Movie Review: Mickey's Christmas Carol

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Short but effective version of the Christmas classic

Cons: End could frighten young kids

The Bottom Line:

Disney characters

In a classic Dickens tale

It's Christmas magic

Mickey and Friends Take on a Christmas Classic

The first time I saw Mickey's Christmas Carol, I already loved the Dickens' story on which it is based.  And with my love of Disney, it was a no brainer that I would love this "short."  Even as an adult, I still find it entertaining, even if it really truncates the story.

They have kept the important parts of the story the same.  Scrooge (Scrooge McDuck in an obvious casting choice) is a miserable miser who hates Christmas and over works Bob Cratchit (Mickey Mouse).  But one Christmas Eve, he is visited by his dead parter Jacob Marley (Goofy) who warns him about three more spirits.  Can visits from the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Jiminy Cricket), Present (Willie the Giant), and Future (Pete) help him see the need for compassion?

This is considered a short even though it is just under half an hour in length.  Of course, half an hour isn't nearly long enough to truly tell the story of A Christmas Carol.  As a result, they reduce most of the spirits to just a few minutes and one or two scenes each.  You might think this would cut the heart out of the story.  However, they still manage to hit the right notes to get you invested in the characters and the outcome.  I admit I tear up while watching it.

Of course, part of that might have to do with the fact that they use already beloved characters.  Watching Mickey interact with Tiny Tim means I already care about the outcome.

Speaking of casting, all the classic Mickey Mouse characters put in appearances here, although some of them are reduced to non-speaking parts.  Minnie doesn't get any lines as Mrs. Cratchit.  The biggest assortment of cameos happen at Fezziwig's party.  That's where we see Chip 'n' Dale as well as Horace Horse and Clarabelle Cow.  They also borrow heavily from The Wind in the Willow and Robin Hood to fill out the back ground characters.

Admittedly, some of the casting choices are funny.  Goofy as a swindling Marley?  Donald Duck as the happy, friendly nephew Fred?  But they work here.  Goofy especially works well to counteract what can be a frightening, intense scene.  Him bumbling actually makes Marley's appearance funny.  Other choices are perfect.  Jiminy Cricket lets Scrooge have it a couple times.  And Willie has a couple of funny lines harkening back to his part in Mickey and the Beanstalk.

But if we're talking about funny lines, the prize goes to Scrooge.  His argument as to why he shouldn't give money to the gentlemen who show up collecting for the poor kills me every time I see it.  It's still wrong, but it's very funny.

There is still one scene that could frighten young kids, the climax as Scrooge sees his fate in the graveyard.  They made the choice to give the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come a line and a face, the only time that has happened I know of.  Pete was always a villain to Mickey and his friends, and here he is menacing, as is the grave that Scrooge falls into.  So you might want to think about how easily your kids frighten before you sit down to watch this together.

The animation is wonderfully detailed.  I enjoy watching small things like footprints in the snow and cobwebs and dust.  Animation truly is an art form, and this short proves it.

Finally, there's the voice cast.  This was the first time Wayne Allwine voiced Mickey, a job he kept until his unfortunate death earlier this year.  To be honest, I find the cast fun for a purely non-Disney related reason.  Alan Young (Scrooge), Hal Smith (Goofy), and Will Ryan (Willie and Pete) were all on the kid's radio drama Adventures in Odyssey I love so much.  I can hear traces of those characters if I listen for it, but if I'm just watching the story, I believe they are the classic characters they are voicing.

No, this isn't anywhere close to a definitive take on Dickens' classic story.  But for a quick take on a classic, you can find much worse than Mickey's Christmas Carol.