With the nature of this reboot established
where it uses elements of the original series and shapes it into its own
appealing adventure, this episode’s potential for fun is made clear.The final result more than lives up to that
potential, coming off as a creative experience with a strong use of
character.
One of the Duck family’s
adventures leads them to a lavish expensive hotel located in the exotic city of
Macaw.It’s here where a tie to an
element of the original series is made when another uncle, Gladstone Gander,
approaches the family for help.He turns
out to be an interesting center for the adventure making good use of what the
world of DuckTales has to offer considering
his sparse appearances in the original series.
One advantage Gladstone’s appearance in this reboot has over the
original is a look at his dynamic with other characters.Being an uncle, one can’t help but wonder
what his relationship with Donald was like.Since Donald is featured more prominently in this reboot, this is the
place to get that answer.There’s a
major contrast with luck between the two with Gladstone always getting lucky
enough, particularly through always finding $20, while Donald is always stuck
with bad luck.For that it’s easy to see
some tension between the two, and it seems unbelievable that Gladstone is the
one who needs help.
As the family
explores the hotel, it becomes even harder to believe with the many cool things
it has to offer.There’s an enticing
floor show with elaborate water effects; Dewey bonds with a jade tiger; the
buffet temple is tempting and sumptuous; and Louie gets high class bonding time
with his uncle Gladstone.Even Scrooge,
who constantly belittles the amenities is partially swayed to stay at the hotel.
Then there’s consideration of Donald, the one
Gladstone actually needs the help of.Apparently, Gladstone’s luck is so good, he can’t lose at any game or
offer, and by extension, it means he can’t leave the hotel.This is further proven by mystical shackle
holding him to the hotel.Naturally, if
Donald is unlucky, this should mean he can actually allow Gladstone to lose and
be able to leave.In other words,
Gladstone’s good luck is actually more of a curse than a blessing, and it’s all
a work of a seemingly friendly hotel manager, Liu Hai.In reality, Liu Hai is actually an ancient
spirit who takes advantage of Gladstone’s luck by using his good fortune for
his own gain.
To free Gladstone, someone
must beat him in the ultimate challenge, an obstacle course made from the
material that makes up the hotel (which creatively turns out to be playing
cards).Scrooge offers to do it, but
ultimately Donald is chosen because he is a sure loser.Though it seems like all hope is lost, a
point is made by the nephews that Donald’s biggest strength is that he never
gives up no matter what’s against him.As it turns out, this accurate statement is what’s needed for Donald to
win the course.However, Gladstone still
turns out lucky because while he’s ultimately set free, Donald must stay in his
place.Even so, Donald being unlucky is
actually the better outcome because his bad luck ends up getting the casino
destroyed, and he’s set free by default.
By the end, this whole escapade is more or less something that just
happens, especially since Gladstone rarely shows up again (still more than in the original series though).Still, with great atmosphere, creative
challenges, memorable character moments, and interesting twists on concepts, it
all comes together as a strong adventure.
A+
Series Ranking
1.The House of the Lucky
Gander
2.The Beagle Birthday Breakout
3.The Impossible Summit of Mt. Neverrest
4.Daytrip of Doom
5.The Great Dime Chase
6.Escape To/From Atlantis
7.Woo-oo
The next review shows the boys compete for the position of an internship with tech wizard Mark Beaks.
Next time, all reviews are on hold so this blog can cover the series finale of The Owl House.
If you would like to check out other DuckTales reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
With the series tone and family dynamics now
established in the premiere, episodes are now open to explore everything at
play.It all begins with a simple
slice-of-life story like this exploring different facets.First, there’s Scrooge adjusted to being
closer to family ever since he moved everyone into his mansion as he spends the
episode mostly nonchalant to their presence.More prominent is Mrs. Beakley trying to maintain order as Donald uses
his own houseboat as his living quarters without taking up any space or power
in the mansion.However, the main plot is
about the kids with Huey, Dewey, and Louie attempting a day of fun as Webby
tries to join in.
