Just in time to celebrate Disney's 100th Anniversary comes Mickey & Minnie 10 Classic Shorts. This is the first of several planned releases throughout the year. The digital, Blu-Ray and DVD versions are out now.
The following shorts are included on the disc (1:23:14 total runtime):
- Steamboat Willie: It's a pleasant time for Mickey Mouse, who is whistling and merrily piloting a steamboat. However, Captain Pete angrily pushes him aside to take the wheel. Things get crazier when Minnie Mouse nearly misses the boat but drops her music. The sheet is eaten by a goat, so the two ingeniously find a way to produce the music, anyway.
- Brave Little Tailor: Mickey, a simple tailor, boasts about his prowess as a swordsman, supposedly having killed seven giants with one blow. He is called before the king, recounts his tall tale, and is recruited to slay a giant the king wants dead. Of course, Mickey didn't really do the deed -- he killed a few flies instead -- but when he learns that successfully slaying the giant will win him Minnie Mouse, he decides to take on the impossible task in hopes of earning great reward.
- The Little Whirlwind: Its baking day, and Minnie has prepared some scrumptious-looking cakes. Mickey Mouse wants some cake, too, and he's promised to have some if he will clean up Minnie's cluttered yard. However, a tornado pops up nearby, and it seems to have a mind of its own: a mind to make Mickey's chores a pain!
- Mickey's Delayed Date: Mickey has a date with Minnie, and he's about to miss it! When she rings to remind him that the time is at hand, he scrambles to get into his tuxedo. Unfortunately, a series of misadventures cause him to lose the tickets and ruin his formal wear. Can anything salvage this date?
- On Ice: This short follows a trio of on-ice tales: Mickey teaches Minnie how to ice skate, Goofy tries to go fishing using chewing tobacco as a lure, and Donald causes Pluto to go for an unexpected ride on the ice.
- Hawaiian Holiday: It's time for the crew to go on vacation, and where better than the sun, surf, and satisfaction of a relaxing Hawaiian getaway? Of course, in classic cartoon fashion, "relaxing" isn't the name of the game: antics and shenanigans are! In short: what can go wrong in Hawaii does go wrong in Hawaii, but to satisfying comic effect.
- Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip: Mickey and Pluto are travelling via train, illicitly. Dogs aren't allowed, so Mickey has smuggled his four-legged best friend in a suitcase. Can the two keep up the ruse, or will the train's conductor, Pete, catch wind of dog and dump the pair from the ride?
- Figaro and Frankie: Minnie's cat Figaro is trying to catch a cat nap but finding it impossible with the caged Frankie bird tweeting nearby. Fig wants to silence the bird, but Minnie threatens him with a good old-fashioned spanking if he does so. However, his feline instincts get the best of him, much to Minnie' chagrin and possibly Frankie's demise.
- Bath Day: Figaro needs a bath! Minne makes sure her cat is clean, and smells good, too, but the question is whether Fig can stay clean. Some stray cats will have something to say about that!
- Thru the Mirror: When Mickey falls asleep reading Through the Looking Glass, he finds himself in a topsy-turvy Lewis Carrol world! Can he navigate the newfound curiosities in this wonderland cartoon?
Unlike previous releases of shorts that feature a playlist where you can select to play each short individually or a "Play-All" option, you get a different approach with this release. Here it plays out more like a package feature with interstitials to play between each short. The idea is that Mickey and Minnie are putting together a scrapbook and looking back upon ten of their favorite memories.
The ten shorts that appear are all fully restored in high definition and look fantastic. Each short appears to have been restored as any of the full-length animated features of the time have been restored. The audio is a 2.0 Dolby Digital stereo mix, an upgrade from the original mono tracks.
Mickey & Minnie 10 Classic Shorts - Volume 1 is a wonderful way to celebrate Disney's rich animation history as part of the 100th Anniversary of the company this year. It is a fun way to showcase some of Mickey and Minnie's most iconic animated shorts and hopefully leads the way to move fun volumes throughout the year.
(Walt Disney Home Entertainment provided the digital copy for review purposes and my review is strictly my opinion only)
