“Adopted? What makes you think anyone would want a homely little girl like you?” That’s up there for the most cruel lines ever uttered by a Disney villain.
@@kevinboudreaux7860 I can think of a thousand other heartbreaking or outstandingly cruel things Disney Villains would ever say, but Medusa's insult to Penny is definitely among them as you said.
It's a bloody outrage the Rescuer's Down Under has been forgotten by Disney, it's an amazing watch. And George C. Scott and John Candy are great additions to it.
I’m one of the few who probably remembers it even exists, thanks to the fact that I was plopped down to watch both it and The Little Mermaid on VHS in my grandmother on my mom’s side’s daycare when I was a baby more times than I could count.
It's not really forgotten. I just picked it up yesterday on Blu ray with the first Rescuers in a set. Personally I prefer the down under version over the original.
Okay, I knew Medusa was modeled after Milt Kahles ex-wife. But I didn't know was that she worked for the company as a writer, let alone was Walt Disney's niece! Like wow, that divorce did not go well.
@@DarkAngel459 😂 LOL, so true. Not only are some of Wakanda's vibranium weapons bigger, but for all of them, they’re more advanced than typical bullet-loaded firearms.
And Chip n Dale: Rescuer Rangers was originally supposed to be a Rescuers show. Dalmatians, Rescuers, Oliver, Chip n Dale! All these could’ve been crossovers! What is this, the House of Mouse?
It would be odd for someone like her, who apparently is quite wealthy British woman based on her house, to move some swamp in Louisiana to try to get a diamond.
Medusa and McLeach are absolutely underrated villains and _The Rescuers: Down Under_ is an absolutely underrated film. Fun fact: It was apparently the first Disney film to be digitally animated, which is how they made so many movies after it so quickly, and made the scenes absoloutely beautiful. Joanna the Goanna is definitely my favorite of these bad guys, and one of my favorite Disney henchmen, or in this case, my favorite henchlizard. Thank you for deep diving into these mostly forgotten, yet important, pieces of Disney history.
Actually, the REAL first Disney movie to be digitally animated was in fact 'The Black Cauldron'. But since Disney pretty much disowns that one, it's never been officially recognized. (although historians have found it too be true) And "officially", the first one on-record to have any digital animation was 'The Great Mouse Detective'. I highly recommend the 'Yesterworld'-channel's video on 'Black Cauldron'. VERY in-depth. =)
@@nicholassims9837 DEFINITELY 'Black Cauldron'. It's very complicated, but between the controversies, internal politics, ego-clashes and copyright issues, Disney found it easier just to pretend it doesn't exist rather than try to salvage what's left of the movie. (except to fill quotas on Disney+) =\
Can we just talk about how hardcore a dude Cody was? Kid wakes up in this gnarly hammock bed to the emergency call of a Kangaroo that he rides, first thing he does is run out and immediately scale this ridiculously tall, steep rock face without any equipment or spotting to free this huge massive golden eagle that almost knocks him to fall to his doom before getting saved by said eagle that allows him to fly like a skydiver without a parachute. Ant that's just in the first five minutes! To say nothing that when he's captured and threatened by MacLeach he shows virtually NO fear and when Marahute gets recaptured he actively works to free her again - like leaping off the cliff to grab hold of the net - again, like fearless. This is even more impressive when you consider that he predates heroes like Simba, Aladdin, The Beast, John Smith, Shang, Tarzan, Quasimodo, or Flynn Rider. By this point, he was basically the most Bada_* of the Disney heroes (no disrespect to Eric or Prince Phillip, but we're talking about like some 8-10 year old who's practically an extreme sport action hero -- like Kevin McCallister would NEVER lol).
Yeah Cody was amazing! If they had actually made a third Rescuers movie, there’s a popular fan opinion that Penny immediately develops a crush on Cody in the story. I love The fan art of them together! They are totally a head cannon Disney pair for me! I don’t care that they haven’t actually met!
Snoops sort of reminds me of Jason Alexander. He always plays such hateable characters, but they're entertaining and funny and well thought out, and that's totally how Snoops is.
I had always hoped "the Rescuers" would have crossed over with "the great mouse detective" Edit: As a kid this is just what i wished for, only these two movies together (the specific characters interacting) .....maybe little Olivia (she would be in her 80s) as a elderly character meeting Bianca and Bernard. Maybe she became a detective in honor of Basil and used it to help the society.
@Jonathan Wolfe it was only 1897 in the great mouse detective, while in the rescuers it was 1970. I never believed it could ever happen. But a child hood dream of maybe, little Olivia (who was 8 in the movie) would be in her 80s in 1970. So she could have made an appearance in the Rescuers, with some memories of Basil....maybe even a founder of the rescue aids society (she would have learned some skills from Basil and used it in the society)
@@alishahird897 That reminds me of a fanfic I heard about where Olivia returns to Basil for help 10 years later and becomes a bit of an apprentice to him.
I mean, it probably wouldn't be possible given the time differences. But I could see a connected universe where the rescue aid society existed in the 1800's, with Basil getting in the way when he investigates a missing person cases. Maybe he and Dawson have to partner up with tone of their agents to know what is going on. I'm open to the possibilities there.
You know what’s great about these two villains is that they are both realistic, again evil witches and sorcerers don’t exist, but evil wicked child abusers do. Funny enough they’re realistic just like Cruella 😅
evil people driven by greed are also very real. THere'd absolutely be a person in real life who'd kidnap achild to get a diamond, or hunt a rare creature jsut to sell on th black market.
Hmm Snoops being just as bad as Medusa but spineless might actually be another Cruella connection. In the 101 Dalmatians book Cruella has a henpecked husband who is described as "evil and weak" while Cruella is "evil and strong"
Given that Don Bluth worked on The Rescuers before he left Disney, and had many frustrations with the way it was being run, I can't help but wonder if his 1989 movie All Dogs Go to Heaven was his way of beating them at their own game? I mean think about it in both movies, a dynamic duo (Bernard and Bianca/Charlie and Itchy) rescue an orphaned girl (Penny/Anne-Marie) from a greedy villain (Medusa/Carface) exploiting said orphan for a greedy agenda alongside a bumbling spectacle-wearing henchman (Snoops/Killer) in their base of operations, which is an abandoned boat in a swamp. As much as I like both movies (then as now) I still feel All Dogs Go to Heaven was the better, even if it did have more nightmare fuel in my childhood than Rescuers. That Big-Lipped Alligator Moment really took the cake for me in that department more so than Charlie's nightmare.
Both take place in a world where under the right circumstances children can talk to animals. Also, there were several movies about a society of antropomorphized animals (specially mice) living under the noses of human society, but I can't think of many films where both worlds interacted with one another using dialogue.
Although I can not deny that The Rescuers is a stabeler film, especially when it came to plot and pacing, I agree its the weaker film. For as weird and messy as All Dogs is, I find it much more unique, entertaining, and thought provoking, compared to the Rescuers, A good movie in its own right, but one that is undeniably safer then All Dogs.
Joanna is pretty interesting as a disney villain sidekick goes. not only is she one of the few that CAN'T talk and thus the one whose comedy mostly comes from splatstick or how she interacts with characters, she's also one of the few if not the only female one. She's also designed pretty gnarly, with a snaggletooth grin and wide round bulging eyes and a fairly sleek and large design overall. She's also pretty physically intimidating, you wouldn't want to see that run to you with its mouth wide open. Its also notable that she clearly has a fairily positive relationship with McLeach outside of his asbusive moments, the pair do seem to work as a duo and less as a big bad and his stupid sidekick (probably cause they're both not geniuses). the idea also poppeed into my head of Snoops having the potential to come back as a villain in his own right, maybe becoming crueler and more ambitous after Medusa's scheme failed. This has made me think I'd love to see more rescuers movies. A new even once in a while could be fun.
I doubt snoops got out of the swamp, he didn't even have a lighter or a knife on him. I would like to see him get parole, he was technically bad but more duped and dominated by medusa.
McLeach is a vastly underrated villain- truly one of the most brutal. He KNOWS Joanna can understand him- which is a rarity for Disney adults- and yet he's perfectly willing to harm her and kill any other animals. In ways, it feels like he sees no line between Human and animal- which can be heartwarming if the person sees both Humans and animals as worthy of love and respect, and horrifying if the person doesn't respect either. McLeach is selfish, sadistic, and creepy- and while his brief songs add some grim gallows humor to the scene, he's frightening because *poachers like him are real.* Like Lady Tremaine and Gaston, you know of people like him even if you've never met them in person. I grew up through the Disney Renaissance, and Rescuers Down Under was one of my most-beloved movies. The score was thrilling and inspiring, but the dastardly villain of McLeach was the perfect foil for daring, gutsy Cody- we have a man with a child's education operating with the most dangerous attitudes a Human can have, versus an actual child with a whole lot of compassion and grit.