The catch is that
Webby is far too energetic and action-oriented to approach even the littlest
situation the way average kids would.The opening demonstrates this greatly with her treating a game of darts
as a serious war.All the while, Webby
is certainly a ton of fun with how she approaches common pastimes.
Anyhow, she’s invited to join the boys on a
trip to an arcade called Funzo’s Fun Zone, which seems like an ideal place to
bond with her new friends.However,
Webby’s eccentric ways still are troublesome.Her first mishaps are over little things like failing at haggling which
exposes Louie trying to get free fruit punch and causing Dewey to lose high
scores on a valuable game.Then, just as
the boys are still about to accept her eccentricities, Webby accidentally
causes major damage to the facility leading to them all getting banned from
Funzo’s.
At the same time, more trouble
brews for them in the form of the series’ adversaries; in this case the most
common from the original series, the Beagle Boys.In terms of their characterizations in the
reboot, they’re seen as more cunning and calculating than the old show’s more
comedic portrayal.Still, they seem to
think too much alike with little to no traits to tell them apart, which was never an
issue in the original.Still, one of the
Beagle Boys, Bigtime, stands out for being ironically short and wanting credit
for a big heist.He organizes a plan to
capture Scrooge’s nephews and Webby as a way to get to his fortune, and
successfully locks them up shortly after Funzo bans them.Bigtime’s desire for credibility is made even
easier to see when he contacts his mother, Ma Beagle, to impress her with what
he’s accomplished; despite his efforts she’s still not impressed.By the way, this portrayal of Ma Beagle is very
in line with the original, but even more cold-hearted.
Still, a ransom note is sent out and is
intercepted by Donald and Mrs. Beakley which brings a turning point in their
subplot with Donald finally asking for her help.This is an effective setup for the climax as
is a heartfelt scene of Webby lamenting over failing to be a normal kid only to
be further reassured by her friends to be normal her own way.For that, she pulls off a very dark and
elaborate stunt to intimidate Ma Beagle where she uses the play area of Funzo’s
to lead the beagle matriarch into a trap.It’s ultimately an inventive scheme playing to the characters’
personalities and nature of the established setting.The same can be said for the takedown of the
other Beagle Boys where Donald finally shows capability by using his temper to
beat them up without needing Mrs. Beakley’s guidance.
In the end, everyone gets a better
understanding of each other and bonds are strengthened.This may be one of the simpler stories, but
it still demonstrates much to admire about the main family of the series.
A
Series Ranking
1.Daytrip of Doom
2.Escape To/From Atlantis
3.Woo-oo
The next review covers Scrooge's obsession of scaling this world's version of Mt. Everest, Mt Neverrest.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews is "Thai Feud" and "Adventures in Catsitting" in Amphibia.
If you would like to check out other DuckTales reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
Since this blog has started
reviewing the final episodes of the original series, it’s only fitting to look
at the first season of its reboot at the same time.What’s more, this show is probably a
testament for all reboots to look up to in this age of media with:
DuckTales
(2017) (Season 1)
Basic
Premise
In this age of entertainment, companies have a
tendency to bring back old properties and reboot them for a new
generation.Some might say that it’s an
excuse to capitalize on nostalgia.Not
only does this call for a lack of originality, but also a lack of understanding
of what makes the source material so great.Disney is no stranger to this concept in a lot of areas such as their
constant remakes of their animated films in live action.Their near-derivative stories and lack of
soul in composition make it clear that these films only exist for the money,
and adds to the sorry state of story ideas for media.This makes it all the more fortunate that
Disney is also responsible for the ultimate reboot.
Starting as a series of comics that added to
the Donald Duck universe in the 1940s and then turning into a TV show in the
1980s, Disney really got something special with DuckTales.It’s a fresh spin
with established characters by putting them in unique scenarios of creative
adventures and exciting thrills.Then in
the 2010s, it was announced that Scrooge McDuck and Huey, Dewey, and Louie
would be back in a new reimagining of the series.Upon its premiere in 2017, its strengths as a
reboot would be known almost instantly.It matches the tone, feel, and energy of the original series with a big
focus on adventure, imagination, and family ties, but also has ways of standing
as something all its own.In addition to
a more contemporary atmosphere, it would also adopt a newer eye-catching art
style and show more faithfulness to its roots; this is mainly shown through the costume designs and allowing Donald himself as part of the main cast instead of
shipping him to the navy.It would even
update some of the weaker elements of the original series into something more
substantial, and allow for stronger continuity and arcs between episodes.
