We aren’t completely over the guinea pigs who just came to us this month and yet here, we already have news of another bunch of rodents coming to our cinemas. These bunch of rats aren’t new to Hollywood, but they will be back with new looks, new colors and new textures thanks to 3D animation technology.
The film, “The Secret of NIMH”, a 1982 animated film, is an adaptation of Newbery Medal-winning children’s book, “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH” written by author Robert C. O’Brien in 1972. It somewhat resembles Richard Adams’ novel “Watership Down”, which was written the same year only with rabbits instead of rats. It’s a story about the adventures of Mrs. Brisby (the name was changed to avoid copyright infringement), after she decided to leave the barn that they were living in to seek help for her ill son, Timothy. She will learn about the existence of a group of former lab rats led by Nicodemus in NIMH (National Institute for Mental Health), that is capable of utilizing human technology, and will discover how much she is connected to the strange bunch. She will then lead them into a sort of rodent exodus to avoid extermination.
The rats of NIMH have very large shoes to fill, (but technically, it’s their shoes that were filled since they came in first), following the rodents of G-Force in the silver screen. This high-tech-gadget-yielding, military-trained, five- guinea pig- strong cast gave Harry Potter a taste of their own magic ala Mission: Impossible in the box office. Even before that, the furry singing sensation in “Alvin and the Chipmunks” as well as the culinary wonder, “Rattatouille”, have each posted respectable box office turnouts when they hit the theaters. However, a good adventure will always be loved. With visual modifications to cater to a modern audience, this classic story may hold some promise.
People behind this film are still on the drawing board but we already know that Director Neil Burger (”The Illusionist”) is currently the one being swayed into writing the screenplay. If ever, this will be Burger’s first venture into a children’s movie. He’s best known for his dark and mystical treatment of the film, “The Illusionist” starring Edward Norton.
No other information is available yet so all that’s left for us to do would be to speculate and suggest, and speculate and suggest, we will. From the looks of things, if everything runs smoothly for the producers of this project, we might already have a chance to watch this flick by 2011. Although turning it into a live action– 3d animation type would really bring it to this generation, the greatest strength of “The Secret of NIMH” is its compelling storyline. The makers must be sure not to miss out on the juiciest parts so that the viewers, especially those who have read the book or seen the first movie would really be able to get that “reading experience”. Since the story is above all, about that rats’ struggle to survive, it will also be crucial to have a sufficient amount of comic relief on this film to break the monotony of impending doom. Such can only be provided by Jeremy, the clumsy crow and he has to have lots of exposure. This film would also need a great array of soundtracks to set different moods that we would generally expect from films like this such as sadness, comedy, and suspense. If they can come up with a bittersweet symphony as original soundtrack, like the one in the movie “Forrest Gump”, then so much the better.
We don’t really hate rats. So long as they make it worth our while, they’re more than welcome to gnaw their way to Hollywood!
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