It’s another slow day in the film news world, so I’m going with the usual standby, complaining once again about another beloved bunch of classic characters being reincarnated as CG poop-eaters. I never like to use phrases like “is nothing sacred,” but I was awfully close to shouting the words after reading in The Hollywood Reporter that Paramount is planning another film out of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH using a blend of live-action and animation (probably CG).

It’s not just the comparisons to popular CG-rodent movies like box office champs G-Force and Alvin and the Chipmunks that hurt me most. Nor was it the dreaded premonition that Fievel will be next. The worst thing about this is that it comes so soon after we lost Dom DeLuise, who provided the voice of Jeremy the crow in Don Bluth’s great adaptation The Secret of NIMH (as well as its direct-to-video sequel). And if that’s not enough, Bluth probably nearly died when he heard the news, too. As long as Hollywood is going after something of his, couldn’t it at least be one of the video games, instead? Either a Dragon’s Lair or Space Ace movie would be really cool. Even in CG!

Oh well. I guess we don’t have to watch, right? Let’s see what the rest of the film bloggers are saying about their childhoods being ruined after the jump:

• Cole Abaius at Film School Rejects shares his childhood experience with the first movie:
  

  When I was young, about the age that I started tying my shoelaces for myself, I had a ritual of sorts. This ritual in two parts involved me getting sick and then watching The Secret of NIMH on VHS while laying on the floor in front of the television. I’ve probably seen it at least a dozen times and own a copy on DVD now. Essentially, it’s the filmic version of chicken pot pie for me – cinematic comfort food that always makes me feel better.

• Elisabeth Rappe at MTV Movies Blog also shares a childhood story and questions the studio’s hybrid format plans:
  

  One of my weirdest obsessions as a wee lass was Don Bluth’s 1982 animated film “The Secret of NIMH.” I must have watched it dozens of times on television and was impressed enough by its humble rodent cast to read the book it was based on…Oddly, the studio is said to be contemplating a live action and CG hybrid like the recent hit “G-Force.” That doesn’t make a lot of sense as there simply aren’t many elements that need to be live action. The entire cast is made up of animals, while the few humans are portrayed as shadowy and menacing figures.

• Kristal Clark at ScreenCrave is OK with CG, just not when it hurts our childhoods:
  

  Once again my childhood has decided to rear it’s ugly head…Even though I respect the advancements we’ve made in technology, I am seriously starting to miss the old days of hand drawn animation. That’s why I’m so excited about the release of The Princess and the Frog, because even though it’s not CGI it still looks amazing.

• Sean at Film Junk is OK with new versions of classics, just not when they’re compared to certain movies:
  

  While I can appreciate that they are doing something a little different with the material, I can’t help but turn up my nose every time I hear someone mention Alvin & the Chipmunks as a point of reference for a new film.

• Noel Murray at A.V. Club is all for this remake:
  

  Don Bluth’s 1982 animated adaptation The Secret Of NIMH added elements of magic in an attempt to cash-in on the then-hot fantasy genre, at the expense of O’Brien’s larger themes. So for once it may be good news that a well-liked old movie is being considered for a remake…Here’s hoping that they leave out the swordfights and enchanted amulets this time.

• Dustin Rowles at Pajiba will have no childhood memories squashed by this remake, and he explains the good business sense behind the idea:
  

  I never actually saw the original because I was seven when it came out, and I had more important things to do, like play Pac-man, run from Johnny Law, and bed the ladies of my second-grade class. I busted a lot of caps in asses that year, and I didn’t have time for cartoon rats.

  All of which is to say: If Hollywood wants to remake NIMH, you won’t find any objections from me. And why not? Rodents are more popular than Twitter these days. Kids love rabies-infected vermin! G-Force was the number one film over the weekend; Ratatouille was a big hit two years ago; The Fantastic Mr. Fox is due out at year’s end; and it’s only a matter of time before Caddyshack’s Gopher gets his own spin-off.

• Mark at I Watch Stuff has hopes for the new version, including a sub for DeLuise:
  

  Hopefully this version will stick closer to the book and its more serious, allegorical themes. Or at least get Robin Williams to the voice of the crow, and have a part where he gets hit in the balls and it makes his voice really high. Either would be enjoyable.

• S.T. VanAirsdale at Movieline mentions another name who’d actually be great as Jeremy:
  

  Your eighth or ninth favorite animated film growing up is set to get the G-Force treatment: The animated 1982 adaptation of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH…Surely Zach Galifianakis will feature in here somewhere as well.

And finally Merrick at Aint It Cool News reminds us that we can watch Bluth’s version of NIMH on Hulu: