"An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" (1991), this movie has an interesting backstory, for me. One day, during inside recess in first grade, we watched this film. Now, of course, we didn't watch the whole entire thing at once. We finished the movie the next day. I remember really enjoying it a lot! Although, to be honest, I completely forgot about this film until just a couple of days ago. I was just browsing through YouTube, and a clip from this movie popped up. As soon as I saw the video thumbnail, I recognized it right away. I said to myself: "wait, this looks familiar. I might have seen this before!" So, I watched the clip, and then all of a sudden it felt like I was in first grade again. Surprisingly, it really holds up well to this day! "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" has a fun yet emotional storyline, stellar voice acting, great animation and also a phenomenal soundtrack to tie it all together. The plot is, Fievel's family move west, unaware that they're being tricked into a trap. Before I go into any extra details, here's a funny story. When I was looking up the spoiler-free synopsis for this film, I realized that it was a sequel. I had thought it was the original movie in this franchise! Well, I have no idea why our teacher skipped the first one and just went straight into this one. Turns out that there are four films in this series. How about that? It's unlikely I'll be watching the other three movies, before you all say anything. Because, it'd be weird as an adult to voluntarily watch them! Any way, let's get back to this review. The whole plot of a family seeking a better life has been done multiple times in the world of cinema. But, the way it's handled in this film is unique. Our main character, Fievel, winds up separated from his family as they approach their destination. From there, he goes out on his own adventure while seeking out his family. I won't go into any extra details about the story, but I assure you, it's one of those storylines that'll stick with you for years. Especially if you see it as a child! Although, being that it's a family movie, I still think anyone at any age can enjoy it and be satisfied. As for the voice acting, it's nothing short of stellar from the whole entire voice cast. All of them fire on all cylinders with their performances! However, the biggest standouts are: Phillip Glasser as Fievel, Cathy Cavadini as Tanya and Dom DeLuise as Tiger. Those three steal the show! But, one performance that I really remember, is where Cathy Cavadini sings "Dreams to Dream" as the voice of Tanya. For some reason, that's the most memorable part of this film. I'll go into more details about that song in just a moment. Any way, the voice work in this movie is exceptional and the cast really helps bring their respectable characters to life! The animation in this movie is nothing short of stunning. One thing that I always say is, 2D animation beats 3D animation any day! Finally, the soundtrack composed by James Horner is phenomenal. His film score sets the perfect tone for the story! Usually, if James Horner is the one composing the soundtrack for a movie, you're in for a treat and this film is no exception. But, like I said earlier, the song "Dreams to Dream", performed by Cathy Cavadini as Tanya is easily the biggest standout song of the movie. It's easily one of the top ten most emotional songs I've ever heard in any animated film. Cathy Cavadini really knocks it out of the park. What a fantastic singing voice! Just typing about that song is getting me emotional. Had someone else sung that song, it may not have had the same impact. Props to you, Cathy Cavadini! All of the songs are incredible, well-done, James Horner! "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" is a charming family movie. I'm surprised that I forgot about it until just a couple of days ago! To tell you the truth, it still holds up to this day and it's a real classic. Of course, I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars on my scale, which equates to 10 out of 10 IMDB stars. If you haven't seen "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" yet, what are you waiting for? Go and check it out! Although, I feel compelled to remind you all that it's a sequel and not the original film. As I mentioned, I may check out the other three movies. But, for now, I am happy to have done a review for this film. Go watch it today, or else you may fall into the evil cats' sinister traps!