Another interesting thing about both Medusa and McLeach is their defeat: both are chased away by Crocodiles/Alligators. Side note: whenever Medusa talks down to either Penny or Snoops, they briefly freeze in shock, further driving home the connection between her and her Greek mythology namesake. It’s a shame these villains aren’t better remembered but like you said: Medusa and McCleach are in the shadows of Cruella and Gaston respectively.
George C Scott usually played very stern and seriously characters, so it's surprising to hear how much theatrics he put into his performance as McLeach
Man i love the original Rescuers a lot. It just have a creepy and rainy vibe alongside the cute animals that was very appealing for me as a child, and Madam Medusa was a very good villain too,her brazilian voice actress did a great job on the role.
I completely agree, everyone shrieks it's boring and forgettable when it's anything but, the atmosphere is so eerie and dingy, the swamp medusa resides in just reeks of discomfort, kinda reminds me of the hotel in Eaten Alive (1976)
Preach it's so underated it had this very eerie and somewhat hopeless vibe to it even when theres a scene where its bright out it still has this hopepless feeling to it especially the scene at the orphanage which is a really heartwrenching scene, I always use to watch it at my Nans house it will always have a special place in my heart
I LOVE it when Magic Kingdoms references characters from other franchises in dialogue. Like when Honest John mentions Nick from Zootopia, and Jiminy mentions Timon and Pumba.
32:20 I have been waiting for someone else to say this about every villain being examples of "it's okay, you had a sad backstory" or "making your mom apologize" and also miss villains who are just... villains, so thank you. Sometimes you just want to cheer as a terrible person with zero excuses gets what's coming.
Edgar could beat Snoops? Them is fighting words haha😅At least Snoops sort of fought after tackling Medusa even though he failed miserably. Also does anyone remember the early days of the internet- Andrew's Villain Page? And the forum there was one poster who had Disney Villain matchups in the style of WWE-- I remember it was Cruella vs. Medusa and it has Cruella trying to suffocate Medusa with cigarette smoke and Snoops trying to intervene before Horace and Jasper come and beat the h__ out of him (then Medusa just sicks Brutus and Nero on them). Then it was Medusa vs. Grimhilde that had the Queen in hag form pelting Medusa with apples who swats the Raven and Vultures away with her walking stick. I remember it literally read "Snoops tries to get involved but Humbert the Huntsman comes out of nowhere and kicks the crap out of him." Fight ended with Medusa accidentally hitting Brutus and Nero with her walking stick and them turning on her again. Good times 🤣🤣the internet was a weird place in the early 2000s
Whoa, that really takes me back. I never visited that site, but I remember a similar page called "Grudge Match," which had fights like Mister Rogers vs Captain Kangaroo. I kind of miss those old wild west days.
I loved the underrated Rescuers films and the villains Madam Medusa and Mcleach are underrated funny, dark and realistic villains. If the Rescuers ever gets remade into film or tv series they should expand on Medusa and McLeech. Plus if Rescuers does get into a Kingdom hearts game if would be awesome to fight against Medusa and McLeach. Snoops was hilarious too.
Technically, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers is the Rescuerers Show but with Marketable Disney Characters and replaced Medusa and McLeach with a Fat Cat Crime Lord and a Napoleon Mad Scientist with a bunch of one-off Villains in between.
It’s nice to have the sidekicks be female too. Lion King also has one female hyena (although based on hyenas they am should be) but it seems overwise the sidekick villains are male.
It's super hard to believe how Dynamic The Rescuers Down Under is compared to its original film! Or the fact that it even got the green light in the first place! I remember watching that movie in theaters with the prince and the Pauper playing right before it and boy was that an experience I'll never forget when I was six!
The rescuers are underrated and so are the villains. It's also should be noted that chip and dale rescue rangers could have been a rescuers series but that fell through and it became what is today.
As great as Chip and Dale were I sort of wished it was Bernard and Bianca instead, although the villians would have to take a darker Talespin like turn at thatr point for it to work.
ooh a rescuers show would be PERFECT.We'd have a good victim of the week and villain of the week setup and a potentially revolving cast as Bernard and Bianca get help from other members of the rescuers.
In regards to Brutus and Nero, I’m inclined to think they were always meant to be alligators, given the setting. Now, this was a 1977 animated kids movie, and back then, people weren’t particularly worried about brushing up on their zoology when making animated animal movies, hence various sources using “crocodile” and “gator” interchangeably. American alligators can get very big, up to 15-16 feet and some specimens allegedly reached up to 18 feet, and even disregarding that, with this being a 2D animated movie, their size getting embellished for intimidation factor likely just came with the territory, like with the absurdly gigantic bear in The Fox and the Hound. They also have more crocodile-like heads but that’s an incredibly common trope with animated alligators, likely because a crocodile’s narrower head and jagged teeth look more threatening but also lend themselves better to expressive 2D animation.
Same here! 🙂 In fact I credit this movie with getting me into eagles. I started collecting pictures, statues, etc. and ultimately got to see real eagles at various wildlife centers.
@@jlarkstories Similarly, after they stopped showing the promos in January 1991, that began my lifelong obsession with eagles, and I began looking for pictures and wildlife magazines about them, then started doing my own drawings, and tried to draw Marahute from memory. I thought maybe I was mistaken about her size from the promos because all the eagle info I found said they had an 8 ft wingspan and my memories of the promos was fading. I even wrote my own stories related to Marahute and Cody and she was no bigger than a bald eagle. When I finally got to see the movie in April 1991, I found I was not only wrong about how I was coloring her, I was way off on her size! (You'd think that would have occurred to me, since he was flying on her back in the promos!)
I could watch Percival C. McLeach do anything, he's so much fun to watch and listen to. I think he's a strong contender for Disney's most fun villain, even if he tried to feed a child to crocodiles.
After seeing that Cody was almost an Aboriginal boy, I want that in a Disney movie now. That’s mostly because I want another Disney movie to take place in Australia. Also because the Rescuers Down Under was one of the first Disney movies I ever watched.
dreamworks had an animated movie that takes place in Australia called Larrikins, sadly it got cancelled and became a short. I would love to see more animated movies take place in Australia, such facinating country and wild life
I highly recommend the Miss Bianca books by Margery Sharp. Well, the older ones anyway. The quality of the series went down as it went on. That whole thing with the emperor penguin that this video mentioned was...nuts. Speaking of the video, I was fascinated to see the earlier designs for Medusa and learn about the original allusions to the mythological Medusa. And what this video said about Snoops being just as bad as Medusa but spineless is actually quite close to a quote from the book, The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, about the literary Cruella De Vil's husband.
You know, I always thought that Joanna was only loyal to McLeach because he would shoot her if she tried to leave him. Joanna probably didn't really like working for that jerk, and if I could say what happened to her after the end of the film, I would say she wandered around the outback for a few months before finding a much nicer human to care for and be cared for by. Granted, monitor lizards are intelligent enough to feel boredom, and I imagine Joanna might amuse herself by pulling harmless but annoying(and often elaborate) pranks on her human, but that's how she would be showing him that she likes him.
The Rescuers are an underrated franchise. I enjoyed the first movie so much. Need to see the second one because dang the scenes with the eagle are gorgeous. Madame Medusa is a villain that someone could know in real life. That comment she said to Penny....If I could, I would punch her. Those words did so much damage than the gators, tide, or Snoops. I kind of feel bad for laughing when the guy said he would be immortalized as a kidnapper. One would think the staff hated him with that, but he was a good sport. Mr. Leach I can understand why he isn't as marketable as the Disney villains. He is like Rourke from Atlantis, well acted, formidable, but too realistic. Mr. Leach is goofy in some scenes, but he's definitely not a villain that one loves to hate. Thank you for the retrospective.
John Culhane (RIP) had an unrivaled passion for animation that inspires me to share my knowledge of film with my friends to this day. It’s great that he got to be represented as an animated character twice.
Thank you for covering McLeach! One of the most underrated Disney Villians ever. For those that imagine a background for him, I think of him as one of those who started out as a generic outback ranger who eventually started to poach because of how much harder the lifestyle turned out to he than he thought. Then he eventually got bored with normal poaching and started going after more legendary creatures.
