Customer Reviews

Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

After getting this DVD from the library last year, I knew that my son was a big fan of Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas. In fact, so was my husband. He's an artist, and very critical of shoddy animation. However, with this DVD, he often comments on the well-done, vibrant images of computer animation. (If you're a parent of a child, you probably already know how shoddy some of the CGI can be in kid videos! Happily, this is not rendered poory like some movies.) In fact, I was amazed at how Mickey's sweater looked so real, as well as the snow-covered trees, holiday lights and Christmas trees, Minnie and Daisy's gossamer skating outfits, and so on.

An open "Storybook" presents each tale, and we are whisked away into five magical stories showing true-to-life situations involving relationships. (And you KNOW how the whole family/relationship thing can get during holidays... *wince*).

Clever writing abounds, as well as numerous sight-gags. My son and I think it's hilarious when Huey, Dewey and Louie burp to a Christmas song--and when Daisy implores Donald to "say something!", he burps in response.

For those who think this DVD is mean spirited and violent, I have to say it seems like I was watching an entirely different movie than they apparently were... I mean, the classic Huey, Dewey and Louie animated shorts AND comics always presented their mischief. In fact, in the original theatrical shorts, the nephews were sent to live with Donald because their father was in the hospital! Why? Because the boys sent him there by putting firecrackers under his chair! (So I hardly think that ol' Walt is rolling in his grave. Lighten up, people--this is the guy that gave us Fantasia! You know, the movie that features Night on Bald Mountain, the song about the nocturnal demon Chernabog who summons restless souls from their graves until driven away by the sound of a church bell.)

If you want to see nasty kid programs, try renting a Thomas the Tank Engine DVD!

Granted, the Minnie/Daisy catfight and pettiness was surprising (thus, the reason I'm giving it four stars), but reality isn't sugar-coated Disney dreams. Friends often have jealousy, children are often onery, Dads can be grumpy at Christmas (and while shopping) and so on.

I'm very cautious about what I let my son watch, and I don't object to this fine holiday DVD. (Because we live in a house WITH manners--and we stress kindness--my son is quick to point out sad moments...and ones where people are behaving not-so-nicely.)

My family and I are huge fans of slapstick comedy (Jerry Lewis, Dick Van Dyke, etc.), so Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas is a real treat in the humor department. The colors and details of the animation is absolutely stunning. For example, Donald goes behind the curtain at "Mousies" (Macy's) to investigate their annual animated production. It's done with a black light, so Donald and the lighted animatronics have a very cool glow that can be only found with black light effects.

I especially like this episode because of the clever sound effects: surrounding Donald in the mall are people and machinery that mimic the song "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"--change in the till, a blender, puppies barking, etc.

In the store, I gave my son a choice between Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas and Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas, and not surprisingly, he chose this one. (We just bought it last night and he's already watched it four times--the last time, while he sat on my lap and we cuddled.)

This DVD also has some extras:

*A behind the scenes look at how animators were inspired by skating sensation Michelle Kwan
*Deleted Scenes - How the structure for the movie unfolded, and why they picked certain stories for the DVD
*Several Games and Activities
*DVD-ROM Holiday Printables

If you're concerned that this DVD might be too controversial for kids, rent it first. If you like it, show it to your kids. You'll soon know whether you want to purchase it or not. For me and my family, we feel this is an EXCELLENT purchasing decision.

This is a movie you could watch every day for a month, and not fry your brain.
I know, because I had to. My son was obsessed.

The five shorts comprising "Twice Upon A Christmas" are all delightful, and perfect family viewing.

First I must say that the digital re-creation of our favorite animated characters has been done to perfection. Eye-popping crystalline perfection.

The Minnie-Daisy ice skating duel features those dancing hippos and crocs from Fantasia, and beautiful digital effects and designs.

Huey, Dewey and Louie's journey to the North Pole has a classic caper feel to it; it's fast and funny. When one of the little guys drifts a little too close to a snoring Santa's breath, he initially winces. Then he smiles and says, "Hm! Peppermint! With a hint of mocha!" It's cute. My wife and I laugh, and my 2.5 year old wonders why.

