The Secret of NIMH

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The Secret of NIMH

G

1982

1h 22m

Kids & Family

Fantasy

Animation

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Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

70 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Mrs. Brisby (Elizabeth Hartman), a widowed mouse, must move her children out of their home in a field before the local farmer starts plowing. Unable to leave because her son is ill, Mrs. Brisby seeks the help of nearby rats, who have heightened intelligence after being the subjects of scientific experiments. She receives an unexpected gift from the elder rat, Nicodemus (Derek Jacobi). Soon Mrs. Brisby is caught in a conflict among the rats, jeopardizing her mission to save her family.

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Critics Consensus

The Secret of NIMH seeks to resurrect the classical style of American animation and succeeds, telling a mature story with rapturous presentation.

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Rita Kempley

Washington Post

Sadly, The Secret of NIMH is beautiful but unbalanced: The animators gambled when they should have gamboled.

Nov 11, 2021

Full Review

Susie Eisenhuth

Sydney Morning Herald

Parents wistful for the world of mystery and magic fondly remembered from the best of the Disney cartoon features should hasten along to this rather endearing fantasy.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 11, 2021

Full Review

Neil Jillett

The Age (Australia)

This American full-length animated cartoon lives up to its publicity as a return to the meticulous artwork and storybook charm of the golden days of Disney.

Nov 11, 2021

Full Review

Katie Hogan

FILMHOUNDS Magazine

At its heart, The Secret of NIMH is aimed at children, but it still hits all the same nostalgic notes for those who watched it as a child and again as an adult.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 11, 2024

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Mat Brunet

AniMat's Review (YouTube)

The Secret of NIMH is an animated feature that has every right to be called a masterpiece. Just about every element of this picture is amazingly crafted to present how animation can truly be a storytelling medium.

Rated: 10/10

Sep 6, 2024

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Stephen Silver

Tilt Magazine

Known for its beautiful hand-drawn animation style, one very unique to that time period and a far cry from the computer-generated style that would take hold in the Pixar era. (40th anniversary)

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 5, 2022

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James H

These type of movies were much needed when they came out, and they are even more needed to be made now! Great movie, was a favorite when I was a kid and even now as an adult is a movie I want to sit down and emerse myself in. Please make more movies like this Hollywood, and if not Hollywood, anyone make them!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/02/25

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Kim P

Pretty imaginative and better than any animated Disney movie from that era.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/01/25

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Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 22 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dubbed and subtitled in worldwide studios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/30/25

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D.A. P

For the era of which it was released- The Secret Of NIMH- tells a very interesting story and has the most unexpected of heroes that you would likely never hear about or never see in any other movie. The animation is really great and classic for a 1980's movie and really draws you into the story and yes, the story has a dark opening. But through the story telling and watching this movie- it provides a great tale of what would we do for someone we love and how far would we go to do it? 4 out of 5 stars- I definitely recommend this movie even though some of it can be serious at times.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/17/25

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Maria F

As a massive fan of animation, I had high hopes for this film. I had heard it was an underrated classic, but knew almost nothing going in. Unfortunately it did not live up to those expectations for me. I can’t fault the beautiful score and the absolutely breathtaking visuals are arguably what pulled me through the whole film. However, it seems clear to me that it is a very loose book adaptation, since concepts pop up but are not fleshed out, characters serve one or two purposes then are never seen again, or do nothing, and that dang comedy relief crow was serving very little purpose.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/23/25

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Tiffany B.

One of my favorite movies of all time. Beautiful with great characters. Love the artwork.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/22/25

Full Review

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Don Bluth

Director

Elizabeth Hartman

Mrs. Brisby

Derek Jacobi

Nicodemus

Dom DeLuise

Jeremy

Shannen Doherty

Teresa

Edie McClurg

Miss Right

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Synopsis

Mrs. Brisby (Elizabeth Hartman), a widowed mouse, must move her children out of their home in a field before the local farmer starts plowing. Unable to leave because her son is ill, Mrs. Brisby seeks the help of nearby rats, who have heightened intelligence after being the subjects of scientific experiments. She receives an unexpected gift from the elder rat, Nicodemus (Derek Jacobi). Soon Mrs. Brisby is caught in a conflict among the rats, jeopardizing her mission to save her family.

Director: Don Bluth
Producer: Gary Goldman, Don Bluth
Screenwriter: Don Bluth, Will Finn, Gary Goldman, John Pomeroy
Distributor: United Artists, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Aurora, Don Bluth
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Fantasy, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 30, 1982, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 25, 2012
Runtime: 1h 22m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, 1.66:1, Flat (1.85:1)

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