12 Reviews of Christmas - Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas (1999)

         Hey guys, Chuck here. As we continue 12 Reviews of Christmas, it's time to discuss Disney once again. And Disney's biggest icon is, of course, Mickey Mouse. Now, most of my readers would assume I'll be talking about Mickey's Christmas Carol, and I do plan to review it on Christmas Eve to wrap up 12 Reviews of Christmas, today I'm talking about Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas. Narrated by actor Kelsey Grammer, this direct-to-video holiday special tells three festive short stories centered around Mickey, Minnie, Donald and his nephews, and Goofy and his son Max. 

    The first of these stories, focused on Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, tells of Christmas Day at Donald's house, and how the boys wish it could be Christmas every day. Huey, Dewey, and Louie wake up the next morning to find it's Christmas Day once again. And the next day, and the day after that, and on and on. As the days go on, and it's still Christmas Day, Huey, Dewey, and Louie learn to think of others at Christmas, and finally they break the cycle by doing so. The next story focuses on Goofy and Max. Max is having doubts about the existence of Santa Claus, and Goofy works really hard to make Max believe in Santa, even going as far as staying up all night on Christmas Eve. After mistaking a burglar at Pete's house for Santa, Goofy decides to dress as Santa himself to prove to Max that Santa is real. Eventually, the real Santa does arrive and give Max what he wants. When Max asks if Goofy got what he wanted from Santa, Goofy tells him that he always gets the same thing he asks Santa for: Max's happiness. The last story, based on O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," focuses on Mickey and Minnie, both of whom are unable to afford gifts for each other. Mickey wants to get a gold chain for Minnie's heirloom: a watch, but Mickey's boss takes his money and fires him for selling a small tree to a poor family who can't afford a Pete-Ten-Footer tree. Meanwhile, Minnie, who wants to get Mickey a case for his harmonica, learns from her boss Mortimer Mouse that her Christmas bonus is a fruitcake. Mickey and Minnie eventually decide to sell their prized possessions to buy the presents they want to get for each other, making the gifts useless. Much like in O. Henry's original story, Mickey and Minnie realize it's the thought behind each gift that really counts. The special ends with a medley of "Jingle Bells," "Deck the Halls," and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." 

        Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas is a heartwarming holiday special. The stories are short but sweet, and seeing Mickey and his friends in three holly jolly short holiday stories is always nice. Kelsy Grammer's narration is great as well. I'm going to give Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas a rating of 5/5. Now, there was a CGI animated sequel, titled Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas, but I'll be taking a look at that one next year. As for this year, 12 Reviews of Christmas continues tomorrow with Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review - The Thundermans Return (2024)

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Last night, I watched the new movie The Thundermans Return on Nickelodeon, and I have a few thoughts on it. For those who don't know what The Thundermans was, it was a Nickelodeon sitcom that ran from 2013 through 2018, and focused on a family of superheroes known as, well, the Thundermans. The show was okay, at least the episodes I happened to catch when it was on, but after seeing a lot of the advertising for this movie, I was genuinely tempted to check it out. So, here's my review of the new Nickelodeon movie The Thundermans Return.           So, the movie starts off with the Thunderman family, who since the end of the series have moved to the city of Metroburg, and are fighting crime as the superhero team the T-Force. And, something worth noting is that the family has aged in real time, so we see that Phoebe and Max are now adults, Nora and Billy are high schoolers, and Chloe is a middle schooler. Unfortunately, after a mission gone awry due to
Read more

Review - Ocean's Eleven (2001)

       Hey guys, Chuck here. Back in the 1960's, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the rest of the Rat Pack teamed up and made a movie called Ocean's 11 , which told the story of a military veteran named Danny Ocean, who teams up with his fellow squad members to rob a number of casinos in Las Vegas. It was definitely a product of the time, and is actually a really fun movie. Seeing Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the Rat Pack on screen together is just genuinely fun.        In 2001, producer Jerry Weintraub and director Steven Soderbergh would bring together a fantastic cast to tell a more modern version of the Rat Pack classic, and that's the movie we're talking about today. This is my review of the 2001 Steven Soderbergh film Ocean's Eleven starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts, along with the likes of Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Eddie Jemison, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, and
Read more

Review - Night at the Museum (2006-2014)

          Hey guys, Chuck here, and after reviewing Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon, I needed something of a pallette cleanser. And, thus, I'm taking a look at the Night at the Museum trilogy, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ben Stiller, Rami Malek, Mizuo Peck, Ricky Gervais, Patrick Gallagher, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, and Robin Williams, with additional cast members throughout the series including the likes of Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Carla Gugino, Bill Cobbs, Charlie Murphy, Jake Cherry, Amy Adams, Bill Hader, Hank Azaria, Jon Bernthal, Christopher Guest, the Jonas Brothers, Dan Stevens, Skyler Gisondo, Rebel Wilson, and Ben Kingsley.          So, the first Night at the Museum was released in 2006, and focuses on struggling entrepreneur Larry Daley, who ends up getting a job as the new overnight security guard at the Museum of Natural History, taking over for the older guards Cecil, Reginald, and Gus. Larry also befriends one of the daytime staff, Rebecca, and has a few r
Read more