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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Collection, But Lacks Extras and No Remastering, April 30, 2009
It's a well known fact that the Walt Disney Company is the mastermind of how to make money off of anything. They can package and repackage things over and over and over and over and even though a person already owns three versions of something, they'll buy it again. Kind of like the new Disney Animation Collection. Disney is re-releasing many of the cartoon shorts that first made the studio famous. These shorts have all been released before in one form or the other. I have a feeling that the new re-packaging of these shorts is a prelude to the eventual Blu-ray release of the shorts in a better form a couple years from now.
As far as shorts go, MICKEY AND THE BEANSTALK is a great collection. The collection includes:
"Mickey and the Beanstalk"--a re-telling of the classic story of "Jack and the Beanstalk", but this time with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy as the heroes. This short was originally planned as a feature film, but due to budget constraints was shortened and included as part of the 1947 movie FUN AND FANCY FREE. This version of the short doesn't include the live action narration with Edgar Bergen, but the animated storytelling of Ludwig Von Drake and Herman the Cricket from the 1963 television airing of the short. "Mickey and Beanstalk" isn't just worth watching because it's a good story, but because it's also the last cartoon that Walt Disney himself did the voice of Mickey Mouse.
"The Brave Little Tailor"--of all the Disney shorts I watched as a kid, "The Brave Little Tailor" was my favorite. Mickey stars as the Tailor. The village he lives in is all worried about a giant. Meanwhile, oblivious to the giant worries, the tailor is trying to work but is pestered by a group of flies. He kills seven with one blow and shouts it out his window just after a peasant asks aloud, "Say, did you ever kill a giant." Thinking he means seven giants and not flies, they bring him to the king who promises the tailor the hand of Princess Minnie if he defeats the giant.
"Gulliver Mickey"--first released in 1934, "Gulliver Mickey" is a black and white cartoon that features Mickey retelling part of the story of Gulliver in Lilliput to his nieces and nephews. This short was later featured as a segment in KINGDOM HEARTS 2.
"Thru the Mirror"--first released in 1936 Mickey falls to sleep while reading THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS and has a dream where he enters the looking glass, dances with a pair of gloves and a pack of cards, and is eventually attacked and chased by those same cards.
"Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip"--first released in 1940. Mickey and Pluto need to get from Burbank to Paloma, but dogs aren't allowed on the train as conductor Pete makes perfectly clear. Mickey sneaks Pluto on the train in his suitcase, but Pete finds out and chases them throughout the train.
As a collection of short cartoons, DISNEY ANIMATION COLLECTION 1: MICKEY AND THE BEANSTALK is a great collection. However, the pictures have in no way been cleaned-up or remastered. There's also no extras. If you don't already own these shorts, the DVD is worth buying. However, if you already own these shorts on other DVDs this is one you'll want to pass up.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"A hundred golden pazoozas!", April 26, 2009
Although known today primarily for its feature-length animated films, the Disney Company's bread and butter of the 1930's through the 1950's were its color shorts, many based on classic fairy tales incorporating Disney stars like Mickey Mouse and Goofy. The studio has just released a series of six DVD's under the Walt Disney Classic Short Films banner.
"Mickey and the Beanstalk" (Disney) is the best segment from the feature compilation "Fun and Fancy Free" (1947). It's the Disney take on the "Jack and the Beanstalk" tale, with Mickey Mouse standing in as Jack. Exquisite animation characterizes this adventure, as the beanstalk's vines twist and grow and slink about while Mickey attempts to grapple a singing harp from a goofy but dangerous giant.
"Thru the Mirror" (1936) is a splendidly surreal take on Lewis Carroll's Alice stories. Surrealism was wholeheartedly embraced by Disney's competitors, the Fleischer Brothers, but was uncommon at Disney. This cartoon is the exception, as Mickey is accosted by an angry umbrella, King Neptune emerges from the ocean on a globe, and playing cards dance in a Busby Berkeley-inspired extravaganza.
The other cartoons in this set are "The Brave Little Tailor," "Gulliver Mickey," and "Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip."
Though I love these shorts, I was disappointed in the overall quality. The cartoons are not remastered and the sound, though listed as Dolby Digital Surround Sound, is too often muddy. My suggestion would be to bypass this release or perhaps rent it, rather than buy. Disney cartoons are meant for repeat viewings and with the less-than-excellent visual quality, you'll likely become more annoyed with each subsequent viewing.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
~Classic Disappointment~, May 13, 2009
I would like to make a couple of things clear before I begin my review.
1.) This review is for 'Mickey and The Beanstalk' Disney animated short only.
2.) I bought this at Target not Amazon.com
I've had for a really long time wanted to buy 'Mickey and The Beanstalk' ever since the VHS tape I had of it was lost in one of my many moves.
So when 'Disney Animation Collection 1: Mickey & the Beanstalk' was released I was ecstatic and bought it for a premium price of $20.
The packaging and title screens are pristine in quality and sound however 'Mickey and The Beanstalk' is not, the animation looks like it hasn't been cleaned up in decades, even the VHS Version was better, the sound is horrific with the music and sounds and sound effects being really loud while the speech is very soft.
I agree with other previous posters to rent before buying because as much of a classic as this is it's not worth $20 and it's probably not worth watching more than twice in a decade.
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