‘Fievel Goes West’ is a treasure
PHOTO PROVIDED Fievel Mousekewitz (Phillip Glasser), center, with his friend Tiger (Dom Deluise) and law dog Wylie Burp (James Stewart) in a still from “An American Tale: Fievel Goes West.”
I was originally going to review a somewhat mediocre slasher film from the early 2000s this week. If you’re curious about that one you’ll have to wait awhile (since I’d already had it written before this review came to be).
My mind changed when I was skimming the movies I could purchase for under $5 on Fandango Tuesday night. It was there I found a movie I haven’t watched since I was little… 1991’s “An American Tale: Fievel Goes West.”
Technically this is the second film in the series released by Universal Pictures and produced by none other than Steven Speilberg. The first, “An American Tale,” followed the Mousekewitz family — Fievel (Phillip Glasser), his sister Tanya (Cathy Cavadini) and their Mama, Papa and baby sister — as they journeyed from Russia to America in the late 1880s.
In “Fievel Goes West” the family has made a home in New York City. Although living in squalor, Fievel dreams of adventure out west with famous law dog Wylie Burp (James Stewart). Meanwhile his parents struggle to keep dinner on the table.
One night, a gang of cats lead by Cat R. Waul (John Cleese) destroys the mouse community they live in. The family soon find themselves in the sewers where a suspiciously upbeat mouse cowboy convinces his fellow mice to take tickets from him to go out west to a beautiful town called Green River.
While on the train to Green River, Fievel accidentally learns of Cat R. Waul’s plot to bring the mice out west to make them into “mouse burgers.” The evil feline allows Fievel to go but sends his psychotic spider T.R. Chula (Jon Lovits) to throw him from the train.
But Fievel isn’t down for the count. With the help of his vegetarian cat friend Tiger (Dom DeLuise) and none other than Wylie Burp himself, he plans to defeat Cat R. Waul and stop his evil plot.
I’m pretty sure this movie is why I prefer dogs over cats and also why I’m terrified of spiders.
Watching this movie on Tuesday night brought back so much nostalgia for me. I was surprised when I was able to quote it nearly word for word at times and sing along to its many catchy songs.
With a relatively short run time of an hour and 15 minutes, it’s good for my sometimes short attention span and has a great story line. It also includes more than one positive message.
From learning to be as brave as Fievel, getting back in the saddle like Wylie Burp, overcoming your fears like Tiger or following your dreams like Tanya there’s something for everyone.
Maybe it’s just the fond memories I have of watching this film, but I disagree with critics. Many say it was too fast paced with far too many story lines to follow. It’s pretty disappointing to hear that. If I could follow and understand the plot of this movie at five and below then I would have thought a grown adult would be able to.
Enough shading critics though. To each their own I suppose.
If you’re looking for something to watch with the kids, or even want to watch a classically animated movie then give “Fievel Goes West” a chance.
It’s rated G and can be viewed on YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, Apple TV, Vudu and Amazon Prime.
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Laura Jameson is a staff reporter for The Express.




