One aspect of animation that always seems to get overlooked is that it all started with the shorter-form shorts that played before features. The star of this overall presentation is the very first animated short with synched sound, STEAMBOAT WILLIE, which to this day is a legendary and iconic piece of filmmaking that has lasted generations.
It was a nice surprise to see this release as part of Disney’s 100 year anniversary. We are going to see a lot more this year including 4k physical media releases of classic movies, more of which I hope to cover on the site as the year progresses! For reference, here is the official synopsis of this release:
ABOUT: Celebrate 100 magical years of Disney with this collectible compilation of animated shorts! Mickey and Minnie share their memories in new introductions to these 10 wonderful stories, which have entertained generations of children and adults alike. Included is the iconic “Steamboat Willie,” 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. Also included are “Brave Little Tailor,” featuring Mickey as a medieval tailor given a daunting task. In “Mickey’s Delayed Date,” the tardy mouse relies on his faithful pup Pluto to get him to a dance with Minnie. “Hawaiian Holiday” finds Mickey and his pals vacationing on a beautiful island. Then along with friends, Mickey and Minnie glide through a romantic date on a frozen river in “On Ice.” And catch five more delightful stories in this legacy collection.
About the Blu Ray:
The Blu Ray was not sent to me for review, but rather a gorgeous HD digital copy which redeemed to Google Play (as will the Blu Ray itself which includes a DVD along with the same digital copy code). All of the shorts retain their original 1.37 aspect ratio and are in mono sound and have been very well transferred. There is such a great film look to the entire presentation and all of the shorts come across very close to the original 35mm presentations. The Blu Ray will be able to play each individual short or you can simply hit the “Play All” which comes with a nice little introduction and then all the shorts will play after. The entire program runs about 84 minutes.
Other than the ways to play the feature program, there are no additional features on the disc. This comes strongly recommended for Disney collectors and especially with more legacy titles coming out in 2023, this is one great start.
The MICKEY & MINNIE shorts Blu Ray is now available for purchase, and is also available on VOD. As always we thank our partners at Disney PR for sending along a copy for review.