Goofy and his son Max has some nice musical numbers in it. Again, seeing these characters in their three-dimensional glory is a sheer delight. I liked the moral of this piece, not quite sweet enough to give you cavities, but close.

Donald's discovery of Christmas spirit is also a heart-warmer, and here the animators show off their magic and skill in giving innumerable facial expressions to our favorite hysteric.

Mickey's Christmas party, with Pluto going off to be a reindeer is a fine ending to a great set of cartoons. Paying attention to the dialogue pays off as well; the creators have inserted lots of sly asides for us older folks.

Kids will be entranced...literally. Adults will totally enjoy this. It reminded me of the way I felt when I watched those stop-motion Rankin-Bass classics as a kid.

These really could be the next generation of Christmas Classics!

This review refers to "Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas", DVD (Disney)....

Fabulous!....With 5 wonderfully animated Christmas tales, bonus games and activites, cheery Christmas music to get you into the spirit, and beloved characters no one is too old too enjoy, this DVD will keep everyone happy this holiday season(and for many more to come).

Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Daisy, Pluto, Goofy and Max, Uncle Scrooge, Huey, Louie and Dewey, and of course Santa. The gang's all here. They have been a part of our lives for what seems like forever, and are a pleasure to watch for every age.
The stories range from about 8 minutes to about 25. Each has a speical message and should keep the attention of any youngster(or oldster) for the entire length of a little over an hour.

First up "Belles On Ice"...Best friends Minnie and Daisy become rivals on ice, but discover the true joy of friendship, as they skate their way into your heart once more. Enjoy the ice show, it's a spectacular treat. Then in "Christmas Impossible", Huey, Dewey and Louie get into all kinds of mischief while trying to get on Santa's "good list", and learn the joys of helping others in the process. Next, Max thinks dad "Goofy" will ruin things for him and his new girl, by being just plain Goofy, but comes to see what his father really means to him in "Christmas Maximus". Donald(my personal favorite since I was about 5), will make you laugh out loud, as he grumbles about the hustle and bustle of Christmas in "Donald's Gift". Eventually he figures out the joys of giving and gets right into the spirit of things. And Of course, we can't leave out Mickey and pal Pluto. In "Mickey's Dog-Gone Christmas", our mouse pal gets a little annoyed at the antics of his beloved dog, and feeling unwanted, Pluto runs away. In the end love wins out.

The DVD is great. As mentioned above there are games and activites for the kids, there's a short but interesting featurette, "Inspiration On Ice" with Michelle Kwan showing how the animators, used her skating techniques for "Belles on Ice", and there are Deleted scenes to check out as well. Disney makes the DVD very user friendly. There are Captions in English for those needing them(even if you don't need them, they are nice for the kids who can read to sing along to all the songs), the picture is dazzling with nice bright colors, and the sound is very good. It may be viewed in DD or DTS 5.1, and has language tracks in French and Spanish as well. The scene selection consists of the 5 stories, the main titles and the end credits(check out some of those voices). The keep case is a very nice, and is enclosed in a slip case as well.

A fabulous new addition to your holiday viewing. One the whole family will love.

Happy Holidays....enjoy...Laurie

other Holiday stuff for the family to enjoy:
Remember Me - bneautiful and touching Thanksgiving epsiode - one of my favorites

Classic Christmas Collection (It's a Wonderful Life / White Christmas)

A Christmas Carol - wonderfully narrated - great to listen to while decorating

My only disappointment with this DVD was that it wasn't longer. The five shorts on this DVD were great, especially the one with Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck as dueling ice princesses and the story of Pluto's adventure's at the North Pole hanging out with Santa's reindeer. I thought this last story could've been a feature length tale in itself.

While I agree with many that seeing the characters in full-fledged 3D animation, I don't think this new rendering of these wonderful characters could have been done any better. No, it's not animation of the quality in the top budget motion picture releases, but it's nonetheless extremely well done.

