Movie Info
Movie Name: Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas
Studio: Disney Television Animation/Disneytoon Studio
Genre(s): Animated/Family/Seasonal
Release Date(s): November 2, 1999 (Denmark)/November 9, 1999 (US)
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Welcome to a Disney Christmas!
It is Christmas time and everyone in town is getting ready. The holidays can bring out the best and worst in people and Huey, Dewey, Louie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Max, Mickey, and Minnie are about to find it out.
Directed by Alex Mann, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas is a holiday animated feature. The film was a straight-to-video movie made up of three short. It is readily available online.
Disney shorts always get the the shaft when it comes to marketing. With Looney Tunes making their whole marketing around shorts, it always felt like the Disney features were not readily available or commercially worthwhile for Disney to make. Video kind of changed that and allowed some of the Disney key players to finally get some screentime…and that is not a bad thing.
The film is narrated by Kelsey Grammer and features solid animated in general…it feels slightly better than the Disney Afternoon animation, but steps below the big screen Disney films.
“Stuck on Christmas”
Huey, Dewey, and Louie decide to wish everyday would be Christmas and their Christmas wish comes true. As Huey, Dewey, and Louie find they are having to live Christmas over-and-over again, they have a chance to get it right.
This segment plays like Bill Murray’s Groundhog’s Day. The day repeats and repeats until Huey, Dewey, and Louie realize they aren’t treating the holiday correctly. When they learn to respect their family, the holiday moves on and everyone is happy. As a fan of DuckTales this is my favorite segment.
“A Very Goofy Christmas”
Goofy and Max prepare for Christmas, but when Pete tells Max that there is no Santa Claus, Max grows suspicious. Refusing to give up on Santa, Goofy finds himself as the only believer in the house when Max decides he’s been tricked.
This was an odd segment. Despite Santa being proven real at the end, if a kid was on the edge of believing, this could push him or her over the edge. It tells the truth about the situation but then re-establishes Santa Claus so it becomes almost a strange double-lie. Despite not being a Goof Troop fan, I find the sincerity of this entry more in the spirit than some of the other shorts.
“Mickey and Minnie’s Gift of the Magi”
Mickey and Minnie are struggling to get gifts for each other for the holiday. As Mickey tries to get a chain for Minnie’s watch, Minnie tries to find the money to buy Mickey a case for his prized harmonica.
Adapting O. Henry’s story, this entry might be my least favorite of the series because it is so predictable (though kids probably will not know it). I never have liked Mickey and this short didn’t help the cause by having a so-so story.
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas is a rather average, cartoon that kids will enjoy. I do wonder about some kids seeing the Goofy segment of the cartoon with the Santa Claus question and think that it could put enough doubt in the minds of some of the viewers that could ruin Christmas. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas was followed by Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas in 2004.
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“I have never liked Mickey…”. That’s your prerogative, but then why are you reviewing this movie??
As you stated, it is my prerogative. The film, despite having “Mickey” in the title, isn’t a Mickey-centric movie. I like Donald and I like Goofy. Not liking a character, actor, series, etc. doesn’t mean you don’t review it. Just reviewing things that are things you like isn’t necessarily casting a critical eye at things and feels rather shortsighted.