As 2018 comes to a close I thought it would be a good time to share my favorite physical releases of the year. I am a big supporter of physical media and will continue to support it. I like owning my movies that I can hold, not in some cloud somewhere. I love box art. This year was a great year for exclusive Steelbooks at Best Buy. Some of them will make my list. In deciding the number I fell on the most obvious one, 18.
Number 13, is the compilation release of Celebrating Mickey!
In 2018, Mickey Mouse turned 90 years old! Disney decided to celebrate one of the greatest movie stars ever by releasing some of his greatest cartoons ever, and for the first time in high definition. Although we only get a small sample size, 13 out of a possible 130 classic cartoons, it makes me excited for the possibilities that maybe, just maybe Disney will release more of these collections.
Mickey is such an icon that it is fun to revisit his cartoon shorts before he became a corporate mascot and the face of Disney. These amazing cartoons are a reminder about how much these artists are the true stars of early Mickey adventures. Whether it’s Ub Iwerks giving Mickey his undeniable personality or Mickey fighting a deck of cards in “Thru the Mirror” all of these cartoons are brilliant.
Here’s a list of the cartoons included in Celebrating Mickey:
“Steamboat Willie”
Mickey’s first adventure is also the first Disney cartoon with synchronized sound. Truth is this is actually the third Mickey short produced, but the first to be released after Walt Disney saw “The Jazz Singer” and wanted to include sound in his Mickey cartoon. “Steamboat Willie” is a great introduction to Mickey. He’s funny and mischievous as he pilots a steamboat much to the chagrin of Peg-Leg Pete.
“The Band Concert”
An amazing short that is Mickey’s first color cartoon. Mickey is the conductor of a band that is harassed by Donald Duck who is determined to be a part of the symphony. A tornado also gets in Mickey’s way of conducting his concert.
“Thru the Mirror”
A personal favorite as Mickey falls asleep and walks thru a mirror into an alternate world. The animation in this film is top notch. A fun take on Lewis Carroll’s “Alice Through The Looking Glass”.
“Mickey’s Rival”
Mickey and Minnie try to enjoy a picnic but it is ruined by the fast talking, cool car driving Mortimer Mouse. Mickey tries to be nice, but learns that Mortimer is not too keen on being a friend.
“Boat Builders”
Mickey, Donald and Goofy attempt to build a boat and things to not go according to the somewhat hard to read plans. Goofy falls in love with a wooden mermaid, Donald can’t paint the rudder due to Mickey always turning it. This is a really funny cartoon.
“Mickey’s Trailer”
Mickey, Donald and Goofy go on a journey in “Mickey’s Trailer”. Every time I watch this cartoon I really want some corn on the cob.
“Brave Little Tailor”
Mickey is in medieval times as a tailor who is mistaken for a brave warrior. Mickey is tasked with defeating a giant to save the kingdom. A truly remarkable cartoon and another favorite.
“Tugboat Mickey”
Mickey once again captains a ship, with the “help” of Donald and Goofy. Another truly funny cartoon.
“The Little Whirlwind”
Minnie bakes an amazing smelling cake which spellbinds Mickey. Minnie won’t let Mickey have any until he does some chores, but he is soon confronted by a little twister that won’t let him finish his work.
“Mickey’s Birthday Party”
A fun short about a surprise party for Mickey. He might not be a great musician but boy can that mouse dance!
“Pluto’s Party”
On Pluto’s birthday, the poor doggie just wants his cake, but obstacles keep getting in the way!
“The Simple Things”
Mickey and Pluto just want to fish and relax, however the creatures in the forest are not making it easy for them.
“Get A Horse!”
Released in 2013, “Get A Horse!” has Mickey starting in a classic black and white cartoon but soon thrust into a modern 3-D colorized cartoon.
The video on Celebrating Mickey is nothing short of amazing. “Steamboat Willie” is 90 years old and shows its age with some scratches and wobbles on the frame. That is to be expected, it does still look the best it ever has. All the color cartoons are bright, full of color and clarity. I am a huge Mickey fan and I do own all of his cartoons on the amazing limited edition “Walt Disney Treasures” set, and I can say with 100% certainty that these cartoons have never looked better.
The audio on Celebrating Mickey is solid. Again these are old cartoon shorts so what I am listening for is clarity. The cartoons sound really good with only “Steamboat Willie” suffering from some muted and scratchy music, but again a lot of that has to do with the age and the fact that it is one of the earliest films to ever have synchronized sound.
The biggest blunder on this disc is the absence of any features. It’s Mickey’s 90th birthday and a disc that celebrates him should have a documentary on it. A missed opportunity for sure, but Disney really did not promote this release either, which to me is heartbreaking.
Celebrating Mickey, even with a limited number of cartoons and no special features is a must for Disney and animation fans. The price is cheap, $15 as of this writing and seeing classic Mickey toons in high definition is a revelation that makes you truly appreciate the art of hand drawn animation. If you have any interest in classic animation I implore you to purchase this disc so Disney will release more.
Film: A+
Video: A
Audio: A
Extras: F
Overall: A