Review of The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue (1999) by Matt L — 12 Jan 2013

The storyline's alright, as a sort of continuation of the first chronicle of NIMH, but the inconsistent moods, poor animation, and cheesy script take away from the grandeur and minimalistic dark story of its predecessor.

Whereas in the beginning, Thorn Valley is depicted as a last hope for the intelligent lab rats fighting for survival in a deadly political conflict, the city here is seen as almost Seuss-like, belittling the solemnity upon which it was established.

NIMH itself, which we see as a location and the centerpiece of the film, is overvillainized, as it is seen as more of a mad scientist's lab than the National Institute for Mental Health, which was subtle last time, but here viewers lose sight as to what exactly the whole concept is (mind control? Really?).

Timmy is seen as a boy trying to live up to his father's reputation, which is portrayed fairly well, but the amount of teen angst that he exhibits is often vomit-inducing. Another component which serves as a benefit and a downfall is the songs: because the original was not a musical (and for good reason), to make this one such is incredibly, almost embarrassingly, inconsistent.

However, the songs are pretty dang catchy, so it almost makes up for it. Overall, however, The Secret of NIMH 2 is a plummeting letdown in comparison to the first, but hey, did I mention how catchy the songs are?