The Triumphant Return of Mickey Mouse

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:15 pm by Joseph Susanka

The Triumphant Return of Mickey Mouse 2017-03-17T15:15:50-06:00 Joseph Susanka

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

After a frenzied few weeks of Papal watching and analysis (followed by the “Peace-o-Mind”-preserving decision to step back and settle into “Let’s Just Wait And See” mode), I find myself returning my blog to its regularly-scheduled (if a bit flippant, in contrast) programming. And so — a week or two later than I’d originally intended — a note-worthy event in the world of animated shorts, particularly for those of us who grew up watching Disney cartoons on Saturday mornings (and any other time we could get our hands on them):

Mickey’s back!

With the slapstick feel of classic Mickey Mouse, the series of cartoon shorts presents Mickey in a broad range of humorous situations that showcase his pluck and rascality, along with his long-beloved charm and good heartedness. Each cartoon short finds Mickey in a different contemporary setting including Santa Monica, New York, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo, Venice, and the Alps, facing a silly situation, a quick complication, and an escalation of physical and visual gags. The stories also feature genuine heartfelt and heroic moments as Mickey explores and experiences life with his comical partners: Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Pluto.
…

Produced in 2D animation, the design esthetic for the Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts reaches back almost 80 years and borrows reverentially from the bold style of his 1930s design, but not before adding a few contemporary touches. Designs for other characters have a similar approach, favoring a “rubber-hose” cartoon style for more exaggerated animation. Background designs closely reflect the graphic design sense of 1950s and 1960s Disney cartoons. And for those true eagle-eyed Disney fans, the production team has also included the occasional homage to other icons from the storied Disney heritage.

Yep, he’s back, alright. As of right now, however, he’s back-but-not-embed-able. So head on over to Disney’s site to check him out

As IndieWire acerbically notes, the short’s not terribly exciting from a narrative standpoint. It’s certainly no “Paperman” (to pick a recent, high-profile, probably unfair comparison). And the new style seems a bit …sketchy in contrast with such lovingly-rendered classics as my beloved “Tugboat Mickey.” (The game tie-in feels a bit forced, as well.)

But it’s great to see Disney throwing its hat into the Animated Short arena once again. And besides, they have another 18 changes to re-capture the magic, right? (The announcement mentions: “Yodelberg” — Mickey longs to visit Minnie atop her mountaintop chalet but quickly realizes that the threat of avalanche has made the trek up the mountain more challenging than usual;” and “No Service” — Mickey and Donald try to buy lunch from a beachside snack shack but are unceremoniously turned down because of the classic “No shirt, no shoes, no service” admonition.”)

The rest of the series will be available in late June, I believe, and I can’t wait. It might never match up to its inspiration(s), but I’m sure glad to see the ol’ round-eared rodent back in the limelight. (HT: /Film)

Movies

Previous Post

March 21, 2013

Spending My Thursday Afternoon with Thomas A. Arne

Next Post

March 25, 2013 Flannery O'Connor In Her Own Words

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Baseball Faith Family Lenten Music Movies Music No Commentary Necessary Parked By the Jukebox Photography Politics Quodlibets Streaming Video Suggestions Summa Short Films Television The Man Behind the Booth Through a Lens, Darkly

Select a Month December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 July 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 November 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz