Blu-ray Review: “Mickey & Minnie 10 Classic Shorts – Volume 1” Begins The Celebration Of Disney’s 100 Years Of Magic And Wonder

Celebrate 100 magical years of Disney with this collectible compilation of animated shorts! Mickey and Minnie share their memories in new introductions to these ten wonderful stories, which have entertained generations of children and adults alike.

Disney Animation has evolved throughout the 1900s and 2000s, including the present year, 2023. Since the rise of home video, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has found a way to carry the tradition forward by releasing a bundle of classic animated shorts into animated-package films, which was a surprising move that Walt Disney and his animators did during the 1940s decade after the production of “Bambi” (and due to the outbreak of World War II). The first package is the Disney 100 celebratory release of “Mickey & Minnie 10 Classic Shorts – Volume 1,” which will receive a wide release on Blu-ray™, DVD, and Digital HD on February 7th.

Here’s the list of classic shorts featured:

• “Steamboat Willie” is the first cartoon with synchronized sound, in which the character of Mickey Mouse was first introduced as a deckhand on a riverboat commanded by the tyrannical Captain Pete
• “Brave Little Tailor” features Mickey as a medieval tailor who is given the daunting task of getting rid of the giant
• “Mickey’s Delayed Date” features the tardy Mickey who relies on his faithful pup Pluto to get him to dance on time with Minnie
• “On Ice” features Mickey and Minnie, whom they glide through a romantic date on a frozen river
• “Hawaiian Holiday” focuses on Mickey and his pals who are vacationing on a beautiful tropical island
• “Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip” follows Mickey and his dog Pluto traveling by train, though the only problem is that they have a rule of having no dogs from entering the train, enforced by Pete, who plays as a railway conductor

 

Other cartoons included are “The Little Whirlwind,” “Figaro and Frankie,” “Bath Day,” and “Thru The Mirror”

As the cartoons roll in between, a scrapbook sequence is included in the film, shown in widescreen (1:78:1) format, and is assembled by Mickey Mouse (voiced by Bret Iwan) and Minnie Mouse (voiced by Kaitlyn Robrock). There isn’t anything new to see as all the cartoons have been fully restored in high definition and look better, as if they gave this release a new complete makeover. Since most of the shorts have been shown in full-screen formats (1:33:1), each short film is pillarboxed in its original academy ratio, which varies slightly. Still, it’s a pleasurable viewing experience reliving the nostalgic era featuring the lovable mouse, introducing each classic short and offering 83 minutes of entertainment.

“Mickey & Minnie 10 Classic Shorts – Volume 1” is a beautiful way to honor the legacy of Walt Disney and his animation history. It marks the start of the Disney 100 celebration. This collection features a handful of Mickey Mouse’s most iconic cartoons while restoring some lesser-known titles that weren’t released on home video or television. I noticed the “Volume 1″ title, which indicates that there will be more releases in the future, akin to the Blu-ray/DVD release of the Pixar Shorts Collection or Looney Tunes package movies released from the ’80s. For the time being, this allows the fans and home video enthusiasts to collect something new while honoring the animation tradition that goes back in time to the earlier VHS days, mainly the Walt Disney Home Video Masterpiece, dated back in the ’90s.

Available on Blu-ray™ & DVD February 7th