This is a tough one for me to review, simply because I have two personal issues with the story matter. I may as well get them out of the way now, if you’ll permit me.

To start with, there’s the “animal testing” aspect of the story. For those who are not already aware, I am a student of bioscience. I know the protocols of animal testing in scientific research and I’ve personally visited an animal testing facility. I don’t say this to get into a bioethics debate (of course the movie is against it — it’s told from the animals’ POV), I say this purely because my own personal experiences and education gave me a very difficult time with this premise. I’m hardly a stranger to iffy pseudo-science as a plot device (I watch Fringe, for God’s sake), but this one really got to me for some reason. I’m sorry, but I literally had to forget four years of higher education, all of my proudest academic work and my life’s dreams before I could accept that a scientific experiment would grant mice knowledge in technology and magic surpassing that of humans.

And that leads me to my second problem: The amulet. So many years of self-education in screenwriting and movie criticism have led me to a knee-jerk reaction against ill-defined magical doohickeys that solve all the hero’s problems at the eleventh hour. And that’s more or less exactly what happens here. I had to force myself into remembering that this was actually set up very well, since magic plays such a strong part of the movie’s story and the rats’ lives. This sends me into wondering just how the hell rats could master such magic, which leads me right back into that last paragraph.

Really, the only problem with I had with this film is that of suspending disbelief. It’s not an uncommon problem with movies and everyone has his/her own unique threshold of tolerance. Fortunately, there are many movies out there that will reward the patient viewer who is generous with benefit of the doubt. This is one of them.

Secret of NIMH is a classic and deservedly so. The animation is superb (though I did catch a few continuity flubs during the climax), with visuals that are staggering in their color and in their darkness. This movie is loaded to the brim with threats that are unknown, powerful and terrifying. Don Bluth does not pull his punches here, using every trick in the book (when the cat attacks near the movie’s start, watch how the color red is used) to amplify the danger. Conversely, the movie’s more fantastic elements are made even more spectacular through the use of warm colors (Mr. Ages’ laboratory) and bright lights (the room of lights in the rats’ lair). There are also a few occasions (the meeting with Nicodemus, for example), when the scene uses darkness and brightness intermittently, signaling the presence of an unknown magic lying just beneath the surface.

The characters are all amazing, thanks in part to the marvelous voice acting. Yes, the raven Jeremy did get annoying at times, but he was still a sweetheart. Nicodemus is something of an “old wise mentor” cliche, but we see enough of him to know that he’s not omniscient or omnipotent and he sure as hell isn’t perfect. Justin was sort of a “dashing hero” cliche, but he’s too carefree for his own good, which is part of why he fails to recognize the threat posed by Jenner until it’s almost too late.

Cardboard villains are a very common problem in movies — especially kids’ movies — but I didn’t see that problem here. Sure, Dragon the cat was something of a stock monster, but I’ve known too many ill-behaved pets to have a problem buying that. The farmer is the primary threat to the animals’ livelihoods, but he can hardly be blamed for the upkeep of his farm. As for Jenner, he’s not really a one-dimensional villain, he’s just a rat and proud to be so. For all his advanced mental capacities, Jenner is entirely unable to grow past his baser instincts, which forms his motivation and his downfall.

Of course, the character that really makes the whole movie work is our protagonist, Mrs. Brisby. From start to finish, this movie is well-aware that Brisby is nothing more than a field mouse. She’s a tiny and fragile creature, easy prey for any passing predator, and she knows it. She doesn’t have any great strength and she’s not much for wit, either. What sees her through this movie is her humility and her great courage. It may not seem very laudable for a woman to repeatedly beg for help from those who are bigger and more powerful, but it’s outright heroic when the woman in question is a field mouse who does so under constant threat of being killed and/or eaten.

So many kids’ movies — including this one’s DTV sequel — are quick, shallow, cheap cash grabs that movies like Secret of NIMH should be treasured all the more. This is a scary and challenging movie for kids and grown-ups alike, with relatable characters, a strong story, powerful visuals and a wonderful score. Just bring your ability to believe in magic (the one you had back in childhood) and prepare to be amazed.