To really see how successful this reboot is as
a series is, of course, to look through all the episodes starting with this
review set for Season 1.With all this
said, it’s time to get the adventure started, all while solving mysteries and
rewriting history.
Now on with the reviews
Woo-oo /
Escape to/from Atlantis
Reboots often come with skepticism over how
good and faithful to the original source material they’ll be.Luckily, this full-length premiere comes with
the best first impressions one can hope for.It’s a successful recapture of the original series’ themes of adventure
and family that’s also fresh and new as a series by itself.
This is made apparent by how the premise and
characters are introduced in this new incarnation.They’re all in a similar manner to how they
were introduced in the original series, albeit with a few notable differences.For one thing, there’s a more in-depth
introduction to Huey, Dewey, and Louie.They demonstrate their well-known traits of mischievousness and longing
for adventure with major ways to make them stand as their own characters
instead of one-in-the-same.Huey is very
studious and calculating, Dewey is the most reckless and ready to face any sort
of danger, and Louie is constantly scheming for the quickest way to
riches.These qualities stand out even
more when looking at the role of their uncle Donald who plays a much more
active and relatable role in this incarnation.He tries to keep his rambunctious nephews under control while also earn
a good job to support them which is especially stressful to a temperamental
duck like him.It’s all familiar
elements with its own fresh tweaks instantly putting this reboot off to a good
start. That said, the drastically different tones of the nephews’ voices can be
a tad off-putting after decades of them sounding like younger versions of
Donald.
Anyway, the plot soon gets
moving when Donald learns he can’t get a babysitter to watch the nephews while
he’s at a job interview, so he goes with his only other option.He calls to request them being watched by a
truly major character to DuckTales,
Scrooge McDuck.This seems to fit the
adventurous spirit of the boys since Scrooge is known to have had a very active
life.In reality, as shown in his introduction
for the reboot, Scrooge is put down by the hardships of being such a rich duck
with constant investor meetings sucking out the pleasures.He also demonstrates the effects of isolation
through being lonely and cut off from family.In fact, through his interactions with Donald, there seems to be some
major tensions between them that begs a lot of questions that eventually lead
to strong payoffs.
Still, Scrooge agrees
to watch over Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and their first introductions leave the
boys with major disappointment.In
addition to having no interest in adventures like they were hoping, Scrooge
barely interacts with the boys and expects them to be entertained with simple
marbles.Fortunately for them, this
mundane perception of Scrooge soon crumbles to the truth as they explore more
of his manor.At the same time, there is
much to be said about this reboot’s introductions to its takes on characters
completely organic to DuckTales.Launchpad McQuack, Scrooge’s chauffeur, is a
faithful recreation of being dimwitted and crash prone, but still loyal to his
charges.Mrs. Beakley still serves as
Scrooge’s housekeeper but is much more firm in keeping order.
However, the biggest and most welcome
incarnation is seen through Webby, easily a very smart change from the original
series.Rather than a saccharine little
girl archetype, this Webby is a very adventurous and spirited character ready
for adventure.She also has a relatable
fangirl-like fascination with Scrooge and his history, knowing a lot about his
adventures which apparently Donald was also part of; the latter is especially
hard to believe with how concerned he is with safety.With all this said about Webby, it’s not
surprising that interest picks up for the boys when they meet her and hear of
her recounts of Scrooge.
