Nice Mice: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''"I cannot imagine mice as the embodiment of evil. Mice are such charming little creatures, and it is not by accident that [[Mickey Mouse]] became an absolutely universal hero."''|'''Andrey Konchalovskiy''' on why he changed the Mouse King to [[You Dirty Rat|the Rat King]] in his adaptation of ''[[The Nutcracker (Theatre)|The Nutcracker]]''}}
{{quote|''"I cannot imagine mice as the embodiment of evil. Mice are such charming little creatures, and it is not by accident that [[Mickey Mouse]] became an absolutely universal hero."''|'''Andrey Konchalovskiy''' on why he changed the Mouse King to [[You Dirty Rat|the Rat King]] in his adaptation of ''[[The Nutcracker (theatre)|The Nutcracker]]''}}


[[You Dirty Rat|Unlike rats]], mice are often portrayed as nice and heroic even though they are common household pests.
[[You Dirty Rat|Unlike rats]], mice are often portrayed as nice and heroic even though they are common household pests.
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== [[Comic Books]] ==
== [[Comic Books]] ==
* In Art Spiegelman's ''[[Maus (Comic Book)|Maus]]'', a narrative of the author's father's struggle to survive the Holocaust, the Jews are drawn as mice. [[Cats Are Mean|Nazis are drawn as cats]], and the Allied troops (particularly Americans) are drawn as dogs.
* In Art Spiegelman's ''[[Maus]]'', a narrative of the author's father's struggle to survive the Holocaust, the Jews are drawn as mice. [[Cats Are Mean|Nazis are drawn as cats]], and the Allied troops (particularly Americans) are drawn as dogs.


== Film -- Animated ==
== Film -- Animated ==
* The mice in ''[[Cinderella (Disney)|Cinderella]]'' are not just nice, they are ultimately responsible for helping Cinderella's dream come true.
* The mice in ''[[Cinderella (Disney film)|Cinderella]]'' are not just nice, they are ultimately responsible for helping Cinderella's dream come true.
* Roquefort from ''[[The Aristocats (Disney)|The Aristocats]]''
* Roquefort from ''[[The Aristocats]]''
* The mice in ''[[The Rescuers (Disney)|The Rescuers]]'' and ''[[The Rescuers Down Under]]'' are nice.
* The mice in ''[[The Rescuers (Disney film)|The Rescuers]]'' and ''[[The Rescuers Down Under]]'' are nice.
* Same with most of the mice from ''[[The Great Mouse Detective (Disney)|The Great Mouse Detective]]''. The villain, Ratigan, [[Averted Trope|was definitely a mouse]] in the books, however. But this is somewhat more dubious in the movie, though he vehemently denies being a rat.
* Same with most of the mice from ''[[The Great Mouse Detective]]''. The villain, Ratigan, [[Averted Trope|was definitely a mouse]] in the books, however. But this is somewhat more dubious in the movie, though he vehemently denies being a rat.
** Basil [[Good Is Not Nice|may not be nice, but he's still good]].
** Basil [[Good Is Not Nice|may not be nice, but he's still good]].
* Fievel and the mice from the ''[[An American Tail (Animation)|An American Tail]]'' movies are all nice. They're also stand-ins for poor oppressed minorities in the human world.
* Fievel and the mice from the ''[[An American Tail]]'' movies are all nice. They're also stand-ins for poor oppressed minorities in the human world.
** The villains from the third movie are also mice, however.
** The villains from the third movie are also mice, however.


== Film -- Live Action ==
== Film -- Live Action ==
* ''[[Mousehunt (Film)|Mousehunt]]'''s mouse counts, but it's a more blurred example due to [[Alternate Character Interpretation]]. Obviously the audience is supposed to feel sorry for him, being hunted so ruthlessly by two humans, but he outsmarts them so often that it's clear he's not an ordinary mouse. So, if he's capable of understanding that, perhaps he's capable of understanding what a nuisance he is to two humans who consider the house their property.
* ''[[Mousehunt (film)|Mousehunt]]'''s mouse counts, but it's a more blurred example due to [[Alternate Character Interpretation]]. Obviously the audience is supposed to feel sorry for him, being hunted so ruthlessly by two humans, but he outsmarts them so often that it's clear he's not an ordinary mouse. So, if he's capable of understanding that, perhaps he's capable of understanding what a nuisance he is to two humans who consider the house their property.


