Directors: Burny Mattinson
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 5, 2013
Run Time: 26 minutes
Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars
“Mickey’s Christmas Carol” is easily my favorite holiday special of all-time! Yes, I am serious. As a kid, I literally wore out our VHS copy, which we recorded off TV in the early 80’s. It is crazy to believe that this film is celebrating its 30th anniversary but I couldn’t be happier to have this film available in glorious Blu-ray. I have been getting very fed up with the ABC Family hack-job cut that they air each year, which cuts out various classic scenes. This Blu-ray is the complete and uncut special and has never looked better. I am looking to sharing this with my daughter each year with hopes that she can enjoy as much as I have for the last 30 years.
Official Premise: Mickey, Goofy, Donald and all their pals star in a heartwarming retelling of Dickens’ unforgettable holiday tale. Ebenezer Scrooge (Scrooge McDuck) is far too greedy to understand that Christmas is a time for kindness and generosity. But with the guidance of some wise ghosts (Goofy and Jiminy Cricket) and a bunch of newfound friends, Scrooge learns to embrace the spirit of the season. Share this wonderful holiday treat with the whole family.
This 30th Anniversary Special Edition gets the treatment from Disney delivering it as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy. I can’t wait to use the digital copy, during our upcoming holiday vacation and it’s good to have just in case we wear out of the Blu-ray disc. Haven’t grown up with this film on VHS tape, this special has never looked better. 30 years old? Humbug! “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” is beautifully digitally restored. The character outlining is so crisp and sharp, as is the colors, which really pop so well.
In terms of special features, the only let down for me is that they didn’t include the fantastic “The Making of Mickey’s Christmas Carol”, which has been available only on Youtube (see below, it is a must watch). Otherwise the Blu-ray includes some fun extras, especially for kiddies. There are five bonus animated shorts, which all equally look amazing in HD. “Yodleberg” is the first (and all-new) Mickey Mouse short, which really aired on Disney Channel this Fall. There are also classic shorts including “The Hockey Champ”. “Pluto’s Christmas Tree”, “The Art of Skiing” and “Corn Chips”.
Also included is one of my favorite new features that Disney has been behind, which is the “Disney Intermission”, in which Mickey invites viewers to sing Christmas Carols with all his pals when the film is paused. This is such a great addition to the release and makes pausing fun. There are three songs to enjoy including “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”, “Deck the Halls” and “Jingle Bells”. I really hope that Disney continues this trend, since it is one of my favorites and added a lot to the Blu-ray. Do not miss this release for sure Disney fans!
Just an FYI the making of special was released on DVD in the Walt Disney Treasures series