Movie Review: Celebrating Mickey

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: 13 Mickey Mouse shorts

Cons: Nothing new if you already have these shorts

The Bottom Line:

Celebrate Mickey

With collection of his shorts

From his long career

Mickey Debuts in Blu for His 90th

Mickey Mouse is turning 90 today!  Yes, DisNerds around the world are celebrating the birth of the icon that truly launched the Disney Company to where it is today.  And Disney is also recognizing the birth of this icon with Celebrating Mickey, a collection of 13 shorts from his long career.  This also marks the first time that these shorts have been released on Blu-Ray.

These shorts represent much of Mickey's career as a star of the short animated film, something that Pixar is known for and Disney has returned to a little.  Back in the early days of cinema, these short features, each running less than 10 minutes, were a staple before every movie shown in the theater.  That's how Mickey, and Disney, got their starts.

And there are many classic shorts in this collection.  It starts with the one that started it all, "Steamboat Willie."  From there, we get such classics as "The Band Concert," "Thru the Mirror," and "The Simple Things," the final appearance of Mickey and Pluto in the golden age of the animated short.  While Mickey's longer performances like "Sorcerer's Apprentice," "Mickey and the Beanstalk," or "Mickey's Christmas Carol" are not included, we do get his most recent theatrical role in "Ride a Horse," which debuted in front of Frozen just a few years back.

While all the shorts included have been released to home video before, this is the first time they've been released in a long time.  (Personally, I have most of them from the Walt Disney Treasures sets, which was roughly 15 years old.)  This alone will get many newer Disney fans lining up to buy the release.

Couple that with the fact that these are some classic shorts.  When you think of Mickey's best moments, these are the ones that come to mind.  I love many of them.  Yes, I have favorites that aren't included, but these are a wonderful representation of Mickey's 90-year career.

And yes, they have been restored for their new release.  To the average consumer, the difference between a DVD and a Blu-Ray release for animation this old is probably minimal if noticeable at all.  However, those who want some Mickey on Blu-Ray will be happy with the results.  And you can't beat the price.  Suggested retail price is $17.99, and that gives you just over an hour and a half of Mickey shorts on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital.  Truly, that's not too bad a deal, comparable with movies running the same length.  With no other extras, it is hard to argue you need this if you already have these shorts in your collection, but if you are missing them, then this is a wonderful way to get the highlights of Mickey's career.

As we celebrate the birth of Mickey Mouse, Celebrating Mickey is a great way for all of his fans to enjoy the best from a 90 year career.

Included Shorts:

1. Steamboat Willie (1928)
2. The Band Concert (1935)
3. Mickey’s Rival (1936)
4. Thru the Mirror (1936)
5. Boat Builders (1938)
6. Brave Little Tailor (1938)
7. Mickey’s Trailer (1938)
8. Tugboat Mickey (1940)
9. The Little Whirlwind (1941)
10. Mickey’s Birthday Party (1942)
11. Pluto’s Party (1952)
12. The Simple Things (1953)
13. Get A Horse (2013)