|
The Movie: Arguably one of the finest things Disney has done in recent years, the "Walt Disney Treasures" line has allowed consumers to be able to purchase rare archive live-action and animated material from the studio's early days, most of which has been restored to very pleasing condition. The series has offered everything from classic Mickey and Donald cartoons to the Davy Crockett TV series. In this case, we get the second volume of rare animated shorts staring everyone's favorite cartoon waterfowl, Donald Duck. These shorts, which were produced between 1942 and 1946, contain some of Donald's best adventures. The first short included, "Bellboy Donald", which has Donald's temper getting him in trouble with hotel guests, is one of my favorites. Other highlights on this set include: "Donald's Garden" (Donald engages in a hilarious battle of wits with both a gopher and his garden's water pump), "Cured Duck" (Donald tries a program in order to control his anger when girlfriend Daisy won't put up with it anymore) "Old Sequoia" (Donald plays a park ranger who has to protect an old tree from beavers), "The Plastics Inventor", where Donald bakes a plane and then scrambles to keep it in the air while it's melting away during its first flight, and others. Once again, the Disney Treasures sets in this fifth wave are offered in a limited run of 125,000 each - a numbered certificate of authenticity is included inside the set itself. As with the other sets, these make terrific Christmas gifts and are certainly something the whole family can enjoy. Der Fuehrer's Face Donald's Snow Fight Donald Duck and the Gorilla Donald Gets Drafted Commando Duck Duck Pimples Donald's Off Day Bellboy Donald Donald's Double Trouble Fall Out-Fall in No Sail Cured Duck The Old Army Game Donald's Crime The Clock Watcher Sky Trooper The Vanishing Private The Plastics Inventor Old Sequoia Wet Paint The Flying Jalopy Trombone Trouble The Eyes Have It Dumb Bell of the Yukon Donald's Tire Trouble Home Defense Frank Duck Brings 'em Back Alive Donald's Gold Mine Contrary Condor The Village Smithy Donald's Garden Lighthouse Keeping The DVD VIDEO: These Donald adventures are presented in their original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio by Disney. Picture quality is first-rate, as the animation appeared crisp and well-defined throughout most of the proceedings, with only a few minor patches of softness and graininess. No edge enhancement, pixelation or shimmering was spotted, but some minor print flaws (a few specks, marks, slight dirt and inconsistent grain) were spotted. Colors remained, for the most part, more lively and bright than expected, given the age of the shorts. SOUND: The mono soundtracks sound perfectly fine, considering the age of the shorts. Some slight background hiss is present, but dialogue, music and sound effects are easily understood. EXTRAS: Intros by Leonard Maltin, interview with current Donald voice artist Tony Anselmo, "The Art and Animation of Carl Banks" featurette, animation art gallery, "Timeline: 1941-1945" and the lengthy (nearly 50 minutes) "Day in the Life of Donald Duck" featurette, which takes a look at Donald's early history. Final Thoughts: These are absolute classic shorts, many of which I fondly remember watching as a kid. Presented with very good audio/video quality and a few nice extras, this Disney Treasures tin is definitely recommended. |