Walt Disney Animation experienced an interesting era between 1970 and 1989 in which the studio began taking more risks with the films that they had released. Following the end of the “classical” era, but before the beginning of the “renaissance,” Disney started to produce slightly edgier, darker films that tackled more adult themes, such as Robin Hood, The Fox and the Hound, The Sword in the Stone, and The Great Mouse Detective, among others. While The Rescuers is not always considered to be on the same level as Who Framed Roger Rabbit or Oliver & Company, it's a surprisingly entertaining heist adventure that showed Disney’s willingness to make an action-heavy heist adventure. The Rescuers benefited from the gloriously villainous Madame Medusa, who is easily one of the most underrated characters in Disney’s entire canon thanks to the terrific voice work by Geraldine Page.
Who Is Madame Medusa in ‘The Rescuers?'
The Rescuers centers on Bernard (Bob Newhart) and Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor), two members of the Rescue Aid Society who are sent on dangerous missions to rescue those that have been abducted. Madame Medusa is a ruthless pawn-shop owner who becomes obsessed with finding the Devil’s Eye diamond and even goes out of her way to kidnap the orphan Penny (Michelle Stacy) in order to complete her quest. Although she is deathly terrified of mice, Medusa has two dangerous crocodiles on her side and uses her assistant Mr. Snoops (Joe Flynn) to lure the Rescuers into a trap. Although other treasures are mentioned throughout the film, Medusa is so singularly focused on finding the Devil’s Eye that she is willing to put all of the heroes in harm’s way in order to retrieve it.
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Disney villains have a knack for stealing the show with their unforgettable lines and devilish charm.
Medusa was a surprisingly mature villain with a realistic motivation, which differentiated her from more over-the-top characters, such as the Evil Stepmother in Cinderella or the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Although Medusa does take some sick delight in tormenting the Rescuers that stand in her way, she is motivated purely by greed and isn’t interested in making any sort of deal to split the treasure. While her obsession with the Devil’s Eye does occasionally cloud her judgment, Medusa is quite intelligent and even stages an elaborate plan in order to let Penny discover the treasure. She also shows no loyalty to any of the allies that work alongside her, which makes her actions far more unpredictable; this makes her the perfect nemesis for The Rescuers to face off against, as they value teamwork and comradery above almost everything else.
Madame Medusa Deserves More Credit as a Disney Villain
Medusa was a very dynamic Disney villain who was able to mask her darker intentions by appearing to be more friendly; it is easy to see how this could have inspired other Disney villains in the subsequent decades, such as Ursula in The Little Mermaid or Mother Gothel in Tangled. Disney villains are often matched with quirky sidekicks or given idiosyncrasies that add an element of comedy, but Medusa is treated rather seriously, which makes the story more intense. Beyond the fact that she literally towers over the other characters, the prospect of a cruel charlatan who targeted both animals and children offered a far more plausible threat than other animated films at the time. The degree to which Medusa has plotted her quest forces the members of the Rescue Aid Society to be more inventive in their attempts to recover Penny, which results in a more intelligent and thrilling adventure.
Madame Medusa isn’t given the credit she deserves when compared to other Disney villains, which may unfortunately be because the film itself has not been heralded as one of the studio’s greatest hits; while other Disney animated classics have been introduced to new audiences thanks to theme park attractions, spinoffs, and live-action remakes, The Rescuers franchise has been largely stagnant. Some may argue that Rescuers Down Under is a superior sequel, but its antagonist Percival McLeach was a much broader and less interesting villain. Medusa is nasty, surprisingly intelligent, and genuinely disturbing in her intentions; perhaps, the fact that so many young viewers wanted to forget her is the secret to why she is such a great villain.
The Rescuers
- Release Date
- June 22, 1977
- Runtime
- 77 Minutes
- Director
- Wolfgang Reitherman, Art Stevens
Cast
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Eva Gabor -
Geraldine Page
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