14:14 I don't know I think the Willie Brothers would take the cake as they cant even tell When Slim is in disguise despite putting it on in front of them
Honestly, I think that when it comes to Disney Villains, I'd probably name both Medusa and McCleach in the same spot as a favorite of mine. Sure, most other Disney villains either have bigger ambitions or accomplish _more_ in their movies...But I honestly think that when it comes to those villains, the Heroes are more or less on _even footing with them._ But with the Rescuers movies...the Protagonists are _kidnapped children_ who are being held hostage, in a very isolated place, with (seemingly) no one coming to help them. It's actually a bit more frightening, because of how asymmetrical the power-dynamic is. Sure, Penny stands up to Snoops, but she's ultimately powerless against Medusa and the Gators. It's clear that Medusa is willing and ready to kill Penny if and once her usefulness is up, but at the end, she lords the threat over them to get away. So she didn't fully go through with it, when she could have... With McCleach however, there's no illusion and Cody knows that; he knew from the moment McCleach threw his backpack in the water, he was as good as dead if he didn't get away. His only bargaining chip was that McCleach wanted to know where the Eagle was - so as long as Cody held onto that, he had time. He's a smart kid, and knew even after McCleach offered him 50%, he'd just get rid of him afterwards. But the movie implies that McCleach was fully willing to resort to _torture_ had he not thought of the ruse with the Eagle Eggs first. And then at the end, once McCleach has gotten what he wanted from him, his first priority is to kill the kid, to cover his tracks. And the fact that he takes such sadistic glee from the deed, really is frightening. I'm astounded at how tough Cody is as a kid. Because in a lot of ways, it's actually impressive that Disney went this far with villains like this. Sure Disney is a family-friendly company, but very few movies have them even make the implications that _the kid_ in each perspective film might be in-danger. So the idea that both protagonists come so close to death in these movies, really shows that these villains are _not to be trifled with._ It's like that scene from The Incredibles, where Helen explains to her children about how the bad-guys they're up against on that island, _aren't like the Saturday Morning Cartoon villains._ They won't hold-back just because they're kids; _they will kill them,_ if they can. To me, that's actually very terrifying. When watching movies like this, it gives a false sense of security and invulnerability to the child-characters. So hinting that they could really be in mortal-peril just hits on a different level.
Both of these villains are seriously underated. But I have to say mostly McLeach, unlike Ursula, he was actually terrifying in some scenes. One of the scariest Disney villains that has ever been. And he never gets the time of day. My mom used to LOVE this movie too when I was a kid, and she just adored any scene with Joanna in it. Joanna would just make her laugh so much, especially the egg scene. I have to agree with my mom. Rescuers Down under is just a HIGHLY under appreciated movie, that's honestly just a better movie than the first one in every way. And at the time where EVERY new Disney animated movie seemed to get its own television show. It seems a bit of a crime that the Rescuers never got anyway where they could travel across the world and help kids all around the world. I mean it seems really obvious if you think about. And so does a "The great mouse detective." tely series as... That is basically Sherlock Holmes for kids anyway. So why isn't there a show where Basil and Dawson is solving cases across old London?
I love the Rescuers movies so much. I think I saw I first one when it was re-releases in the 80s as a tiny kid, and I definitely saw the second one was I was 8. Joanna the Goana is probably my all-time favorite villain sidekick, I wish she got more love.
Ooooh I’ve been waiting for this one since the teaser!!!❤ OmG!!! I THOUGHT Mcleaches voice sounded familiar in the singing area! I don’t know why but I always though “Megatron” fsr. NO WONDER
Have you noticed Disney really like the name Penny ? As it appears here Bolt and Proud Family ? Similar Milo for boys as it appears in Atlantis , Fish Hooks , Mars NeedsMom and Murphy Law .
This doesn't have to do with villains but I think The Rescuers is unique among Disney movies in that it's not really a love story between Bernard and Bianca. I mean they're clearly attracted to each other, but it's not really a love story. It's more like...romantic tension with no explicit declaration of love. The dramatic emphasis is on them accomplishing their mission, not on them getting together.
I see a lot of accolades for McLeach in these comments, and he's a good villain, don't get me wrong. But Medusa and her treatment of Penny TERRIFIED me as a little girl. Like can you imagine? You have no parents, and you're kidnapped, and you're with your abusive kidnappers for long enough it seems like no adult you have ever known cares or is coming to rescue you. This lady and her henchman force you regularly into a dark hole where you could absolutely drown and no one would know. The lady goes as far as to scoff at the idea of anyone wanting or loving you, ever. THIS WAS A LOT FOR MY BRAIN AT AGE 5.
Just watching the video again, and I would love to see the Diamond Duchess character used in an animated film some day. She would make a sadistic and disturbing villain.
I'd say its jsutified in zootopia's case at least since it is a mystery movie and said villain actually was a pretty horrible person even with her motive
My dad's second wife, in an attempt to bond, once asked me what my favorite Disney movie was. I answered Oliver & Company, it still is my answer. Her answer? The Rescuers. Madam Medusa is practically the spitting embodiment of that womanmy dad was married to for almost 15 years.
One of the interesting flaws Medusa has as a villain is how obsessive she is. By the time we see her in the film, Penny has already fetched her a sizable fortune in diamonds from the pirate's treasure down below, as Snoops points out to her. But it's all meaningless to her because none of them is the Devil's Eye, and she only wants THAT specific jewel.
For me, the biggest difference between Cruella and Medusa is in the relatability of their objectives. No sane person wants a coat made of puppies. But that diamond? I'd totally be okay with offing orphans if it meant I could get my hands on that.
You forgot to mention that medusa tried to shoot penny when Penny was trying to get the boat started, it just shows that she will not hesitate to straight up murdering a child
Thank you so much for making this! Madam Medusa is my favourite Disney Villain and not many know her! The Rescuers is definitely a forgotten gem. I would like to see a video taking a detective analysis on how Penny got kidnapped.
John Culhane was a cousin of shamus Culhane A famous golden age animator who worked on Woody woodpecker cartoons in the early 1940s he also worked on the hi ho segment in Snow White and the seven dwarfs
Medusa has no apperance nor offspring in Decedents and yet the coachman gets mentioned as a prisoner for the isle of the lost, and was forced to be one a taxi cab and return any donkies back to human state… as far as I’m aware he has no kid. But considering how both Medusa and Coachman treat children in the respective movies, let’s be greatful they have no offspring other wise we got some kids with REALLY bad paternal issues
The Rescuers Down Under is such a criminally underrated film. It may not be one of the best, but it's a very enjoyable adventure. And McLeach is actually one of my favorite Disney villains.
I remember as a kid watching this with my mom and when Medusa &Snoops started fighting over the Devil's Eye, she turned to me and went,"see that's why it's always important to SHARE..." and even at 6-7 my first reaction was to go (not literally) "yeah, absolutely, if ever I partner with some goober to kidnap an orphan, take her to some remote swamp and force her to go down a deep dark hole in shallow water to dig up diamonds for my criminal operation - all while telling her nobody wants or loves her - if she finds a really big diamond I'll make sure to SHARE with my partner in crime rather than threaten to shoot him and try to maroon them both." LOL Sharing is caring!
It’s a real shame that we don’t have a Rescuers 3! I would love to see a third movie with all the characters together. Cody and Penny would be adorable as a couple. I would love to see the interactions of Mcleash and Medusa. I imagine Medusa would only fake an attraction to Mcleash. She would cozy up to him, until he follows her every order but they betray each other halfway through the story. Bernard and Bianca can have a wedding too. Plus give each couple their own whacky song. Dang I should really make a story out of this. Let me know if anyone else likes these ideas? Thank you for doing these villains videos!
The Rescuers and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh were released the same year, I think this is the first time Disney released two feature length animated movies at once. The Rescuers Down Under is a beautifully animated movie that had the unfortunates to release between the to juggernauts that are The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.
Seeing how Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh combines 3 Pooh shorts from the past into one movie it makes sense why they would be 2 films in 1977 as Disney already made one they just needed to edit it a bit
For a while I didn’t really care about the villains in the first film but this video made me start to warm up to them, mostly because of their entertaining animation and being better than characters like Ratcliffe or Mr “that was his mistake”.
I think there's more to that scene than Medusa just being cruel. Although, agreed, it's awful. It feels far more calculated; she can't let Penny go back, diamond or no, because Penny's gonna talk about the abuse
I think Joanna might be in my top three movie villain sidekicks, after Iago and competing with Fidget. She's just funny and it's nice to have a female sidekick for once, even if she's an goannas. She's probably the one I'd most enjoy hanging out with in real life personality wise. McLeach is also surprisingly fantastic for a sequel (though high budget theatrical) villain. I really like brutes who aren't book smart but ARE legitimately cunning; being able to swing from the goofy butt of a joke to legitimately threatening lends a fantastic range for performance.