== [[Literature]] ==
== [[Literature]] ==
* The mouse in Aesop's fable ''[[wikipedia:The Lion and the Mouse|The Lion and the Mouse]]'' makes this trope [[Older Than Feudalism]].
* The mouse in Aesop's fable ''[[wikipedia:The Lion and the Mouse|The Lion and the Mouse]]'' makes this trope [[Older Than Feudalism]].
* In ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]'', mice is the most [[Badass]] race, and the only race that gets a racial storyline of its own. All other races of talking animals are given speech as a divine gift at [[The Magicians Nephew|the dawn of time]]. The mice, however, are so small and insignificant that they are overlooked by [[Crystal Dragon Jesus|Aslan]] himself. However...
* In ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]'', mice is the most [[Badass]] race, and the only race that gets a racial storyline of its own. All other races of talking animals are given speech as a divine gift at [[The Magicians Nephew|the dawn of time]]. The mice, however, are so small and insignificant that they are overlooked by [[Crystal Dragon Jesus|Aslan]] himself. However...
** Moving on to ''[[The Lion the Witch And The Wardrobe]]'', the mice ''earn'' their rank among the ascended animals by making a heroic attempt at [[Save Your Deity]].
** Moving on to ''[[The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe]]'', the mice ''earn'' their rank among the ascended animals by making a heroic attempt at [[Save Your Deity]].
*** In that story, mice chew off the ropes that bind {{spoiler|The body of Aslan}}. As a result, mice are promoted to that rank of talking animal, and many years latter the mice are considered among the most bravest and honorable of all the animals. The chief of the mice, Reepicheep features in ''[[Prince Caspian]]'' and ''[[Voyage of the Dawn Treader]]'' as one of the main heroes of the books.
*** In that story, mice chew off the ropes that bind {{spoiler|The body of Aslan}}. As a result, mice are promoted to that rank of talking animal, and many years latter the mice are considered among the most bravest and honorable of all the animals. The chief of the mice, Reepicheep features in ''[[Prince Caspian]]'' and ''[[Voyage of the Dawn Treader]]'' as one of the main heroes of the books.
** In ''[[Prince Caspian]]'' the mouse militia fearlessly go up against far larger enemies, routinely taking them out by being ignored in the fray and chopping them from underneath. Culminating in the [[Heroic Sacrifice]] of their commander Reepicheep and his army's quite special way of dealing with that situation.
** In ''[[Prince Caspian]]'' the mouse militia fearlessly go up against far larger enemies, routinely taking them out by being ignored in the fray and chopping them from underneath. Culminating in the [[Heroic Sacrifice]] of their commander Reepicheep and his army's quite special way of dealing with that situation.
** In ''[[Voyage of the Dawn Treader]]'', Reepicheep is one of the main charactes, and arguably the bravest of them all. Lucy works quite hard to resist her urge of cuddling him, since she understand that such behavior from her would hurt his pride. The local [[Jerkass]] human taunts him for his size, but he quickly teaches the far larger human to fear him. Also, while the other heroes just happen to be on that journey for miscellaneous reasons, Reepicheep is the one doing the journey as a [[Heaven Seeker|holy quest]].
** In ''[[Voyage of the Dawn Treader]]'', Reepicheep is one of the main charactes, and arguably the bravest of them all. Lucy works quite hard to resist her urge of cuddling him, since she understand that such behavior from her would hurt his pride. The local [[Jerkass]] human taunts him for his size, but he quickly teaches the far larger human to fear him. Also, while the other heroes just happen to be on that journey for miscellaneous reasons, Reepicheep is the one doing the journey as a [[Heaven Seeker|holy quest]].
* In ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy (Franchise)|The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy]]'', mice are revealed to be highly intelligent pan-dimensional beings; the little furry squeaky things we see are just their avatars in this dimension. Millions of years ago, they built the [[super Computer]] Deep Thought as a means of discovering the Answer to the Great Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. [[Gone Horribly Right|They succeeded.]]
* In ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy]]'', mice are revealed to be highly intelligent pan-dimensional beings; the little furry squeaky things we see are just their avatars in this dimension. Millions of years ago, they built the [[super Computer]] Deep Thought as a means of discovering the Answer to the Great Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. [[Gone Horribly Right|They succeeded.]]
* [[Redwall]] uses this ''a lot''.
* [[Redwall]] uses this ''a lot''.
* Despereaux and the other mice in ''[[The Tale of Despereaux]]'' (rats are bad, except for Chiarascuro, who is good)
* Despereaux and the other mice in ''[[The Tale of Despereaux]]'' (rats are bad, except for Chiarascuro, who is good)
* In ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'' fieldmice rescue Dorothy, Lion, and Toto from the poppy field by dragging them away. (In the film ''[[The Wizard of Oz (Film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' Glinda makes it snow to rescue them.)
* In ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'' fieldmice rescue Dorothy, Lion, and Toto from the poppy field by dragging them away. (In the film ''[[The Wizard of Oz (film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' Glinda makes it snow to rescue them.)
* Subverted in ''[[Discworld|Moving Pictures]]'' with Definitely Not Squeak, a mouse who began talking under the influence of Holy Wood cinemagic. Told of this trope, he was outraged that humans consider his kind sweet and delicate, as he was the most [[Badass]] mouse in the house and proud of it.
* Subverted in ''[[Discworld|Moving Pictures]]'' with Definitely Not Squeak, a mouse who began talking under the influence of Holy Wood cinemagic. Told of this trope, he was outraged that humans consider his kind sweet and delicate, as he was the most [[Badass]] mouse in the house and proud of it.


