Movie · 1991 · Animation, Family, Western, Adventure, Comedy · 1h 15m · G · English
Curator score: 3.4/10 (59.3K ratings)
Look out pardners, there's a new mouse in town!
Overview
Some time after the Mousekewitz's have settled in America, they find that they are still having problems with the threat of cats. That makes them eager to try another home out in the west, where they are promised that mice and cats live in peace. Unfortunately, the one making this claim is an oily con artist named Cat R. Waul who is intent on his own sinister plan.
Phillip Glasser, James Stewart, Erica Yohn, Cathy Cavadini, Nehemiah Persoff, Dom DeLuise, Amy Irving, John Cleese, Jon Lovitz, Jack Angel, Fausto Bara, Vanna Bonta, Philip L. Clarke, Jennifer Darling, Annie Holliday, Sherry Lynn, Lev Mailer, Mickie McGowan, Larry Moss, Nigel Pegram
Curator Review
Verdict
A lively, fast-moving sequel with real charm, a strong comic villain, and a few standout set pieces, but it’s also more scattershot and less emotionally resonant than the original. The western parody energy, James Stewart’s final performance, and the broad animation comedy give it lasting appeal, even if the story feels more disposable than essential.
Best for
families looking for a brisk animated adventure
fans of 90s studio animation
viewers who like western parody and animal comedies
people curious about James Stewart’s final film role
Skip if
you want the emotional depth of the first An American Tail
you dislike broad slapstick and cartoonish sequel energy
you prefer polished Disney-style musical animation
you’re not in the mood for a lighter, more episodic story
Overview
This sequel trades the immigrant-fable melancholy of the original for a more playful western adventure, and that shift is both its biggest strength and its biggest weakness. The movie is faster, sillier, and more gag-driven, with a memorable villain and a handful of genuinely funny bits that keep it moving. It also has a surprising amount of personality in the supporting characters and visual design.
Worth noting
What it loses in emotional weight, it partly makes up for in sheer entertainment value. The western setting gives the film a distinct identity, and the comic timing is often better than you’d expect from a family sequel of this era. James Stewart’s final role adds an unexpected note of warmth and nostalgia, even if the film around him is mostly built for broad kid-friendly chaos.
Bottom line
If you loved the first film for its heart, this one may feel like a downgrade. But if you’re open to a looser, more comedic spin-off-style sequel, there’s enough invention here to make it worthwhile. It’s not essential viewing, but it is a pleasant, occasionally inspired detour.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Angela Ferraguto (2★) · 144 likes
Today in realizing movies were never good you've just seen them roughly x8000 times. John Cleese is so horny for the mouse sister and her little 90s mouse bangs??? A choice???
We stan The Lazy Eye tho
Tyler Burnett (2.5★) · 112 likes
holy fucking shit the absolute madmouse actually did it. fievel went west
Kaijuman (3.5★) · 62 likes
Jamedy: Comedy Through the Ages1 animated film - An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
“Just remember Fievel, one man's sunset is another man's dawn. I don't know what's out there beyond those hills. But if you ride yonder... head up, eyes steady, heart open... I think one day you'll find that you're the hero you've been looking for.” - James Stewart’s final lines
Fievel Goes West is a zany fast-paced comedy that keeps the emotional core of the original,… more
that Hallow33n shit (3★) · 60 likes
Jimmy Stewart unleashes every dog idiom in existence over the span of about ten seconds. This was his last movie, and it's kind of sad to hear his weary voice. His last line spoken on film:
"Just remember, Fievel – one man’s sunset is another man’s dawn. I don’t know what’s out there beyond those hills. But if you ride yonder… head up, eyes steady, heart open… I think one day you’ll find that you’re the hero you’ve been looking for."
BenDavid Grabinski (5★) · 53 likes
Wylie fucking Burp!
Horner def reused some of his HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS stuff.
I hadn’t seen this in thirty years so I had no clue this version of “Rawhide” was the same one from THE BLUES BROTHERS.