Also; I have it in my head-canon that Basil of Bakerstreet is one of the founding members of the Rescue Aid Society, and the Rescue RANGERS are a freelance branch. Think about it! It just makes sense! XD
An underrated pair of movies with a great pair of villains! I absolutely loved McLeach and Joanna when I watched The Rescuers: Down Under as a kid! Really excited for the Amos Slade vid! The Fox and the Hound is another of my favourites from this era of Disney!
You know now that we’ve gotten to the first feature-length animated theatrical sequel this made me realize how awkward the other films in that category are going to be, like Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Frozen 2, I mean here with The Rescuers Down Under we at least have a villain to talk about unlike the two modern day sequel films that have little to nothing in that department to talk about, it also made me realize with Moana Tamatoa is going to be doing most of the heavy lifting when we get to that film, and with Encanto there’s really absolutely nothing too big to talk about, considering I don’t see Collins Lookback finding too much to say about the Columbian Soldiers let alone finding enough material to justify making an entire video about them. This just proves how much of a problem Disney has with villains these days considering once we hit where we are today in this retrospective it’s going to make for a very awkward couple of videos!
Yeah but we never saw her face and it was reused animation , at least Crulla appeared more spoke the only human from 101 Dalamtions to do so and was a main player in House of Villains
Even though I've never watched the rescuers, i really enjoyed this video. Btw i recommend looking at Cardinal West's (small YTer focused on fiction about non-anthropomorphic animals) videos on Fox and the Hound, which analyses the interesting themes of the original novel and the adaptation process which largely seemed to use another book entirely.
The only missed opportunity within the story of TRDU, is not showing a reunion between Cody and his Mother. Even if it was in painted stills in credits, the lady already lost her husband, has a huge cotton farm to manage, and her son disappears and is assumed killed by crocodiles! Give her a break!!
These movies are totally underrated, especially Down Under. Madame Medusa, McLeach, and Snoops are all very realistic villains compared to the rest of Disney’s Rogues Gallery, and their reptilian sidekicks are just plain fun to watch, especially Joanna. As a kid, I always dreamed of a Rescuers TV show. All those nifty gadgets, the mouse version of the UN, and the RAS relay network were just too good to waste!
I remember watching Rescuers Down Under from the library as a kid, and i though Joanna and MacLeach were hilarious. I also like that hes not the every constant "evil hunter" and is an out and out poacher.
Rescuers Down Under is a really nostalgic movie to me, seeing these little snippets reminds me how amazing it's animated. I want to rewatch these movies again :) Very fun video! These retrospectives are a joy to watch and I love how deep you dig. Can't wait for the next one!
@Will N Seems like a poor excuse. What, was Cody gonna be running around in a loincloth or something? Most Aboriginals live in the cities and, for better or worse, are totally modernized. Just have Cody be the same exact character but Aboriginal. All they had to do. Katzenberg also thought it was a great idea to give the Australian kid an American accent, so there ya go.
Fun fact! Just like how Disney thought of bringing Cruella back in “The Rescuers”, they considered bringing Penny back in “Oliver and Company” They were originally gonna have Penny (now living with her adopted parents) be the one to adopt Oliver the cat, but then decided not to (bummer) so they made the character Jenny instead.
I can't remember if you've touched on it before for some of the past villains, but if you haven't, in the catch up video I think it would be really cool for you to talk about the appearances villains have in the Disney Villainous board game.
Adding to the similarities between Medusa and Cruella, her relationship with Snoops is similar to Cruella and her husband from the original Dalmatians book. Medusa is strong and bad; Snoops is weak and bad.
Thank you so much for putting this video up! The Rescuers movies are some of my favorite Disney animated movies growing up! I love pirates, and the size difference between a civilization of humans to mice was so fun to me! The scariest part of the first movie was that regurgitating Black Hole in the small pirates cave, while McLeach was the scariest in the second! Plus, I LOVE eagles and to be able to travel around the world! For me, there was something awe-inspiring about these movies, about how you're never too small to do something great, and how 'Faith makes things turn out right'! ^^
The Rescuers was the first movie I really watched when I was younger, and I honestly like the both secondary villains. Reason is because both are hilarious. Though, I must admit after watching the recent video interview I would have loved seeing that moment Penny comes out of the water as the tide comes in, since it would make the scene more dramatic and meaningful. Penny meeting Cody later would have been quite interesting if they thought of it, or even her appearing in Oliver & Company, since it was stated we would see how she's doing, and I can almost see her and Jenny getting along.
27:10 The audiobook read along of Rescuers Down Under surprisingly has George C Scott singing the song, it’s not the Welker lines at all. I’m guessing they used the first take before Scott had enough. It’s on Spotify at the 14:24 mark
Some considerations for McCleach were Jack Palance, Clint Eastwood, and Paul Hogan, famous for creating and playing Crocodile Dundee, whose trademark hat McCleach's is obviously inspired by.
“Adopted? What makes you think anyone would want a homely little girl like you?”
That’s up there for the most cruel lines ever uttered by a Disney villain.
@@kevinboudreaux7860
I can think of a thousand other heartbreaking or outstandingly cruel things Disney Villains would ever say, but Medusa's insult to Penny is definitely among them as you said.
It's such a heartbreaking and cruel thing to say. It tells you all you need to know about Medusa.
It's a bloody outrage the Rescuer's Down Under has been forgotten by Disney, it's an amazing watch. And George C. Scott and John Candy are great additions to it.
I’m one of the few who probably remembers it even exists, thanks to the fact that I was plopped down to watch both it and The Little Mermaid on VHS in my grandmother on my mom’s side’s daycare when I was a baby more times than I could count.
Absolutely! =D
@@Thenumber1yoshi Not at all! It actually has a pretty strong following among my fellow 90's kids. =)
I really liked McLeach ngl iykwim
It's not really forgotten. I just picked it up yesterday on Blu ray with the first Rescuers in a set. Personally I prefer the down under version over the original.
Okay, I knew Medusa was modeled after Milt Kahles ex-wife. But I didn't know was that she worked for the company as a writer, let alone was Walt Disney's niece! Like wow, that divorce did not go well.
Madame Medusa is the first USAmerican Disney villain.
It only makes sense she always SHOOTS STUFF.
Lady Okoye from Black Panther: (Unimpressed) 🙄 "Guns. So primitive."
@@BenNelson-zl6lj She says that because they have even bigger weapons they can use.
@@DarkAngel459 😂 LOL, so true. Not only are some of Wakanda's vibranium weapons bigger, but for all of them, they’re more advanced than typical bullet-loaded firearms.
Between the fact that Medusa was almost Cuella and Jenny from Oliver & Company was almost Penny, that would've been one very unorthodox trilogy.
And Chip n Dale: Rescuer Rangers was originally supposed to be a Rescuers show.
Dalmatians, Rescuers, Oliver, Chip n Dale! All these could’ve been crossovers! What is this, the House of Mouse?
31:10 - "Truly the Mona Lisa of animated lizards" was not a phrase I expected to hear in this video xD
It’s true
Considering Cruella only really wanted a coat I don’t see why she’d switch goals all of a sudden so they made the right choice
It would be odd for someone like her, who apparently is quite wealthy British woman based on her house, to move some swamp in Louisiana to try to get a diamond.
@@sarasamaletdin4574 ikr
yeah i feel that's the real jsutification for the change: it jsut doesn't fit her MO, thouh a crocodile coat would be on brand.
@@sarafontanini7051 MO?
@@jackpearce367 Modus Operandi, "method of operation".
Medusa and McLeach are absolutely underrated villains and _The Rescuers: Down Under_ is an absolutely underrated film. Fun fact: It was apparently the first Disney film to be digitally animated, which is how they made so many movies after it so quickly, and made the scenes absoloutely beautiful. Joanna the Goanna is definitely my favorite of these bad guys, and one of my favorite Disney henchmen, or in this case, my favorite henchlizard. Thank you for deep diving into these mostly forgotten, yet important, pieces of Disney history.
Very much agreed.
McLeach especially needs more recognition.
Actually, the REAL first Disney movie to be digitally animated was in fact 'The Black Cauldron'. But since Disney pretty much disowns that one, it's never been officially recognized. (although historians have found it too be true) And "officially", the first one on-record to have any digital animation was 'The Great Mouse Detective'. I highly recommend the 'Yesterworld'-channel's video on 'Black Cauldron'. VERY in-depth. =)
@@BuckarooBanzai84 So what is disowned more Black Cauldron or Chicken little?
