Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers

DisneyToon studios produced a direct-to-video animated adaptation of The Three Musketeers in 2004 called Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers. Starring Wayne Allwine, Tony Anselmo, Bill Farmer, Russi Taylor, Tres MacNellie, Jim Cummings, April Winchell, Jeff Bennett, Maurice LaMarche, and Rob Paulsen. It was also the first direct-to-video feature  to be featured in the Kingdom Hearts series.

In a story told by the Troubador (Paulsen), Mickey (Allwine), Donald (Anselmo), and Goofy (Farmer) are three janitors who dream of becoming musketeers. However, Mickey’s size, Donald’s cowardice and Goofy’s intelligence impedes them from doing so. But they do get their chance when Captain Pete (Cummings), who is planning to take over the kingdom, decides to promote them in the hopes they’ll be bungling enough to not ruin his plans.

This version of The Three Musketeers isn’t great, but it’s somewhat decent. The plot may be thin, but it does have good humor by making fun of some of the usual Disney tropes.

The trio are made musketeers almost immediately after Pete berated them and told them they never would be. Even with their brainlessness, they should feel something is amiss. Princess Minnie also holds an idiot ball, with her readily accepting their incompetence with Pete’s explanation that they’re really good at perceived threats.

On the other hand, the film does poke fun at various running gags found in Disney shorts as well as other conventions. For one, Minnie finds it destiny that she and Mickey are supposed to be together because “they have the same last name.” Also, after cutting to the opera poster with the jingle for a third time, right after a character mentions the opera, Pete mentions the song is starting to get pretty catchy.

Despite a pretty dumb plot with characters that don’t really have a good grasp on anything, Mickey, Donald, Goof: The Three Musketeers is actually pretty fun. 

#58

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas

Well, we’re back to Disney. And the category.

Disney put out a direct to video Christmas movie November 9, 1999. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas was a package film with three segments. Starring Wayne Allwine, Tony Anselmo, Jeff Bennett, Alan Young, Jim Cummings, Bill Farmer and Frank Welker, it was narrated by Kelsey Grammer.

The first segment, “Stuck on Christmas” puts Huey, Dewey and Louie in a Groundhog Day loop on Christmas day. And they soon get tired of it.

“A Very Goofy Christmas” has Max question Santa’s existence and Goofy is determined to keep his faith alive.

The final segment, “Mickey and Minnie’s Gift of the Magi” centers on the duo planning to give each other great gifts, but can’t because of circumstances. They then sacrifice their prized possessions for the gifts.

When you have an Aesop to teach, there’s one of two ways to do it. You can either present it in a subtle manner or whack the viewer over the head with a sledgehammer. And while these three segments are good, all their lessons come about the latter way.

There’s not much I can say on these other than that, except that the second segment can actually be very relatable. Especially for someone who dealt with the subject matter at that age.

#40

The Spirit of Mickey

A direct-to-video package film was released in 1998. The Spirit of Mickey featured clips from The Mickey Mouse Club and The Wonderful World of Disney in the opening scene and an old message from Walt Disney near the end. It featured the voices of Wayne Allwine, Tony Anselmo, Corey Burton, Bill Farmer and Russi Taylor.

The film has a loose frame of Mickey and friends in a theater introducing 11 old Disney shorts. The shorts include The Band Concert, Thru the Mirror, Lend a Paw, Orphans’ Picnic, The Worm Turns, Mickey’s Surprise Party, Mickey and the Seal, Mickey’s Trailer, Canine Caddy, Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip, and Steamboat Willie.

This was released three months before Mickey’s 70^th birthday, which is probably why it was called Spirit of Mickey.  And these shorts are great in their own right.

The video could have just been the shorts, one after the other. They didn’t need the frame. Which brings me to say, the animation DURING the framed segments was just awful. It’s like they just decided to slap a few things together to make the thing seem coherent.

It’s a short review because there’s not much TO review. #38