An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)

Some folks complain that this movie doesn't equal to the original and they are right. It isn't as heart-warming, it isn't as dark and the voice and animation style is noticeably different. It relies heavily on sight gags and less on plot.

That being said, I find very little wrong about those issues. I have a very hard time really pining down a solid plot for the first movie to begin with, since it's just a series of a scenes featuring Fievel just barely missing chances to re-unite with his family. In the second movie, he has a more pointed mission: to successfully warn/protect the mice from yet another self-appointed "sophisticate".

The original movie was good and gave kids a glimpse into an important part of our history (immigration) but the theme was too slow and depressing to carry the full weight of two movies.

The second movie, in addition to snappy animation and clever gags, brought on another 19th century mind-set, the prospect of the west and a future of not only being in America, but being a PART of America itself.

Overall, despite this movie's differences from the original, it is still charming and a great deal higher in quality than other sequels.

And let's be honest, what little boy doesn't dream about fighting alongside his hero?

Fmovies: This episodic sequel to "An American Tail" is worth seeing if for nothing more than to hear James Stewart's voice as Sheriff Wylie Burp. Stewart is my favorite actor of the past times, and it's always a delight to hear him. The rest of the movie is mediocre and forgettable at best. Some people thought it was an improvement over the first film, but I wonder why? Sure, the original was sentimental and predictable, but it had the classic song "Somewhere Out There" written by James Horner, and also a much better, straight-forward story. The second movie seems more of a Saturday-morning cartoon style western comedy. There's very little story or heart. I guess more people prefer the light-heartedness of this movie than the sentimentality of the first. Now I won't knock this movie for some who like it, but I wish the first film was more appreciated by people. See this only for James Stewart's voice. Note: I also liked the main character of Fievel better as an immigrant from the first movie.

I wasn't a huge fan of the original 'An American Tail', but with my curiosity for animated films, I took a look at the sequel, the film I'm reviewing now.

All the voice actors are back, the music, the animation looks pretty damn similar too, but one thing is gone, the director. Don Bluth was replaced by Simon Wells, in his directorial debut. As someone who finds Simon Wells' films to be enjoyable but not top notch (especially in the writing department), this is exactly what we get here.

Many people will complain that there are very few plot similarities to the original, this is true, the film's plot is nothing like the original, which I thought was a good thing in my opinion.

The characters I found to be much more memorable compared to the original, including the villain, played by John Cleese. Dom DeLuise returns as tiger and is much more funny and less annoying than in the original. Feivel the mouse continues to have a lack of a real character but I still thought he was an improvement to the original, possibly because of his maturing voice actor.

The film does not contain nearly the same dark elements as the original, but in my opinion, is more funnier and more fun. The songs are either catchy or not at all, the films signature song 'Dreams to Dream', is as good or possibly better as the original's 'Somewhere out there'. The score by James Horner is a treat, just like the original.

All real complaints come from the writing, there are small plot holes, a pointless subplot revolving around Feival's sister Tanya, and sometimes the plot seems a little too convenient.

Kids will probably like the film, fans of the original may or may not, I personally rate it lower than the original, but by not too much.

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West fmovies. This movie bring me back to childhood! And is one of the reasons I fell in love with film making itself.

This movie can be shared amongst generations to come, for it does not fall short of the American Dream, and what it takes to obtain it! For a cartoon, the characters are real life, the drama, personalities and more.

The journey is what truly captures each viewer, for we all have a journey we seek, and attempt to conquer.

Through diversity, a story is created, as well as an adventure to be shared. I spent times laughing, crying, and looking for my own adventure to discover growing up. And that is what makes this movie relatable, enjoyable, unforgettable.

For whatever reason, The American Tail films were two of the films I was brought up on. I still own both of them on video and still watch them from time to time. In most ways, this sequel is worse than the original. The brief story of Feivel being separated and lost from his family again is really underplayed in comparison to the first one, which revolved purely around this plot. In Feivel Goes West it's almost as though the family are a bit blasé about losing their only son. It's also hard to top the musical score of the first one. There is a repeat singing of "Somewhere Out There" that is rudely cut short but without the whole song, it doesn't have the same warming effect. The feature song of this film, "Dreams to Dream" is very beautiful, however it and the other songs of FGW can't match up to those of AAT.

Despite these flaws, there is quite a lot more to enjoy in this film. If you're a fan of westerns as I am, you will enjoy an animated take on the theme, particularly the very enjoyably cartoonist showdown at the end. Secondly, the voice cast of FGW is far superior to that of AAT. Not content with Dom DeLuise as the loveable cat Tiger, they add to that cast for the sequel the likes of John Cleese, Amy Irving, Jon Lovitz and none other than the great James Stewart himself playing the sheriff of a one-horse western town. They're all impeccably cast and pull off a wonderful job.

All this said and done, is the sequel better or worse? I have to say I think it's completely equal. Still the same level of childish fun and heartwarming moments, wonderful voice talents and great musical score. Definitely worth showing your kids. ***1/2 / *****

If you ask me, this is an excellent sequel for all ages that will warm your heart! When Tiger (voice of Dom DeLuise) got dumped, I wanted to cry. Although some of the characters were diabolical, I liked everybody. Well, it's hard to say which character was my favorite. If I had to choose, I'd probably choose Tiger, although the mice were good too. The music was good, everyone was cast perfectly, and the direction was flawless. In conclusion, I highly recommend this excellent sequel for all ages that will warm your heart to anyone who hasn't seen it. You're in for a real treat and a good time, so go to the video store, rent it or buy it, kick back with someone close to you, and watch it.