@@nicholassims9837 DEFINITELY 'Black Cauldron'. It's very complicated, but between the controversies, internal politics, ego-clashes and copyright issues, Disney found it easier just to pretend it doesn't exist rather than try to salvage what's left of the movie. (except to fill quotas on Disney+) =\
Joanna stealing McLeach's eggs is one of the most hilarious scenes in animation history.
Especially when Joanna did that "Gimme-gimme-gimme" reaction.🤭
Can we just talk about how hardcore a dude Cody was? Kid wakes up in this gnarly hammock bed to the emergency call of a Kangaroo that he rides, first thing he does is run out and immediately scale this ridiculously tall, steep rock face without any equipment or spotting to free this huge massive golden eagle that almost knocks him to fall to his doom before getting saved by said eagle that allows him to fly like a skydiver without a parachute. Ant that's just in the first five minutes! To say nothing that when he's captured and threatened by MacLeach he shows virtually NO fear and when Marahute gets recaptured he actively works to free her again - like leaping off the cliff to grab hold of the net - again, like fearless. This is even more impressive when you consider that he predates heroes like Simba, Aladdin, The Beast, John Smith, Shang, Tarzan, Quasimodo, or Flynn Rider. By this point, he was basically the most Bada_* of the Disney heroes (no disrespect to Eric or Prince Phillip, but we're talking about like some 8-10 year old who's practically an extreme sport action hero -- like Kevin McCallister would NEVER lol).
Yeah Cody was amazing! If they had actually made a third Rescuers movie, there’s a popular fan opinion that Penny immediately develops a crush on Cody in the story. I love The fan art of them together! They are totally a head cannon Disney pair for me! I don’t care that they haven’t actually met!
@@maxordman4100considering the age of the characters, I'd say you might want to lay off any shipping, they're kids FFS
There’s something about the way Medusa is animated that’s so captivating. I love the art direction for the entire movie but she just takes the cake
She has that cake too... 😏
The fact that her lead animator normally animates animal characters is impressive in itself
No wonder she’s John Kricfalusi’s favorite Disney character of all time.
The combo of strikingly colorful hair,eyes,and lips makes for a very expressive face.
Snoops sort of reminds me of Jason Alexander. He always plays such hateable characters, but they're entertaining and funny and well thought out, and that's totally how Snoops is.
“Jerry! Jerry! The crocs are looking at me funny Jerry!”
Snoops is definitely a Jason Alexander type, I don't want a remake but god forbid it ever happen please cast Jason as snoops its perfect
Now we have casting for the remake! /s?
So, Hugo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame is hated? news to me.
You know, he does remind me of Duckman.
I had always hoped "the Rescuers" would have crossed over with "the great mouse detective"
Edit: As a kid this is just what i wished for, only these two movies together (the specific characters interacting) .....maybe little Olivia (she would be in her 80s) as a elderly character meeting Bianca and Bernard. Maybe she became a detective in honor of Basil and used it to help the society.
@Jonathan Wolfe it was only 1897 in the great mouse detective, while in the rescuers it was 1970. I never believed it could ever happen. But a child hood dream of maybe, little Olivia (who was 8 in the movie) would be in her 80s in 1970. So she could have made an appearance in the Rescuers, with some memories of Basil....maybe even a founder of the rescue aids society (she would have learned some skills from Basil and used it in the society)
@@alishahird897 That reminds me of a fanfic I heard about where Olivia returns to Basil for help 10 years later and becomes a bit of an apprentice to him.
I think the Rescue Rangers would be a lot better. Since the show was based around the first movie.
IIRC they wanted to make such a thing.
I mean, it probably wouldn't be possible given the time differences. But I could see a connected universe where the rescue aid society existed in the 1800's, with Basil getting in the way when he investigates a missing person cases. Maybe he and Dawson have to partner up with tone of their agents to know what is going on. I'm open to the possibilities there.
You know what’s great about these two villains is that they are both realistic, again evil witches and sorcerers don’t exist, but evil wicked child abusers do. Funny enough they’re realistic just like Cruella 😅
Not to mention the Coachman from Pinocchio.
As well as Lady Tremaine , who’s an evil abusive mother/stepmother. And Frollo, who has….a long laundry list of issues.
Even though she is a witch, Mother Gothel has a place here as well. Her only difference is that the reptilian sidekick belongs to her "daughter".
@@dandrelamay8273 don’t forget Sykes from Oliver and Company
evil people driven by greed are also very real. THere'd absolutely be a person in real life who'd kidnap achild to get a diamond, or hunt a rare creature jsut to sell on th black market.
Hmm Snoops being just as bad as Medusa but spineless might actually be another Cruella connection. In the 101 Dalmatians book Cruella has a henpecked husband who is described as "evil and weak" while Cruella is "evil and strong"
Given that Don Bluth worked on The Rescuers before he left Disney, and had many frustrations with the way it was being run, I can't help but wonder if his 1989 movie All Dogs Go to Heaven was his way of beating them at their own game? I mean think about it in both movies, a dynamic duo (Bernard and Bianca/Charlie and Itchy) rescue an orphaned girl (Penny/Anne-Marie) from a greedy villain (Medusa/Carface) exploiting said orphan for a greedy agenda alongside a bumbling spectacle-wearing henchman (Snoops/Killer) in their base of operations, which is an abandoned boat in a swamp. As much as I like both movies (then as now) I still feel All Dogs Go to Heaven was the better, even if it did have more nightmare fuel in my childhood than Rescuers. That Big-Lipped Alligator Moment really took the cake for me in that department more so than Charlie's nightmare.
I thought about this before, but you’re right! The movies are similar. They even both take place in New Orleans.
Both take place in a world where under the right circumstances children can talk to animals.
Also, there were several movies about a society of antropomorphized animals (specially mice) living under the noses of human society, but I can't think of many films where both worlds interacted with one another using dialogue.
@@Alejandroigarabide Don't forget that All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) also had its American take on the Twilight Bark from 101 Dalmatians (1961)
Although I can not deny that The Rescuers is a stabeler film, especially when it came to plot and pacing, I agree its the weaker film. For as weird and messy as All Dogs is, I find it much more unique, entertaining, and thought provoking, compared to the Rescuers, A good movie in its own right, but one that is undeniably safer then All Dogs.
Joanna is pretty interesting as a disney villain sidekick goes. not only is she one of the few that CAN'T talk and thus the one whose comedy mostly comes from splatstick or how she interacts with characters, she's also one of the few if not the only female one. She's also designed pretty gnarly, with a snaggletooth grin and wide round bulging eyes and a fairly sleek and large design overall. She's also pretty physically intimidating, you wouldn't want to see that run to you with its mouth wide open.
Its also notable that she clearly has a fairily positive relationship with McLeach outside of his asbusive moments, the pair do seem to work as a duo and less as a big bad and his stupid sidekick (probably cause they're both not geniuses).
the idea also poppeed into my head of Snoops having the potential to come back as a villain in his own right, maybe becoming crueler and more ambitous after Medusa's scheme failed.
This has made me think I'd love to see more rescuers movies. A new even once in a while could be fun.
I doubt snoops got out of the swamp, he didn't even have a lighter or a knife on him.
I would like to see him get parole, he was technically bad but more duped and dominated by medusa.
McLeach is a vastly underrated villain- truly one of the most brutal. He KNOWS Joanna can understand him- which is a rarity for Disney adults- and yet he's perfectly willing to harm her and kill any other animals.
In ways, it feels like he sees no line between Human and animal- which can be heartwarming if the person sees both Humans and animals as worthy of love and respect, and horrifying if the person doesn't respect either. McLeach is selfish, sadistic, and creepy- and while his brief songs add some grim gallows humor to the scene, he's frightening because *poachers like him are real.* Like Lady Tremaine and Gaston, you know of people like him even if you've never met them in person.
I grew up through the Disney Renaissance, and Rescuers Down Under was one of my most-beloved movies. The score was thrilling and inspiring, but the dastardly villain of McLeach was the perfect foil for daring, gutsy Cody- we have a man with a child's education operating with the most dangerous attitudes a Human can have, versus an actual child with a whole lot of compassion and grit.
Another interesting thing about both Medusa and McLeach is their defeat: both are chased away by Crocodiles/Alligators.
Side note: whenever Medusa talks down to either Penny or Snoops, they briefly freeze in shock, further driving home the connection between her and her Greek mythology namesake.
It’s a shame these villains aren’t better remembered but like you said: Medusa and McCleach are in the shadows of Cruella and Gaston respectively.