If you love Christmas and you love Mickey and the gang, you and your family will love this DVD.

We received this DVD last year as a gift, but my then 12 month old wasn't really into it - what a difference a year makes. My now two year old can't get enough of this video. Here we are AFTER Christmas, and she's still asking for it ('Mommy, Mick Mouse! Mick Mouse!'). And it keeps her entertained the entire time (the last segment with Mickey and Pluto is her favorite). The whole video is entertaining. The animation and songs are wonderful, and the messages each one gives are heartwarming. Perfect for the holidays! (and maybe the rest of the year the way things are looking!) Highly recommend it.

We bought this last year for Christmas, and my kids watched it over and over and over and over. I thought it was wonderful too, and enjoyed it more than a few times! I put it away after Christmas, and it was the first thing my kids asked for when we got out our Christmas stuff this year. It's been out of storage for a week, and they've already watched it 8 times. My 3 year old daughter would watch it all day if I let her. My 5 year old son already knows some of the lines, and really enjoys watching the stories.
I think the animation is wonderful, and wish there were more Mickey movies just like this one. I can appreciate the "classic" animation of other Disney movies, but it's not as fun to watch, and doesn't hold the attention of my kids like this does.
This is truly a classic, and will be watched in our house every year!

I liked the different stories, but i thought the ones about minnie and daisy and the one about goofy and max could have been longer. my favorite was probably the one with mickey and pluto. but my absolute favorite part of the movie was the different popups that appeared between each story. They were cute and clever.

The animation in this movie is unlike anything I have ever seen. It is still cartoon-like, but they look three dimensional. Disney is amazing!

The stories are fun and contain all the characters. My son loves (15 months) just loves it. If you're a Disney fan and love Christmas movies this is a must have.

This is a wonderful set of 5 Christmas short stories. (It's a shame some of the other reviewers are so cynical). Children adore this DVD! My young daughter asks to view it daily - even now that the holidays are over. The ice skating story with Minnie & Daisy is fabulous! The holiday music, etc. really got the family into the holiday spirit. We all love it!

Having been a fan of Disney animation all my life (let's say 37 out of a possible 42 years at least), including personal experience with animation, I'd like to share one tangible benefit of the new generation of CGI graphics. I purchased the DVD around two weeks before taking my family to WDW. I have a two-year old daughter, who we call "Princess" as she certainly relates to the Disney princesses, whether they are the classics like Cinderella and Snow White, or her more contemporary friends, Belle and Ariel. I thought it would be wise to introduce Mickey and all his friends before visiting his Florida home, so we gathered to watch this newest Christmas feature. To say the least, my daughter was captivated by the animation, and I was dually impressed as well. What really struck me however, was her reaction while at Disney World. I believe the realism of the 3-D graphics made it a whole lot easier for her to relate to the actual characters that we later met in the various parks. As great as the Disney classics have always been, at the young age of only two, the translation into real time does not always happen. Twice Upon A Christmas leaves no doubt about the 3-D realism.

I don't need to dwell on the story lines any further than what has been discussed by others - they are simply creative entertainment that can be enjoyed by all. I did appreciate some adult oriented lines throughout the different stories, especially from Huey, Duey and Louie in their features, as well as Daisey and Minnie's verbal exchange in the middle of their skating battle. The reindeer are pretty entertaining in Dog-gone Christmas - definitely a departure from the claymation classics of old.

I'll admit that when you watch the video for the 20th time in two days, you'll need something else to keep you occupied, however your children will be glued to every word. Even though you may get tired of the repetitve viewings, take another look and enjoy the subtle details throughout. Whether it's the glittery sheen of the Christmas tinsel, the realism of the swirling red punch in Mickey's punchbowl, the dust on the floor beneath Pluto's rug, or the cracks that form in the snow just before it breaks away to fall on Mickey's head, take a moment to enjoy the layers of creativity that went into each scene - much more than could ever have been accomplished with 2D.