As she quickly
befriends them, she also introduces to a place in the mansion full of artifacts
of Scrooge’s old adventures.When
Scrooge inevitably catches them snooping around, many of them come together for
a climax big on adventurous spirit.A
spiritual gong goes off awakening a gold dragon that goes after Scrooge’s
fortune stored in his money bin.It
takes quick thinking of everyone involved, suitable albeit untraditional flying
from Launchpad, and use of tools both mundane and supernatural to beat the
adversary.By the end of that ordeal,
Scrooge and the nephews become closer with Scrooge being reminded of his old
adventurous ways and getting inspired for many more.He’s even willing to invite the nephews along
to show them how to go about adventures the right way, easily fitting what the
boys were after all this time.In other
words, the premise of the series is off to an effective start, and their first
adventure together soon lets itself be known.
The second half of the premiere covers this
first adventure with Scrooge and the kids venturing to find the lost city of
Atlantis and bring back its treasure.It
certainly is a good fit for what Huey, Dewey, and Louie want in an adventure
with a submarine voyage set off for parts unknown.There’s a solid use of character throughout
the voyage; while Huey is mostly an observer, his schedule and amenities
demonstrate his prominent trait of being crazy prepared and organized; Louie
and Webby have a notable subplot of covering Webby’s involvement in the
Atlantis adventure from her protective granny, Mrs. Beakley, with lies, fitting
his scheming ways.
However, the most
prominent character on the voyage is Dewey, the most adventurous of the
kids.A voyage to Atlantis sounds
exciting on its own, but since Dewey longs to take adventures to the extreme,
this is somehow not satisfying.Scrooge
may be organizing this trip, but does so in planning to get to Atlantis
the safe and uneventful way, avoiding all dangers.The thing is that Dewey actively wants to
face the dangers and see what it’s like to get the real feel of
adventures.Through watching this
behavior clash with Scrooge’s good reasons for playing safe, it’s hard to fully
sympathize with Dewey, but it at least is a good foundation for an arc.
While all this is going on, something is done
with Donald’s job interview where instead of becoming a simple accountant, he
too is roped into adventure.The man in
charge just happens to be Scrooge’s business rival Flintheart Glomgold, who’s
another welcome change from the original series.There, he was very similar to Scrooge in both
appearance, motivation, and background, yet his villainous ways were constantly
off-putting especially since they could always work together.Here, Flintheart is seen as a crazy greedy
lunatic right at the start, so any overly villainous action makes sense.As he leads the way through the very same
voyage to Atlantis, he makes a lot of his advances through Donald, someone who
clearly doesn’t fit within a group of threatening adventurers.He just happens to say the right thing to
lead to Flintheart’s ultimate gold, with his team arriving at Atlantis just as
Scrooge does.
Speaking of which, Dewey,
still wanting the adventure to feel like his idea of an adventure, eventually
gets his desire.Atlantis is full of
traps and while he doesn’t notice them at first, he and Scrooge get separated
from the rest of the group and find the treasure in a chamber full of traps.It’s also here where they cross paths with
Donald which further develops the tensions between him and Scrooge.Through it all is a lot revealed about Donald
to explain his concern for safety with particular emotion expressed through his
worries of people getting hurt through dangers.Said worries are revealed to have significant weight to them later in
the series, particularly a mention of something called the Spear of Selene.In a strong character building moment,
Dewey takes responsibility by explaining that he’s really to blame for getting
into danger as opposed to Scrooge.
He
also notices notable details to Atlantis itself as it enacts one of its death
traps setting out to drown everyone in the treasure chamber.In doing so, he discovers what its sacred
treasure really is and convinces Donald to stop plugging the leaks and trust
him.With Scrooge taking notice of
Dewey’s insight, they follow his lead to get that treasure atop the chamber,
escape the death trap, and reunite with the rest of the family.
After that, the adventure as a whole reaches
a solid conclusion that in turn transitions to the rest of the series.Flintheart, who took a different jewel
thinking it was the treasure of Atlantis while abandoning his crew, is
publicly proven wrong and humiliated; Mrs. Beakley discovers Webby’s lies but
allows her to go on adventures with Scrooge when convinced she’s safe with him;
and Donald becomes more open to letting the nephews visit Scrooge, especially
as a fire on his houseboat leads to them all moving in.It’s all an effective beginning to a series
of adventures with a lot to offer, but as the episode ends, it goes one more
extra mile.