George C Scott usually played very stern and seriously characters, so it's surprising to hear how much theatrics he put into his performance as McLeach
Man i love the original Rescuers a lot. It just have a creepy and rainy vibe alongside the cute animals that was very appealing for me as a child, and Madam Medusa was a very good villain too,her brazilian voice actress did a great job on the role.
I completely agree, everyone shrieks it's boring and forgettable when it's anything but, the atmosphere is so eerie and dingy, the swamp medusa resides in just reeks of discomfort, kinda reminds me of the hotel in Eaten Alive (1976)
Preach it's so underated it had this very eerie and somewhat hopeless vibe to it even when theres a scene where its bright out it still has this hopepless feeling to it especially the scene at the orphanage which is a really heartwrenching scene, I always use to watch it at my Nans house it will always have a special place in my heart
Pois é, quando eu era criança fiquei com medo dos dois vilões(mas sempre adorei o nero e o brutus) lol
I LOVE it when Magic Kingdoms references characters from other franchises in dialogue. Like when Honest John mentions Nick from Zootopia, and Jiminy mentions Timon and Pumba.
Me too since i do hope for more Event character or main story characters referencing each other in future updates of that game.
32:20 I have been waiting for someone else to say this about every villain being examples of "it's okay, you had a sad backstory" or "making your mom apologize" and also miss villains who are just... villains, so thank you. Sometimes you just want to cheer as a terrible person with zero excuses gets what's coming.
Edgar could beat Snoops? Them is fighting words haha😅At least Snoops sort of fought after tackling Medusa even though he failed miserably. Also does anyone remember the early days of the internet- Andrew's Villain Page? And the forum there was one poster who had Disney Villain matchups in the style of WWE-- I remember it was Cruella vs. Medusa and it has Cruella trying to suffocate Medusa with cigarette smoke and Snoops trying to intervene before Horace and Jasper come and beat the h__ out of him (then Medusa just sicks Brutus and Nero on them). Then it was Medusa vs. Grimhilde that had the Queen in hag form pelting Medusa with apples who swats the Raven and Vultures away with her walking stick. I remember it literally read "Snoops tries to get involved but Humbert the Huntsman comes out of nowhere and kicks the crap out of him." Fight ended with Medusa accidentally hitting Brutus and Nero with her walking stick and them turning on her again. Good times 🤣🤣the internet was a weird place in the early 2000s
Whoa, that really takes me back. I never visited that site, but I remember a similar page called "Grudge Match," which had fights like Mister Rogers vs Captain Kangaroo. I kind of miss those old wild west days.
I loved the underrated Rescuers films and the villains Madam Medusa and Mcleach are underrated funny, dark and realistic villains. If the Rescuers ever gets remade into film or tv series they should expand on Medusa and McLeech.
Plus if Rescuers does get into a Kingdom hearts game if would be awesome to fight against Medusa and McLeach.
Snoops was hilarious too.
Technically, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers is the Rescuerers Show but with Marketable Disney Characters and replaced Medusa and McLeach with a Fat Cat Crime Lord and a Napoleon Mad Scientist with a bunch of one-off Villains in between.
Yeah, a Medusa-Cruella Devil smackdown would be something to see.
Idk I honestly feel like medusa would kick her ass if we take a non-bias look at it.
Joanna is one of my favorite characters of all time! I loved her so much as a kid and even now
It’s nice to have the sidekicks be female too. Lion King also has one female hyena (although based on hyenas they am should be) but it seems overwise the sidekick villains are male.
It's super hard to believe how Dynamic The Rescuers Down Under is compared to its original film! Or the fact that it even got the green light in the first place! I remember watching that movie in theaters with the prince and the Pauper playing right before it and boy was that an experience I'll never forget when I was six!
The rescuers are underrated and so are the villains. It's also should be noted that chip and dale rescue rangers could have been a rescuers series but that fell through and it became what is today.
As great as Chip and Dale were I sort of wished it was Bernard and Bianca instead, although the villians would have to take a darker Talespin like turn at thatr point for it to work.
ooh a rescuers show would be PERFECT.We'd have a good victim of the week and villain of the week setup and a potentially revolving cast as Bernard and Bianca get help from other members of the rescuers.
In regards to Brutus and Nero, I’m inclined to think they were always meant to be alligators, given the setting. Now, this was a 1977 animated kids movie, and back then, people weren’t particularly worried about brushing up on their zoology when making animated animal movies, hence various sources using “crocodile” and “gator” interchangeably. American alligators can get very big, up to 15-16 feet and some specimens allegedly reached up to 18 feet, and even disregarding that, with this being a 2D animated movie, their size getting embellished for intimidation factor likely just came with the territory, like with the absurdly gigantic bear in The Fox and the Hound. They also have more crocodile-like heads but that’s an incredibly common trope with animated alligators, likely because a crocodile’s narrower head and jagged teeth look more threatening but also lend themselves better to expressive 2D animation.
MY CHILDHOOD!! I had a little kid crush on Marahute. 🥰 I wanted a giant eagle like her so bad!!
Same here! 🙂 In fact I credit this movie with getting me into eagles. I started collecting pictures, statues, etc. and ultimately got to see real eagles at various wildlife centers.
@@mysticwolf75 For the longest time I thought golden eagles were actually that big. 😅
@@jlarkstories Similarly, after they stopped showing the promos in January 1991, that began my lifelong obsession with eagles, and I began looking for pictures and wildlife magazines about them, then started doing my own drawings, and tried to draw Marahute from memory. I thought maybe I was mistaken about her size from the promos because all the eagle info I found said they had an 8 ft wingspan and my memories of the promos was fading. I even wrote my own stories related to Marahute and Cody and she was no bigger than a bald eagle. When I finally got to see the movie in April 1991, I found I was not only wrong about how I was coloring her, I was way off on her size! (You'd think that would have occurred to me, since he was flying on her back in the promos!)
I could watch Percival C. McLeach do anything, he's so much fun to watch and listen to. I think he's a strong contender for Disney's most fun villain, even if he tried to feed a child to crocodiles.
After seeing that Cody was almost an Aboriginal boy, I want that in a Disney movie now. That’s mostly because I want another Disney movie to take place in Australia. Also because the Rescuers Down Under was one of the first Disney movies I ever watched.
If they do a live action remake of this movie, that is one change I will gladly support
dreamworks had an animated movie that takes place in Australia called Larrikins, sadly it got cancelled and became a short.
I would love to see more animated movies take place in Australia, such facinating country and wild life
I would love to see Cody meet Penny and be a couple
Joanna gave us the icconic scene of "Are you eating my eggs?"
George C. Scott who voiced McLeach, also won an Oscar for best actor in Patton, and played as Scrooge in 1984 TV film A Christmas Carol.
I highly recommend the Miss Bianca books by Margery Sharp. Well, the older ones anyway. The quality of the series went down as it went on. That whole thing with the emperor penguin that this video mentioned was...nuts.
Speaking of the video, I was fascinated to see the earlier designs for Medusa and learn about the original allusions to the mythological Medusa. And what this video said about Snoops being just as bad as Medusa but spineless is actually quite close to a quote from the book, The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, about the literary Cruella De Vil's husband.
Man, just imagine if they had adapted Cruella's husband. Heck, why not give Cruella her canon husband from the books in a series.
The Margery Sharp books were the perfect combination of creepy and cosy for kid me.
You know, I always thought that Joanna was only loyal to McLeach because he would shoot her if she tried to leave him. Joanna probably didn't really like working for that jerk, and if I could say what happened to her after the end of the film, I would say she wandered around the outback for a few months before finding a much nicer human to care for and be cared for by. Granted, monitor lizards are intelligent enough to feel boredom, and I imagine Joanna might amuse herself by pulling harmless but annoying(and often elaborate) pranks on her human, but that's how she would be showing him that she likes him.
Or she just ran off to live in the wild.
The Rescuers are an underrated franchise. I enjoyed the first movie so much. Need to see the second one because dang the scenes with the eagle are gorgeous.
Madame Medusa is a villain that someone could know in real life. That comment she said to Penny....If I could, I would punch her. Those words did so much damage than the gators, tide, or Snoops. I kind of feel bad for laughing when the guy said he would be immortalized as a kidnapper. One would think the staff hated him with that, but he was a good sport.
Mr. Leach I can understand why he isn't as marketable as the Disney villains. He is like Rourke from Atlantis, well acted, formidable, but too realistic. Mr. Leach is goofy in some scenes, but he's definitely not a villain that one loves to hate.
Thank you for the retrospective.
John Culhane (RIP) had an unrivaled passion for animation that inspires me to share my knowledge of film with my friends to this day. It’s great that he got to be represented as an animated character twice.
