Walt Disney Studios has come a long way today from where it started out roughly a century ago in terms of its cinematic and television offerings. Sadly for the most part, that change has been anything but positive, though there have been some positives thanks to the studio’s partnership with the likes of Pixar Studios, and four years ago, fans of the classic days of Disney got a special treat with the release of the Blu-ray/DVD collection titled, Celebrating Mickey. The collection culled 13 vintage shorts that all celebrated Mickey Mouse’s legacy. Now Tuesday, fans of vintage Disney will get another treat in the form of another 10-short collection titled Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts – Volume 1 in a new Blu-ray/DVD set. The collection is a bit of a mixed bag presentation. That is due in large part to its features shorts, which will be discussed shortly. While the collection’s title is focused on Mickey and Minnie, audiences get more than just the pair throughout the shorts. This will be discussed a little later. It is another positive. The general presentation, in terms of the video and audio is one more positive to note here. It will also be addressed later. Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of this collection. All things considered Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts – Volume 1 proves a mostly positive tribute to the legacy of Walt Disney Studios’ animation history.
Walt Disney Studios’ new vintage animation collection, Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts – Volume 1 is an intriguing new presentation from the company. It is a presentation that is something of a mixed bag. That is due in large part to its features shorts. Almost half of the shorts featured in this 10-cartoon collection are already presented in the company’s 2018 BD/DVD release, Celebrating Mickey. They are: “Steamboat Willie,” “The Brave Little Tailor,” “The Little Whirlwind” and “Thru The Mirror.” The other six shorts featured here are new to this collection but not to previous Disney collections. Audiences might find some of the shorts here familiar because they were previously released in Disney’s Have a Laugh sets. That is actually a good thing because it brings some of those shorts together in one setting here. Of course, not all of the shorts from those sets are featured here. Odds are the ones not featured here will end up on the next collection, if another one does happen. Keeping all of this in mind, bringing these shorts together here is both good and bad all at the same time.
One of the best of the “new” shorts featured here is “Mickey’s Delayed Date.” This situation presents a fun story that finds Mickey forgetting about his date with Minnie for a costume party. The things he goes through as he realizes he overslept and tries to make his way to the party will ensure plenty of laughs from audiences of all ages. What’s more (not to give away too much), but the fact that he was trying to stay dressed formally against the realization of the situation makes for its own laughs. “Mr. Mouse Takes A Trip” is another memorable new addition to this collection. It finds Mickey and Pluto taking a train trip to the redwoods forest. The duo has to outsmart one of Mickey’s old foes in Pete as he takes on the role of the train conductor. Pete knows Mickey is trying to hide Pluto and has to try to bust him. The physical comedy that plays out is timeless. “Hawaiian Holiday” is yet another fun addition to the collection, even though Mickey and Minnie only play supporting roles in this short. Audiences will love to watch Goofy get bested by a wave as he tries to surf while Pluto finds himself at odds with first a starfish and then a crab. It’s just one more of a number of memorable moments exhibited here that makes the shorts collectively at least somewhat worth watching.
Staying on the note of Mickey and Minnie not being the leads in “Hawaiian Holiday,” that is just one of the shorts featured here in which the duo are not the leads. In total, only four of the shorts featured in this set – “On Ice,” “Hawaiian Holiday,” “Figaro and Frankie” and “Bath Day” – do not feature Mickey and Minnie as the leads. “Figaro and Frankie” and “Bath Day” are both focused on Minnie’s beloved feline friend, Figaro. “Figaro and Frankie” immediately lends itself to comparison to Warner Brothers’ Sylvester and Tweety cartoons, just not as edgy in the general approach, while “Bath Day” finds Figaro trying to avoid having to take a bath. What cat likes water, after all. “On Ice” focuses more on Mickey and Minnie’s pals, Donald, Pluto, and Goofy. Goofy gets harassed by some fish while Donald plays a not so nice prank on Pluto. Of course, Donald’s actions come back to bite him in the end. That resolution will be left for audiences to discover for themselves, so they can fully enjoy the outcome. Simply put, while the set’s title (and most of the shorts) focus on Mickey and Minnie, audiences get more than just the duo. Rather, viewers get some shorts that play tribute to their friends, too, so really it is the best of both worlds considering – again – the majority of the shorts are focused on Mickey and Minnie. That is actually quite a positive in its own right.
While the general content featured in this content offers some entertainment and concern, one thing that everyone can agree upon with the shorts is their general presentation. Considering that these shorts reach as far back as Disney’s formative days and just after those days, the footage has clearly stood the test of time. The audio and video sound and look impressive. The colors are rich, even with the one that started it all, “Steamboat Willie.” The sound ensures audiences won’t have to adjust the volume at any point in the presentation. The result is a largely positive general effect. That positive general effect works with the positives of the shorts noted to make the whole a largely successful presentation despite its few shortcomings.
Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts – Volume I is an interesting new presentation of vintage cartoons from Walt Disney Studios. It is not perfect but is still enjoyable. That is due in part to its featured shorts. Half of the shorts here were already presented in the company’s most recent release, Celebrating Disney in 2018. The other shorts were already presented in previous Disney’s previously released Have A Laugh cartoon collections. Having some of those set’s shorts culled together in one setting here is a positive, meaning audiences can watch them in one setting instead of having to switch between sets. Adding to the positives is that while the majority of the shorts featured here focus on Mickey and Minnie, audiences also get some treats with shorts that focus on their pals, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto. Even Pete, one of Mickey’s foes, gets a moment to shine in one of the shorts. To that end, there is some variety in these shorts. The production values in these shorts is just as important to the set’s presentation as the shorts themselves. That is because the sound and video is impressive in each short. They come together to give the presentation a positive general effect. When this is considered along with the shorts themselves, the whole makes Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts – Volume 1 a mostly successful offering from Walt Disney Studios, despite its shortcomings.
Mickey & Minnie: 10 Classic Shorts – Volume 1 is scheduled for release Tuesday through Walt Disney Studios. More information on this and other titles from Walt Disney Studios is available at:
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