The final scene has Dewey explore more
artifacts of Scrooge’s past, and in the process he finds a painting featuring
one other person fighting alongside Scrooge and Donald.It just happens to be Della Duck, Donald’s
sister and the boys’ long lost mother.This is huge because not just to DuckTales
but in the entire history of Disney, one can’t help but wonder what really
became of the boys’ parents.The fact
that this series is daring to address that historic issue and provide an answer
is a big selling point to the reboot.As
it also remains a hot topic for seasons to come, there’s just a lot more
appreciation in both the landscape of animation and all of Disney.
This premiere leaves one of the strongest
first impressions to the show.The
adventures are exciting and creative; the characters are well-defined; the
themes resonate with all ages; and the mysteries it addresses are very
insightful.It captures the adventurous
spirit of its predecessor while also shows off its own strengths, successfully
convincing audiences to come along for the rest of the ride.
A
Series Ranking
1.Escape To/From Atlantis
2.Woo-oo
The next review for the reboot follows the boys try to have a day of fun with the ever unconventional Webby.
Next time is the start of another new review set on the fourth season of Ed Edd n Eddy.
If you would like to check out other DuckTales reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
A few months ago, this blog covered a holiday special based on
a series of cartoons starring the ever-iconic Mickey Mouse.Like that series in general, it embraced the
endless comedic potential for animation with greatly staged gags and
atmosphere.At the same time, it did a
solid service to the legacy of Disney animation from references to the overall
looks and writing of the characters.This is especially refreshing since the Disney company has gotten a lot
of backlash for its corporate decisions in the last few years.Not that it’s unwarranted, but having Mickey
bear the brunt of it makes it seem like people don’t get the true nature of the
character.He may be seen as evil and
greedy due to being the mascot, but that’s not what he was created for.He’s a friendly, good-natured character inspiring
the best in everyone, and serving as the beginning of Disney’s many historic
accomplishments.The great quality of
these shorts is among the best ways to reflect this.With all this said, it’s time to look into
the other holiday special of this series, all about the ever-beloved Christmas.
Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse
Christmas Special
(December 9, 2016)
Speaking personally, two of my favorite things ever are
Disney and Christmas.Both things simply
have such a strong appeal that seems to inspire great memorable experiences
that stick with audiences forever.For
that, bringing both things together would make for a particularly exciting
combination.With this special, the
expectations are met for many interesting reasons.As a special starring iconic Disney
characters, it has a lot working in its favor already. The Christmas direction,
however, adds several layers of intrigue by highlighting a warm and caring
celebration, and insights on different ways one can spend the holiday.
It starts with the holiday unfolding in the most traditional
way possible; houses and streets with lots of lights and decorations, prospects
of snow coming, and within Mickey’s home, treats baking, a big tree, and a warm
gathering of friends.At the center of
Christmas, especially in this particular celebration, is Mickey himself whose
good nature allows himself to really get into the spirit.A big example of his extent is how he
highlights the atmosphere with an opening song describing the joys of the
season complete with a deeper yet soothing singing voice.The song itself is also a great way to start
the special, for once it wraps up, the audience suddenly learns that some of
Mickey’s closest friends won’t be joining him for Christmas.
Donald Duck, enthralled by Mickey’s Christmas celebration, is
reminded that as ducks, he and his girlfriend Daisy have to leave town and
migrate south for the winter.Basically,
for this special, though these characters are anthropomorphized animals,
they’re also tapping into the real world biology of their species.In following these rules, there’s a
continuity set up claiming that Donald has never celebrated Christmas
before.For many Disney fans, this could
be off-putting since there’s been plenty of material before and after this special
showing Donald celebrate Christmas, as well as being in the cold with no problems.However, it’s not too bothersome since these
characters never really seemed to represent a single continuity or rules.Everything they’ve done over the years has
placed them in all kinds of roles, and they all work as long as the audience
can still recognize them.For that,
anything can be done with them and it’s fairly easy to play along with whatever
a show or film sets them up to follow.
