union Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists opined that the low performances of both Fievel Goes West and We're Back!: A Dinosaur Story (1993) resulted from the poor quality of their stories, "and animation is a story-driven art form". He attributed this to Spielberg's busy schedule, meaning he didn't have enough time to focus on animation. Critical response An American Tail: Fievel Goes West holds a 60% critical percentage on Rotten Tomatoes based on 15 reviews. Peter M. Nichols wrote Fievel Goes West "was panned on the ground that it was not so innovative as other new animated films, notably Beauty and the Beast from Disney, the leader in animation". Multiple reviewers lambasted Fievel Goes West's lack of a cohesive story and extremely fast pace. As critics summarized, the film "has constant activity but minimal objectives"; "has little narrative drive or emotional resonance", its climax feeling "perfunctory and tacked on"; and has "so many subplots and digressions" that "they simply failed to develop the central narrative". Some reviewers were also uncomforted by the Indian mice tribe as being racially insensitive. Empire opined that, despite its enjoyable comedic relief characters and "fantastic chase scenes", Fievel Goes West suffered from being "fairly predictable". One reviewer in contrast appreciated the bits of "sophisticated humor" and Holocaust undertones in the script, and another highlighted its gag, such as the scene of Tiger being taken captive by the Indian mice. Some critics called the songs weaker and not as memorable as those of the first film, although the Blues Brothers' version of the song "Rawhide" was spotlighted by some writers and "The Girl You Left Behind" by a People magazine review. Time Out London published an ecstatic review of Fievel Goes West: "Miles better than the overrated American Tail, this laugh-packed sequel boasts all the classic elements so often missing from modern cartoon features: a straightforward zip-zang-boom storyline, clearly etched characters with instantly identifiable flaws, tip-top voice-overs by well-chosen celebrities, and oodles of elasticated slapstick". The Orlando Sentinel wrote that the main plot is "left underdeveloped" amid "numerous subplots". Unlike other critics, Cortney Thekan appreciated the huge amount of subplots: "I mean, we all know the attention span of a 4-year-old. Full-length cartoons need the subplots to hold children's attention". The Washington Post praised it for being "quick, vivid and a real hoot to viewers of any age", but also noted its wonky setup, saying that "the