Brutus and Nero the Crocodiles are Madame Medusa's two pet crocodilians from Disney's 1977 feature film the Rescuers and serve as the tertiary antagonists. They are voiced by both Candy Candido and currently Frank Welker.
Personality
Brutus and Nero, and the cast of The Rescuers, as they appeared in Disneyland in 1977.
Brutus and Nero are both ferocious, mean, and harmful. They show nothing but loyalty to Madame Medusa until the end. However, to Mr. Snoops, they show neither loyalty nor respect to him. They heartily dislike him, no matter how many times Mr. Snoops tries to make friends with them. It is clear that they can understand every word that is said around them.
Role in the film
Brutus and Nero first appear watching Penny, an orphaned little girl, and making sure she doesn't escape, all while knowing she is not intimidated by them. They later have to find Penny because of Medusa's incompetent assistant, Mr. Snoops. Brutus and Nero are congratulated by Medusa while she confronts Mr. Snoops. Later, Brutus and Nero try to eat Bernard and Bianca, two rescuing mice, who are going to rescue the kidnapped Penny. However, when Medusa hears them playing the organ, where the mice were hiding in, she stops them from making a lot of racket. Medusa sees the mice and she, Mr. Snoops, Brutus and Nero try to kill them both, but they all fail. Brutus and Nero, after Penny is forced to get the diamond for Medusa, take Penny back to Medusa's home. The animals help Penny by attacking Medusa and outsmarting her on every move. Brutus and Nero are tricked into going after Bernard and Bianca, and they become trapped in the elevator by the mice. Brutus and Nero are freed after the house falls apart. Medusa then, for some reason, hits them both with a rope in the final chase. However, they all land onto a pole that used to be part of Medusa's home. Realizing that their mistress has no real respect for them, Brutus and Nero try to kill Medusa in revenge for her abuse towards them in the end.
Trivia
- Candy Candido's grave voice was used for the crocs' growling. Though he is uncredited, it can be assumed that some of their growls are recycled from Maleficent's dragon form from Sleeping Beauty. Curiously enough, Candido also voiced Captain Crocodile from Robin Hood.
- They are likely based on the bloodhounds Tyrant and Torment, from Miss Bianca.
- Brutus and Nero are crocodiles. They are called "crocs" by Miss Bianca during her, Bernard and Penny's escape plan. It is also noted that crocodiles show both their top and bottom teeth and have V-shaped snouts, whereas alligators only show their top teeth and have U-shaped snouts.
- The idea of Brutus and Nero understanding everything that is said to them makes sense, since crocs are surprisingly intelligent.
- Brutus and Nero may have also inspired the pets of several other Disney villains:
- Felicia - Ratigan's cat in The Great Mouse Detective
- Gwythaints - The Horned King's dragons in The Black Cauldron
- Roscoe and DeSoto - Bill Sykes's Dobermans in Oliver & Company
- Flotsam and Jetsam - Ursula's moray eels in The Little Mermaid
- Joanna the Goanna - Percival C. McLeach's goanna in The Rescuers Down Under
- Cloak and Dagger - Morgana's manta rays in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
- Hayabusa the Falcon - Shan Yu's falcon in Mulan
- Similarly, their eventual turning against their master as revenge may have also inspired the pets/henchmen of several other Disney villains:
- The Hyenas turning against Scar in The Lion King
- Iago turning against Jafar the final time in Return of Jafar
- Pain and Panic turning against Hades in Hercules
- Brutus was named after the adopted son of Julius Caesar, who in the end betrayed him; and Nero was named after a tyrannical Roman Emperor named Emperor Nero.
- An unnamed crocodile with a similar design to Brutus and Nero appears as a minor villain in Jungle Cubs.