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== Western Animation ==
== Western Animation ==
* ''[[Pinky and The Brain (Animation)|Pinky and The Brain]]'': Pinky is nice, if completely cracked. The Brain -- not so much, but he's a [[Jerk With a Heart of Gold]].
* ''[[Pinky and The Brain]]'': Pinky is nice, if completely cracked. The Brain -- not so much, but he's a [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]].
* ''[[Tom and Jerry (Animation)|Tom and Jerry]]'': a lot of Jerry's nastiness is in provoked self-defense from Tom, but some of it is just tormenting Tom for the hell of it. When it comes to other animals, though, Jerry is pretty universally nice. He's nice to canaries, baby woodpeckers, baby ducks, baby seals, escaped lions, circus Elephants (on more than one occasion even).
* ''[[Tom and Jerry]]'': a lot of Jerry's nastiness is in provoked self-defense from Tom, but some of it is just tormenting Tom for the hell of it. When it comes to other animals, though, Jerry is pretty universally nice. He's nice to canaries, baby woodpeckers, baby ducks, baby seals, escaped lions, circus Elephants (on more than one occasion even).
* Surprisingly subverted (considering it's a '30s cartoon) in the [[Max and Dave Fleischer|Fleischer]] short ''Fresh Vegetable Mystery'' where {{spoiler|the mice are the bad guys}}.
* Surprisingly subverted (considering it's a '30s cartoon) in the [[Max and Dave Fleischer|Fleischer]] short ''Fresh Vegetable Mystery'' where {{spoiler|the mice are the bad guys}}.
* [[Mickey Mouse]] and [[Minnie Mouse]]: Both are nice. Hands down.
* [[Mickey Mouse]] and [[Minnie Mouse]]: Both are nice. Hands down.
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* [[Hanna-Barbera]]: Dixie and Pixie were usually only acting in defense from Mr. Jinks, and only did the stealing of the cheese to survive, if memory serves.
* [[Hanna-Barbera]]: Dixie and Pixie were usually only acting in defense from Mr. Jinks, and only did the stealing of the cheese to survive, if memory serves.
** Sometimes it would switch around where Jinks was the hero of the episode and Pixie and Dixie would get there Comeuppance in the end.
** Sometimes it would switch around where Jinks was the hero of the episode and Pixie and Dixie would get there Comeuppance in the end.
* ''[[Looney Tunes (Animation)|Looney Tunes]]'': [[Speedy Gonzales]] is a mouse who pretty much only steals cheese to help his compadres. Sniffles is well-meaning, if annoying.
* ''[[Looney Tunes]]'': [[Speedy Gonzales]] is a mouse who pretty much only steals cheese to help his compadres. Sniffles is well-meaning, if annoying.
* The mice from ''[[Capitol Critters (Animation)|Capitol Critters]]'' were nice.
* The mice from ''[[Capitol Critters]]'' were nice.
* ''[[Biker Mice From Mars (Animation)|Biker Mice From Mars]]'' is about [[Badass Biker]] mice who protect Earth from evil.
* ''[[Biker Mice From Mars]]'' is about [[Badass Biker]] mice who protect Earth from evil.
* ''[[Rastamouse]]''. Irie, man.
* ''[[Rastamouse]]''. Irie, man.
* Massively subverted in ''[[The Simpsons (Animation)|The Simpsons]]''' Itchy the mouse, who is a cheerful murderous psycho.
* Massively subverted in ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]''' Itchy the mouse, who is a cheerful murderous psycho.


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
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