This can also be said with what Mickey’s fascination with
Christmas reveals about his background.In addition to him, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto going all out with the
holiday’s amenities in the present, Mickey has many fond memories of Christmas
in his past.This in turn leads to an
elaborate recount of those past Christmases interpreted with Victorian-era
backgrounds; Mickey narrating with an accent; and most insightful of all, looks
at his extended family he would typically celebrate with.The family lives of most of these Disney
characters is no doubt something people can’t help but wonder.While the members are merely named and shown
briefly in the flashback, it’s a neat touch that this special provides somewhat
of an answer to that.Still, because of
the standalone nature of these characters in this particular incarnation, it’s debatable if
this should be taken seriously.Despite
that, it’s a commendable effort, and serves the story well to give the basis of
Mickey’s love for Christmas, and make it so enticing for Donald.Still, there’s maturity to this matter as
even Mickey and the others understand that Donald really needs to migrate at
this time of year.There are emotional
sendoffs, a thoughtful gift given to Donald to remember his friends by, and
prospects of what he and Daisy will do once they get down south.It may seem like he’s simply going along with
the main plan, but then it shows just how enticing Christmas really is,
especially to those who never celebrated it before.
Though his need to migrate is exclusive to this special, it
still really gets Donald’s personality.As he’s known to be precocious in getting what he wants, Donald is
visibly tempted and enthralled by everything Christmas has to offer.As soon as he sees enough of it, he can’t
stand it any longer and makes his decision to stay for the holiday without
anything stopping him, including the calls of his girlfriend.
While Daisy ultimately heads south alone, complete with a
lavish tropical beach and appearances of other known Disney ducks like Scrooge
McDuck, Professor Ludwig von Drake, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie, she’s confident
Donald will just come south on his own.
Well, with how excited Donald was about Christmas, it’s easy
to guess that this is simply not the case.In fact, his excitement over celebrating Christmas for the first time is
a big thing that makes what happens later work.He’s warmly welcomed by Mickey and the others to join their Christmas
celebration, but they actually remind him of the winter weather and how it’s bad
for him.However, they let Donald stay
mainly because he wants to and he insists that he’s fine; no peer pressure
involved and therefore no ignorance of heart.This in turn makes what ultimately unfolds very entertaining in a manner only felt at Christmas.
Visually showing the appeal that comes from bringing Disney
and Christmas together, Mickey invites Donald along for a full itinerary of
traditions leading up to Christmas morning.Highlighting everything is a montage covering all sorts of traditions
set to another elaborate song number from Mickey.In addition to its spirit in music and
production values is heart in the lyrics all about how excited he is to share
Christmas with his friends.In context
of the special, it means so much more for Donald who, as established here, has
never experienced it before.In many
respects, not only does this song showcase the great and inviting allure of
Christmas and its traditions, but also Mickey’s true friendly nature.Being an honorable figure inviting others to
join him in celebrating Christmas represents him far better than any corporate
decision and is all around pleasing to watch.Not only that, but a song sequence is among the best ways of showing
many Christmas traditions at once.From
playing in the snow, to sleigh rides, to caroling, to presents, and more, it
goes to show that there’s a lot of fond memories to make from celebrating
Christmas.However, while this special
shows how fun and exciting Christmas is, there’s also a hard plot-related truth
to consider throughout the whole thing.
During the aforementioned montage, there are many instances
of Donald feeling the harsh effects of the winter weather.It’s a fitting consequence to all the
warnings beforehand that Donald, like all ducks, has to migrate at this time of
year.
The same can be said for a scene down south of Ludwig von
Drake explaining to Daisy and the others that Donald staying behind for
Christmas will lead to major health complications.Donald’s freezing, sneezing, and feather/beak
loss have already proved this during the montage, but his condition becomes
more apparent as the special goes on.