"Wha-Wha-What's up Medusa?! What's going on?!"
"There goes my diamond!"
Thank you for covering McLeach! One of the most underrated Disney Villians ever. For those that imagine a background for him, I think of him as one of those who started out as a generic outback ranger who eventually started to poach because of how much harder the lifestyle turned out to he than he thought. Then he eventually got bored with normal poaching and started going after more legendary creatures.
In some trailers for "Mickey's House of Villains", Medusa was seen but didn't appear in the film itself.
14:14 I don't know I think the Willie Brothers would take the cake as they cant even tell When Slim is in disguise despite putting it on in front of them
Honestly, I think that when it comes to Disney Villains, I'd probably name both Medusa and McCleach in the same spot as a favorite of mine.
Sure, most other Disney villains either have bigger ambitions or accomplish _more_ in their movies...But I honestly think that when it comes to those villains, the Heroes are more or less on _even footing with them._
But with the Rescuers movies...the Protagonists are _kidnapped children_ who are being held hostage, in a very isolated place, with (seemingly) no one coming to help them. It's actually a bit more frightening, because of how asymmetrical the power-dynamic is. Sure, Penny stands up to Snoops, but she's ultimately powerless against Medusa and the Gators. It's clear that Medusa is willing and ready to kill Penny if and once her usefulness is up, but at the end, she lords the threat over them to get away. So she didn't fully go through with it, when she could have...
With McCleach however, there's no illusion and Cody knows that; he knew from the moment McCleach threw his backpack in the water, he was as good as dead if he didn't get away. His only bargaining chip was that McCleach wanted to know where the Eagle was - so as long as Cody held onto that, he had time. He's a smart kid, and knew even after McCleach offered him 50%, he'd just get rid of him afterwards. But the movie implies that McCleach was fully willing to resort to _torture_ had he not thought of the ruse with the Eagle Eggs first.
And then at the end, once McCleach has gotten what he wanted from him, his first priority is to kill the kid, to cover his tracks. And the fact that he takes such sadistic glee from the deed, really is frightening.
I'm astounded at how tough Cody is as a kid. Because in a lot of ways, it's actually impressive that Disney went this far with villains like this. Sure Disney is a family-friendly company, but very few movies have them even make the implications that _the kid_ in each perspective film might be in-danger. So the idea that both protagonists come so close to death in these movies, really shows that these villains are _not to be trifled with._
It's like that scene from The Incredibles, where Helen explains to her children about how the bad-guys they're up against on that island, _aren't like the Saturday Morning Cartoon villains._ They won't hold-back just because they're kids; _they will kill them,_ if they can. To me, that's actually very terrifying. When watching movies like this, it gives a false sense of security and invulnerability to the child-characters. So hinting that they could really be in mortal-peril just hits on a different level.
Both of these villains are seriously underated.
But I have to say mostly McLeach, unlike Ursula, he was actually terrifying in some scenes. One of the scariest Disney villains that has ever been. And he never gets the time of day.
My mom used to LOVE this movie too when I was a kid, and she just adored any scene with Joanna in it. Joanna would just make her laugh so much, especially the egg scene.
I have to agree with my mom. Rescuers Down under is just a HIGHLY under appreciated movie, that's honestly just a better movie than the first one in every way.
And at the time where EVERY new Disney animated movie seemed to get its own television show. It seems a bit of a crime that the Rescuers never got anyway where they could travel across the world and help kids all around the world. I mean it seems really obvious if you think about.
And so does a "The great mouse detective." tely series as... That is basically Sherlock Holmes for kids anyway. So why isn't there a show where Basil and Dawson is solving cases across old London?
Let's hope Cody tells the Rangers about the small menagerie of poached animals still locked up.
My mind is blown learning that The Rescuers down under was from the renascence area, I thought it was a early 2000s direct to video sequel.
@Will N I saw it years ago when I was a kid.
well now i want a villainess comedy duo with cruella and medusa getting thwarted by critters left and right
they meet in jail
I love the Rescuers movies so much. I think I saw I first one when it was re-releases in the 80s as a tiny kid, and I definitely saw the second one was I was 8. Joanna the Goana is probably my all-time favorite villain sidekick, I wish she got more love.
Ooooh I’ve been waiting for this one since the teaser!!!❤
OmG!!! I THOUGHT Mcleaches voice sounded familiar in the singing area! I don’t know why but I always though “Megatron” fsr. NO WONDER
Have you noticed Disney really like the name Penny ? As it appears here Bolt and Proud Family ? Similar Milo for boys as it appears in Atlantis , Fish Hooks , Mars NeedsMom and Murphy Law .
I saw a Rescuers Down Under the theaters. Absolutely loved it! I had no idea they were considering Cruella Deville for the original
6:03 Madame Medusa
12:48 Mr. Snoops
17:14 Brutus and Nero
24:51 Percival C. McLeach
29:18 Joanna
Joanna being so smart makes sense since Goannas (and other Monitor Lizards) are possibly the smartest reptiles around.
This doesn't have to do with villains but I think The Rescuers is unique among Disney movies in that it's not really a love story between Bernard and Bianca. I mean they're clearly attracted to each other, but it's not really a love story. It's more like...romantic tension with no explicit declaration of love. The dramatic emphasis is on them accomplishing their mission, not on them getting together.
But you just know it's a very wholesome relationship and they are couple goals.
I’ve always thought that it was the most realistic romance in any Disney film, which is funny considering it’s two cartoon mice.
I see a lot of accolades for McLeach in these comments, and he's a good villain, don't get me wrong.
But Medusa and her treatment of Penny TERRIFIED me as a little girl. Like can you imagine? You have no parents, and you're kidnapped, and you're with your abusive kidnappers for long enough it seems like no adult you have ever known cares or is coming to rescue you. This lady and her henchman force you regularly into a dark hole where you could absolutely drown and no one would know. The lady goes as far as to scoff at the idea of anyone wanting or loving you, ever. THIS WAS A LOT FOR MY BRAIN AT AGE 5.
The scene where Penny runs away at night and can hear Medusa calling for her is really creepy.
Just watching the video again, and I would love to see the Diamond Duchess character used in an animated film some day. She would make a sadistic and disturbing villain.
I miss the old-school Disney villains. Sometimes I forget that films such as Big Hero 6 and Zootopia even had villains.
Big Hero Six and Zootopia were still pretty good tho.
I'd say its jsutified in zootopia's case at least since it is a mystery movie and said villain actually was a pretty horrible person even with her motive
How did you Forget Big Hero 6 has a Villain? its a Superhero movie for f&*k sake!
@@jaggerguth4391 Because the villain if forgettable.
@@Nonjola what about the Meme " That was his mistake?"
My dad's second wife, in an attempt to bond, once asked me what my favorite Disney movie was. I answered Oliver & Company, it still is my answer.
Her answer? The Rescuers. Madam Medusa is practically the spitting embodiment of that womanmy dad was married to for almost 15 years.
One of the interesting flaws Medusa has as a villain is how obsessive she is. By the time we see her in the film, Penny has already fetched her a sizable fortune in diamonds from the pirate's treasure down below, as Snoops points out to her. But it's all meaningless to her because none of them is the Devil's Eye, and she only wants THAT specific jewel.
Evil cat: Exists in script
Disney cartoonists: "Yeah, let's make it Lucifer again."
RIP John Culhane. Your energy when talking about the making of Disney films will be missed.
For me, the biggest difference between Cruella and Medusa is in the relatability of their objectives. No sane person wants a coat made of puppies. But that diamond? I'd totally be okay with offing orphans if it meant I could get my hands on that.
You forgot to mention that medusa tried to shoot penny when Penny was trying to get the boat started, it just shows that she will not hesitate to straight up murdering a child
Thank you so much for making this! Madam Medusa is my favourite Disney Villain and not many know her!
The Rescuers is definitely a forgotten gem. I would like to see a video taking a detective analysis on how Penny got kidnapped.
John Culhane was a cousin of shamus Culhane A famous golden age animator who worked on Woody woodpecker cartoons in the early 1940s he also worked on the hi ho segment in Snow White and the seven dwarfs
This aged well.... Spoilers
since Snoops, Joanna, McLeach, and Medusa all appear in Once Upon a Studio.
27:09 Now that you mention that that was actually Frank Welker, it actually makes me think more like (the original) Megatron is singing.
I love Medusa as a villain, honestly. And the Rescuers is one of the most intense Disney movies I think. And Medusa has a lot to do with that.
