The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue

The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue
Video cover
Directed by	Dick Sebast
Produced by	Jonathan Dern Fang Ding Kent Lin Paul Sabella William Stuart Robert Winthrop
Written by	Sam Graham Chris Hubbell (writers) Jymn Magon (additional material) Robert C. O'Brien (characters)
Narrated by	Peter MacNicol
Starring	Ralph Macchio Hynden Walch Dom DeLuise William H. Macy Debi Mae West Arthur Malet Eric Idle
Music by	Lee Holdridge
Distributed by	MGM Family Home Entertainment
Release date(s)	December 22, 1998 (1998-12-22)
Running time	79 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$6,000,000

The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue is a 1998 American direct-to-video animated film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation and the sequel to the 1982 animated film The Secret of NIMH. In the film, Timothy Brisby, the youngest son of Jonathan and Mrs. Brisby, goes to Thorn Valley wanting to become a hero like his father. Martin becomes corrupted and evil (although not by choice), and Timothy must confront him in order to save the Rats. At Thorn Valley, Timothy learns from a young girl mouse that the mice who were presumed to have been killed during the escape from NIMH are still alive, so he and the rats mount a rescue operation.

The film, although a sequel, was created without Don Bluth's support or input, as MGM owns all rights to the original film.^{[citation needed]} The film is unrelated to Racso and the Rats of NIMH, the sequel to the book on which the original film was based.

Plot

The film begins with a prophecy, telling how one of Jonathan's and Mrs. Brisby's sons would save Thorn Valley from the "secret of NIMH". Timothy is chosen to go but his older brother Martin believes he should have been the one chosen. Martin decides to prove his quality, and goes off to find his own adventure.

One day Timmy comes across a female field mouse named Jenny, whose parents were two of the lost nine mice who tried to escape NIMH but were thought to have died. The Thorn Valley council decides it would be too dangerous to save the nine mice, so Jenny and Timmy go alone. They take a hot air balloon, but it is attacked by a hawk and crashes in the forest.

Seeking help, they visit the Great Owl. They there learn that a caterpillar named Cecil has teamed up with Jeremy, the crow from the first film, to trick the forest animals into paying them money. Jeremy and Cecil take the two mice to NIMH where they find two of the rats from Thorn Valley, Justin and Brutus. They also learn that Dr. Valentine, the head scientist, has made Martin insane. After being made insane, Martin took over the lab and brainwashed Dr. Valentine with a device similar to the one Valentine used on him and made him think he was a dog. Martin plans to use an army of lab rats riding a flock of ravens to take over Thorn Valley.

He asks Timmy to join him, but he refuses and is locked in a cage as Martin drags Jenny away to make her his queen. Timmy escapes with the help of Cecil and they go to free Jenny. Together, they knock out Martin and Timmy tricks Martin's army of ravens and rats to fly in the wrong direction. Timmy and Jenny then leave to find the others, only to find once everyone is free that NIMH is on fire. The survivors (Timmy, Jenny, and her parents) flee. Timmy goes back to save Martin. Before he leaves, Jenny tells him she loves him and he tells her the same. After being attacked by the crazy cats once again, Timmy sends them down an elevator shaft and finally finds Martin.

Timmy and Martin are able to escape through the lab's skylight, with some help from Jeremy. Jeremy takes the survivors to safety. The mice return to Thorn Valley, Martin returns to normal and Timmy is now a hero. How Martin turned normal is left out of the film, but the device that turned Martin crazy could have been temporary and since Martin was shown doing it on himself several times this could be the reason. A likeness of Timmy is added to the statue of Jonathan as the people of Thorn Valley cheer.

Cast

• Ralph Macchio - Adult Timmy
• Dom DeLuise - Jeremy
• Eric Idle - Evil Martin
• Peter MacNicol - Narrator
• William H. Macy - Justin
• Arthur Malet - Mr. Ages
• Hynden Walch - Jenny
• Andrea Martin - Muriel
• Harvey Korman - Floyd
• Meshach Taylor - Cecil
• Phillip Glasser - Reformed Martin
• Phillip Van Dyke - Young Martin
• Andrew Ducote - Young Timmy
• Alexander Strange - Teenage Timmy
• Debi Mae West - Mrs. Brisby
• Doris Roberts - Auntie Shrew
• Steve Mackall - Dr. Valentine
• Darlene Carr - Helen
• Jamie Cronin - Teresa
• Whitney Claire Kaufman - Cynthia
• Jameson Parker - Troy
• Kevin Michael Richardson - Brutus

Reception

Upon its release, the film was widely panned by critics and fans of the first movie. Entertainment Weekly's Marc Bernardin gave the sequel a C- grade and said, "Alas, this Bluth-less direct-to-tape sequel [...], about a mouse's transformation from misfit to hero, has none of the original's heart or craft, and all of the sappy songwriting and patchwork plotting common to further adventures." The Chicago Tribune's Harlene Ellin gave it one and a half stars out of four, adding that "the uninspired continuation [...] clearly wasn't worth the wait".

TV Guide gave the film two stars out of four.

Soundtrack listing

1. "Prologue/Timmy and Martin" (instrumental by Lee Holdridge)
2. "My Life and My Love" (Al Jarreau, Bobbi Page)
3. "Come Make the Most of Your Life" (Andrew Ducote, Dom DeLuise, Arthur Malet, William H. Macy)
4. "Timmy Says Goodbye/Soaring with Jeremy" (instrumental by Lee Holdridge)
5. "Teaching Timmy/The Snake/The Wisdom of Mr. Ages" (instrumental by Lee Holdridge)
6. "I Will Show the World" (Andrew Ducote, Alex Strange, Ralph Macchio)
7. "Timmy Meets Jenny/Killer, the Attack Dog/Jenny's Story/Muriel and Floyd" (instrumental by Lee Holdridge)
8. "Jenny's Plan/The Escape/Flight to N.I.M.H./The Hawk Attacks" (instrumental by Lee Holdridge)
9. "Meeting Cecil/Search for the Great Owl" (instrumental by Lee Holdridge)
10. "Magic Mystery Show" (Meshach Taylor, Dom DeLuise, Ralph Macchio, Hynden Walch)
11. "Angry Animals/Another Escape/Evil Martin" (instrumental by Lee Holdridge)
12. "Just Say Yes!" (Eric Idle, Ralph Macchio)
13. "Taken Prisoner" (instrumental by Lee Holdridge)
14. "All I Had is Gone" (Ralph Macchio, Hynden Walch)
15. "Breakout/Muriel and Floyd Get the Shaft/Trapped by Martin" (instrumental by Lee Holdridge)
16. "Escape from N.I.M.H." (instrumental by Lee Holdridge)
17. "Finale" (instrumental by Lee Holdridge)

See also

• List of animated feature-length films

External links

• The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue at the Internet Movie Database