tail (1986), Steven Spielberg sent Kathleen Kennedy to their studio in Ireland to propose making a sequel but to do it for less than the original's $9million. Studio advisor Morris Sullivan told Bluth that they could not do it for less than the original's budget. According to Bluth, Kennedy asked him "Are you sure you want to say no?" and Bluth replied "I think we have to say no." Bluth states that Spielberg then animating the film at his Amblimation studio in London ultimately cost "a heck of a lot more" than if the Sullivan Bluth studio had done it.

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Goofs

When the mice are sitting in the audience/mouse trap, Tanya begins singing "The Star Spangled Banner". The movie takes place circa 1885, and although the words to the song were written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key, the song was only used by the Navy in 1889, and didn't officially become the national anthem, and thereby most likely to be sung at public events, until 1931.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Fievel: And then, the hero Wylie Burp, squinted across the dusty street. Hopelessly, surrounded by the Cactus Cat gang, he stood his ground, refusing to back down.

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Crazy Credits

Instead of showing the traditional Amblin logo (the one of Elliot going on the bicycle and flying up to the moon) the logo says, "Amblimation" and Fievel is pushing it, then he stands next to it and his hat falls down over his eyes.

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Alternate Versions

The televised version of this film when shown on Universal Kids cuts out the scene of Fievel taking down (shooting) the Cactus Cat Gang. Therefore, the scene starts from Fievel's voice over and saying to Wylie Burp "Have no fear! Philly the Kid is here!", and when he starts to shoot, it goes straight to the bullet turning into the cap of Fievel's cap gun and Mama calling him for supper.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Escape 2000 (1996)

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Soundtracks

An American Tail Overture
(uncredited)
Music by James Horner

User Reviews

In some ways better, in some ways worse than the original.

I wasn't a huge fan of the original 'An American Tail', but with my curiosity for animated films, I took a look at the sequel, the film I'm reviewing now.

All the voice actors are back, the music, the animation looks pretty damn similar too, but one thing is gone, the director. Don Bluth was replaced by Simon Wells, in his directorial debut. As someone who finds Simon Wells' films to be enjoyable but not top notch (especially in the writing department), this is exactly what we get here.

Many people will complain that there are very few plot similarities to the original, this is true, the film's plot is nothing like the original, which I thought was a good thing in my opinion.

The characters I found to be much more memorable compared to the original, including the villain, played by John Cleese. Dom DeLuise returns as tiger and is much more funny and less annoying than in the original. Feivel the mouse continues to have a lack of a real character but I still thought he was an improvement to the original, possibly because of his maturing voice actor.

The film does not contain nearly the same dark elements as the original, but in my opinion, is more funnier and more fun. The songs are either catchy or not at all, the films signature song 'Dreams to Dream', is as good or possibly better as the original's 'Somewhere out there'. The score by James Horner is a treat, just like the original.

All real complaints come from the writing, there are small plot holes, a pointless subplot revolving around Feival's sister Tanya, and sometimes the plot seems a little too convenient.

Kids will probably like the film, fans of the original may or may not, I personally rate it lower than the original, but by not too much.