Autotrooper42
Since: Jan, 2011
10/22/2012 00:00:00
Well said. I feel very similarly. It wasn't that great, but it at least felt like it tried to say something. I thought the songs were decent, and frankly, I prefer the new york setting.
fenrisulfur
Since: Nov, 2010
10/23/2012 00:00:00
It's a decidely "Meh" story. I think it would be better if it wasn't an American Tale film. The tone, the music, the general gist is not like the other two films. I think that's the main issue.
illegitematus non carborundum estLeave a Comment:
The Treasure of Manhattan Island— Awful? Or just mediocre?
In 1998, Universal decided An American Tail needed more sequels (which I can't argue with as long as they're good ones...), and so, two direct to video sequels were made, the first one being The Treasure of Manhattan Island. The movie didn't quite have the animation that the first two did, which is an Understatement. And not only that but this movie has become somewhat infamous (at least among the An American Tail fans who actually know it exists) because of some of the changes the writers decided to make to the established canon, including a complete Dis Continuity of Fievel Goes West. So, the movie is the third in the series, it's direct to video, it's back in New York for some reason, the animation is worse, and they messed with the story. That's a lot of strikes against it already. Should the casual An American Tail fan even give the movie a chance? My answer would be yes, if you can stomach the changes and look past it's faults, it's actually not quite as bad as it sounds. Not everyone will like it, it can't hold a candle to the first two movies, but it's not as terrible as say...The Secret Of NIMH II or Tom and Jerry: The Movie.
It's worth a watch, but don't expect it to be as good as the first two. Say what you want about it, but this movie has a lot of guts for a kids movie, covering some serious topics rarely covered in an animated film. I think if you look past all its faults you may find the spirit of the first two movies in there somewhere. But to some, it might also feel like one big guilt trip, it's pretty Anvilicious. Anyway, if you're a big An American Tail fan, don't let the stigma of it retconning Fievel Goes West scare you away. Sure the animation's cheap and the songs range from fair to gut-wrenchingly annoying, and they cut out Bridget and tried to pair Tony off with their new character. But to give it the benefit of the doubt, I'd say the movie is at least an attempt at making something good, and it actually carries with it a deep message, not like a lot of the mindless 'potty-humor with a celebrity voice' movies they make for children today.
In all, I'd give it a 5 out of 10. So Okay Its Average.