Just as Mickey’s traditions are about to reach Christmas
morning, Donald starts to not only look sick, but close to death.His loss of all feathers as
well as baggy eyes and overall demented demeanor shows how bad it is for him to be out of his environment.It should be noted that deathlike conditions
actually do not happen to ducks who don’t migrate in winter.The real reason they do it is to find more
food and nesting grounds at this time.There are little to no changes to their health if they stay where they
are in winter, so there’s no real basis for Donald’s condition.However, animation wouldn’t be as appealing
if it replicated reality 100%, and it does help to present a fact of nature as
urgent to explain why it happens.Also,
Disney is usually called out for downplaying severity of real life facts, so
it’s at least interesting that they would exaggerate severity in a way to benefit the
story.Ultimately, how far the special
goes with Donald’s sickly condition does benefit the story well in tying into
the truth on how to celebrate Christmas.
Unsurprisingly, Donald’s condition is near impossible to
ignore.Even Donald himself is aware of
how bad he is, but chooses to think nothing of that for the sake of
Christmas.However, those who do treat
it like it is are Mickey and the others.Despite spending the entire special indulging in their traditions, they
all keep an eye on Donald, making sure he’s all right and that the winter
weather isn’t too hard on him.Of
course, it gets to the point when Donald just appearing is enough to make it
clear that it IS extremely hard on him.They all make the decision that their usual Christmas celebration must be
put aside for getting their friend back to good health.At the same time, they’re doing exactly what
Christmas stands for, stopping at nothing to serve those who are close.
With Donald in major denial over how serious his condition
is, there is difficulty in pulling this off when he goes on a rampage,
desperate to celebrate Christmas.
This demented display ultimately lands him in a setup similar
to the Nativity, prompting Mickey to pray for a way to save his friend.Thankfully he gets that through the
involvement of another Christmas tradition.
Right on cue, Santa Claus has arrived, and with his sleigh
unattended, Mickey and the others use it to get Donald down south.Through a set of comedic antics common to the
show to speed up the flight, they arrive at Daisy in the south at lightning
speed.
There's a touch of dark comedy when it looks like the end for
Donald with the sight of a roast duck, but it turns out to be another duck
sunbathing, and Donald’s actually fine.
It’s a typical outcome for sure, but it’s effective after how
convincing it was that he wouldn’t make it.
Then the conclusion comes with simple yet interesting truths
to matters of Christmas.Though Donald
is officially saved, he’s sad because he missed Christmas and apparently can’t
have it now that he’s down south.
As Mickey is being rightfully reprimanded by Santa for
stealing and crashing his sleigh, he explains the reasons behind his
actions.He just wanted to give Donald
his first Christmas and then keep him alive when nature became too hard for
him.
Though this incarnation of Santa appears big and threatening,
his jolly side pop culture tends to exploit shines through and he’s thankfully
understanding.Out of this, he explains
that it doesn’t matter where or how one celebrates Christmas, because sharing
joy and getting into the spirit can happen anywhere.
With that, to finish off the special, Santa spreads some
Christmas magic to fix up the wreckage, and everyone has a great Christmas in
the south.Now, this message should be
obvious since almost everyone on the planet should know that location has no
bearing on whether Christmas can happen.In fact, very few people seem to experience the idealistic white
Christmas when it actually is that time of year.However, this may be the point.That idealistic vision is just that, but it’s
been ingrained in people’s minds so much that it doesn’t feel like Christmas
without it.Having Christmas unfold in a
warm tropical environment is like a big reality check that the media should be
going for and be relatable to the audience.It’s a notable element that deserves more praise than some may
think.To this day, there seems to be an
agenda of how a Christmas celebration should look and feel, but this special
has an interesting way of showing that’s really not the case.With everyone ending the special having a
great Christmas on the beach with Donald declaring it exceeded his
expectations, it certainly does its job well.
Great Christmas specials bring out the best in a group of
people behind them or the established characters starring in them.This is what makes the special work with all
the entertaining hallmarks of this incarnation of Mickey Mouse on display.It’s of course really funny and energetic,
but it also has a lot more to it with insightful backgrounds, and stakes that
don’t hold back but still have a humorous spirit.Above all, everything is tied together with a
relatable and poignant Christmas message that doesn’t seem to be discussed enough.In an age where it’s
hard for a lot of people to think of Mickey Mouse without bringing up Disney’s
corporate greed, this is a welcome show of Christmas spirit to look into.