Medusa has no apperance nor offspring in Decedents and yet the coachman gets mentioned as a prisoner for the isle of the lost, and was forced to be one a taxi cab and return any donkies back to human state… as far as I’m aware he has no kid. But considering how both Medusa and Coachman treat children in the respective movies, let’s be greatful they have no offspring other wise we got some kids with REALLY bad paternal issues
The Rescuers Down Under is such a criminally underrated film. It may not be one of the best, but it's a very enjoyable adventure. And McLeach is actually one of my favorite Disney villains.
It's sad that they never made a third Rescuers movie
I remember as a kid watching this with my mom and when Medusa &Snoops started fighting over the Devil's Eye, she turned to me and went,"see that's why it's always important to SHARE..." and even at 6-7 my first reaction was to go (not literally) "yeah, absolutely, if ever I partner with some goober to kidnap an orphan, take her to some remote swamp and force her to go down a deep dark hole in shallow water to dig up diamonds for my criminal operation - all while telling her nobody wants or loves her - if she finds a really big diamond I'll make sure to SHARE with my partner in crime rather than threaten to shoot him and try to maroon them both." LOL Sharing is caring!
It’s a real shame that we don’t have a Rescuers 3! I would love to see a third movie with all the characters together. Cody and Penny would be adorable as a couple. I would love to see the interactions of Mcleash and Medusa. I imagine Medusa would only fake an attraction to Mcleash. She would cozy up to him, until he follows her every order but they betray each other halfway through the story. Bernard and Bianca can have a wedding too. Plus give each couple their own whacky song. Dang I should really make a story out of this. Let me know if anyone else likes these ideas? Thank you for doing these villains videos!
The Rescuers and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh were released the same year, I think this is the first time Disney released two feature length animated movies at once. The Rescuers Down Under is a beautifully animated movie that had the unfortunates to release between the to juggernauts that are The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.
Seeing how Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh combines 3 Pooh shorts from the past into one movie it makes sense why they would be 2 films in 1977 as Disney already made one they just needed to edit it a bit
For a while I didn’t really care about the villains in the first film but this video made me start to warm up to them, mostly because of their entertaining animation and being better than characters like Ratcliffe or Mr “that was his mistake”.
Could you imagine being the Reference model for A Disney villain henchman
I think for most actors, it would be a dream come true just to be IN the movie.
@@ashleightompkins3200 but as a bullying character that’s not what I want to be a reference model for
@@Nick-ty9us then what about characters like Nelson , Lucy Van Pelt and Angelica Pickles ?
I think there's more to that scene than Medusa just being cruel. Although, agreed, it's awful. It feels far more calculated; she can't let Penny go back, diamond or no, because Penny's gonna talk about the abuse
I think Joanna might be in my top three movie villain sidekicks, after Iago and competing with Fidget. She's just funny and it's nice to have a female sidekick for once, even if she's an goannas. She's probably the one I'd most enjoy hanging out with in real life personality wise.
McLeach is also surprisingly fantastic for a sequel (though high budget theatrical) villain. I really like brutes who aren't book smart but ARE legitimately cunning; being able to swing from the goofy butt of a joke to legitimately threatening lends a fantastic range for performance.
Also; I have it in my head-canon that Basil of Bakerstreet is one of the founding members of the Rescue Aid Society, and the Rescue RANGERS are a freelance branch. Think about it! It just makes sense! XD
An underrated pair of movies with a great pair of villains! I absolutely loved McLeach and Joanna when I watched The Rescuers: Down Under as a kid!
Really excited for the Amos Slade vid! The Fox and the Hound is another of my favourites from this era of Disney!
You know now that we’ve gotten to the first feature-length animated theatrical sequel this made me realize how awkward the other films in that category are going to be, like Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Frozen 2, I mean here with The Rescuers Down Under we at least have a villain to talk about unlike the two modern day sequel films that have little to nothing in that department to talk about, it also made me realize with Moana Tamatoa is going to be doing most of the heavy lifting when we get to that film, and with Encanto there’s really absolutely nothing too big to talk about, considering I don’t see Collins Lookback finding too much to say about the Columbian Soldiers let alone finding enough material to justify making an entire video about them.
This just proves how much of a problem Disney has with villains these days considering once we hit where we are today in this retrospective it’s going to make for a very awkward couple of videos!
It's the third or second with Fantasia 2000 and if you count it Winnie the Pooh 2011 but your right in everything else
Really love your summary at the end there. These villains are exactly what they need to be for their films. Great work as always!
Madame Medusa also was in the House of Mouse as one of the audience.
Yeah but we never saw her face and it was reused animation , at least Crulla appeared more spoke the only human from 101 Dalamtions to do so and was a main player in House of Villains
Even though I've never watched the rescuers, i really enjoyed this video.
Btw i recommend looking at Cardinal West's (small YTer focused on fiction about non-anthropomorphic animals) videos on Fox and the Hound, which analyses the interesting themes of the original novel and the adaptation process which largely seemed to use another book entirely.
Now it could just be me but do snoops and medusa remind you of Danny Devito and Rhea Pearlman in Matilda?
The only missed opportunity within the story of TRDU, is not showing a reunion between Cody and his Mother. Even if it was in painted stills in credits, the lady already lost her husband, has a huge cotton farm to manage, and her son disappears and is assumed killed by crocodiles! Give her a break!!
I thought it was kind of weird they never showed that either when they showed her being worried about him earlier.
These movies are totally underrated, especially Down Under. Madame Medusa, McLeach, and Snoops are all very realistic villains compared to the rest of Disney’s Rogues Gallery, and their reptilian sidekicks are just plain fun to watch, especially Joanna. As a kid, I always dreamed of a Rescuers TV show. All those nifty gadgets, the mouse version of the UN, and the RAS relay network were just too good to waste!
I remember watching Rescuers Down Under from the library as a kid, and i though Joanna and MacLeach were hilarious.
I also like that hes not the every constant "evil hunter" and is an out and out poacher.
Rescuers Down Under is a really nostalgic movie to me, seeing these little snippets reminds me how amazing it's animated. I want to rewatch these movies again :)
Very fun video! These retrospectives are a joy to watch and I love how deep you dig. Can't wait for the next one!
Why am I not surprised that it was Katzenburg’s idea to whitewash Cody…?😒😒😒
@Will N Seems like a poor excuse. What, was Cody gonna be running around in a loincloth or something? Most Aboriginals live in the cities and, for better or worse, are totally modernized. Just have Cody be the same exact character but Aboriginal. All they had to do.
Katzenberg also thought it was a great idea to give the Australian kid an American accent, so there ya go.
Fun fact! Just like how Disney thought of bringing Cruella back in “The Rescuers”, they considered bringing Penny back in “Oliver and Company” They were originally gonna have Penny (now living with her adopted parents) be the one to adopt Oliver the cat, but then decided not to (bummer) so they made the character Jenny instead.
I can't remember if you've touched on it before for some of the past villains, but if you haven't, in the catch up video I think it would be really cool for you to talk about the appearances villains have in the Disney Villainous board game.
Adding to the similarities between Medusa and Cruella, her relationship with Snoops is similar to Cruella and her husband from the original Dalmatians book. Medusa is strong and bad; Snoops is weak and bad.
Joanna!
Love those movies, especially Downunder. That has some great characters and designs~
Thank you so much for putting this video up! The Rescuers movies are some of my favorite Disney animated movies growing up! I love pirates, and the size difference between a civilization of humans to mice was so fun to me! The scariest part of the first movie was that regurgitating Black Hole in the small pirates cave, while McLeach was the scariest in the second! Plus, I LOVE eagles and to be able to travel around the world! For me, there was something awe-inspiring about these movies, about how you're never too small to do something great, and how 'Faith makes things turn out right'! ^^
Welcome back!
So this is our first foray into the Disney Renaissance, even if it’s for a sequel.
The Rescuers was the first movie I really watched when I was younger, and I honestly like the both secondary villains. Reason is because both are hilarious.
Though, I must admit after watching the recent video interview I would have loved seeing that moment Penny comes out of the water as the tide comes in, since it would make the scene more dramatic and meaningful.
Penny meeting Cody later would have been quite interesting if they thought of it, or even her appearing in Oliver & Company, since it was stated we would see how she's doing, and I can almost see her and Jenny getting along.
27:10 The audiobook read along of Rescuers Down Under surprisingly has George C Scott singing the song, it’s not the Welker lines at all. I’m guessing they used the first take before Scott had enough. It’s on Spotify at the 14:24 mark
Some considerations for McCleach were Jack Palance, Clint Eastwood, and Paul Hogan, famous for creating and playing Crocodile Dundee, whose trademark hat McCleach's is obviously inspired by.