This week on Film Score Friday, we listen to the score from The Rescuers Down Under. Bruce Broughton wrote the score for this 1990 film. This one, we readily admit, is from left field. It's a Disney sequel to a movie that very few people saw. Broughton passed up the opportunity to score Home Alone to be attached to an animated Disney film. While not a box office success and a mediocre film, Broughton did some great work here.
This was unique territory for an animated Disney feature. They chose to have all orchestral music with no songs. In other words, no dancing ferrets sing an up tempo song to encourage the protagonist and outline their struggle. Instead, Broughton uses some great themes to craft a great programmatic score that can be appreciated by adults but is also accessible to kids to help identify the characters.
The beginning of the score has a real overture feel. The adventure theme he later outlines is carried throughout the score and really carries the soaring lines Broughton puts together so well.