The Mouse and His Child (film)

The Mouse and His Child is a 1977 animated film based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Russell Hoban.

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."