The Rescuers Down Under

The Rescuers Down Under is the twenty-ninth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, and was released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution on November 16, 1990. This film, which takes place in the Australian Outback, is the sequel of the 1977 film The Rescuers, based upon the novels of Margery Sharp.

Characters
The Rescuers Down Under features three characters from the first Rescuers film: Bernard (Bob Newhart), Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor), and Mr. Chairman (Bernard Fox). New characters included the albatross Wilbur (John Candy), brother of the albatross played by the late Jim Jordan in the original; Jake the kangaroo mouse (Tristan Rogers); and the movie's villain, an animal poacher, who was called Percival C. McLeach (George C. Scott).

Disney firsts
The Rescuers Down Under is notable for its firsts for Disney. It was the first Disney traditionally-animated movie to completely use the new computerized CAPS (Computer Animation Production System) process. CAPS allowed more efficient and sophisticated post-production of the Disney animated films, and made obsolete the traditional practice of hand-painting cells. As a result, The Rescuers Down Under was the first feature film for which all original film elements were completely made within a digital environment. The film was also the first sequel made by Disney for one of its animated films. It is Disney's second animated feature that does not include any musical numbers, the first being Disney's The Black Cauldron.

On its first release, The Rescuers Down Under was preceded by a short subject starring Mickey Mouse in an adaptation of The Prince and the Pauper. (This was only the second new Mickey Mouse short made since the 1950s, the first being Mickey's Christmas Carol, which was made to accompany the 1983 re-release of The Rescuers).

Box office popularity
The film was unsuccessful at the box office, grossing only $27 million. The Disney Studios considered Rescuers Down Under such a failure that they were later discouraged to release any following Disney sequels theatrically. Only when they were fully convinced that the film would be a success would they release it theatrically, such as The Jungle Book 2 and Return to Never Land. Until the release of Toy Story 2, this film is also the only Disney sequel to be shown in theatres.

It is considered to be the only "failure" of the Disney Renaissance era (1989-1999), ironic given the immense success of the original The Rescuers. Another sequel to The Rescuers was planned in 1996, but after Eva Gabor's death, this and all future Rescuers sequels were cancelled; however, The Walt Disney Company announced that, as of 2013/2014, there are plans for The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under to spawn one entirely-animated theatrical motion picture spin-off each, as well as a TV series adaptation to be based on those two films, with work on these projects being planned and in-progress.

Release history
The Rescuers Down Under was released theatrically in November 16, 1990. In September 20, 1991, the movie itself was released on VHS and LaserDisc as part of the Walt Disney Classics line. In August 1, 2000, the movie itself was re-released on VHS and released on DVD for the first time, as part of the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection line of VHS videos and DVDs. In August 21, 2012, the movie itself was released on DVD & Blu-ray Disc alongside The Rescuers in a "2-Movie Collection" package.

In anticipation of the movie's upcoming entirely-animated theatrical motion picture spin-off, Wild Outback, as well as an upcoming entirely-animated TV series adaptation based on the movie itself, "Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment" has plans to re-issue the movie itself directly to DVD & Blu-ray Disc and Movie Download when being part of the Walt Disney Special Editions line of DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, and "Digital Download" releases in May 15, 2018.

English voice cast

 * Bob Newhart as Bernard
 * Eva Gabor as Miss Bianca
 * John Candy as Wilbur
 * Tristan Rogers as Jake
 * Adam Ryen as Cody
 * George C. Scott as Percival C. McLeach
 * Wayne Robson as Frank
 * Douglas Seale as Krebbs
 * Frank Welker as Joanna and Additional Special Vocal Effects
 * Bernard Fox as Mr. Chairman and Doctor Mouse
 * Peter Firth as Red
 * Billy Barty as Baitmouse
 * Ed Gilbert as Francois
 * Carla Meyer as Faloo and Cody's Mother
 * Russi Taylor as Nurse Mouse