The Mouse and His Child (film)

Plot

The mouse and his child are two parts of a single small wind-up toy, which must be wound by a key in the father's back. After being unpacked, they discover themselves in a toy shop where they befriend a toy elephant and toy seal. The child mouse proposes staying at the shop to form a family, which the other toys ridicule.

They accidentally fall off the counter and end up in the trash. Once transported to the dump, they become enslaved by Manny the rat, who runs a casino and uses broken wind-up toys as his slave labor force. With the aid of a psychic frog, the mice escape and meet other animals on a quest to become free and independent self-winding toys.

They rediscover the elephant and seal, who are somewhat broken down. Together they manage to form a family and destroy the rat empire.

Cast

Additional English voices

• John Carradine (The Tramp)
• Cliff Osmond (Serpentina)

Home media

The film was first released on RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video on VHS in 1983 and re-released in 1985 in the United States. A DVD version has yet to be released in the United States, but it was released on DVD in Japan.

Reception

Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised the direction, writing and music score, but criticized the darker elements and stated that "83 minutes is a long time for an adult to think about mice".

Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide rated the movie BOMB (his lowest rating) out of four stars. He says "Boring animated film. Talk, talk, talk, and no action."

References

References

1. [https://web.archive.org/web/20210515231659/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/84064/the-mouse-and-his-child TCM.com]
2. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ_f7fA3KyI The Mouse And His Child (1977) TV Spots - The Duke Mitchell Film Club on YouTube]
3. [https://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Other_Studios/S/S-_Miscellany/Sanrio_Films/ Sanrio Films Studio Directory-Japanese Studio Title: Kabushikigaisha Sanrio, 株式会社サンリオ. BCDB]{{dead link. (January 2024)
4. [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mouse_and_his_child/ Rotten Tomatoes]
5. [https://mubi.com/films/the-mouse-and-his-child MUBI]
6. "Russell Hoban/Forty Years: Essays on His Writings for Children", Alida Allison. "The movie of the novel had an alleged budged of $1,600,000 and was retitled The Extraordinary Adventures of the Mouse and His Child."
7. (2009). "The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons". Checkmark Books.
8. [https://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.3/articles/beck1.3.html Don Bluth Goes Independent - AWN.com]
9. [https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/2011-04-10/mouse-and-his-child-1977 UCLA Film & Television Archive]
10. [https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2013/dec/31/mouse-and-his-child-russell-hoban The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban: moving metaphysics for kids. Books. The Guardian]
11. [https://archive.org/details/TheMouseAndHisChildCharles Internet Archive]
12. [https://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-mouse-and-his-child Time Out London]
13. [https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/movies/Mouse-and-His-Child/ Behind The Voice Actors]
14. [https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Alan-Barzman/ Alan Barzman - 3 Characters. Behind The Voice Actors]
15. [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/15513339 The Mouse and his child (VHS tape, 1983)-WorldCat.org]
16. [https://www.amazon.com/Mouse-His-Child-VHS/dp/6300137171 Amazon.com The Mouse and His Child VHS]
17. [https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/16701/top-10-movies-starring-toys-that-come-alive Top 10 movies starring toys that come alive. Den of Geek]
18. [https://www.yesasia.com/us/the-extraordinary-adventures-of-the-mouse-and-his-child-dvd-japan/1022308757-0-0-0-en/info.html The Extraordinary Adventures Of The Mouse and His Child (DVD) (Japan Version). YesAsia]
19. [https://www.nytimes.com/1978/07/07/archives/screen-mouse-and-child.html Screen: 'Mouse And Child' - The New York Times]
20. (2020-04-17). "Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide". Wikipedia.