Vincent Canby of "The New York Times" noted the film's animation was "something of a technical and stylistic triumph" in comparison to that of Disney's golden age, but expressed dismay at the narrative finding it too complicated and lacking in an "easily identifiable central character." In his review for the 1990 VHS re-release, Jeff Unger of "Entertainment Weekly" gave "The Secret of NIMH" a grade of "A", calling it "a wonderful adaptation" of the original book, adding that "Bluth and his animators, bless them, chose to revive an endangered art form – classically detailed animation. They drew their characters exquisitely and gave them individual personalities. The entire ensemble – artists, actors, animals, and musicians – created something unique: the world's first enjoyable rat race." Similarly, Richard Corliss of "Time" magazine called the movie "something gorgeous to look at".