Walt Disney Treasures - Mickey Mouse in Living Color

Rating:
Summary: The Beginning of the Mouse in Color!!
Review: The Walt Disney Treasures line starts out strong in this title, Mickey Mouse in Living Color. What we get are the first 26 color Mickey cartoons, all uncut the way Walt wanted them to be seen. Disney, known for some editing for political corectness, has done it perfectly here, and collectors can now watch these shorts at their leisure. The shorts included range from 1935-1938, from The Band Concert to Brave Little Tailor. Those who grew up watching these will love the nostalgia, while those who simply remember the time Disney Channel had programming worthy of the Disney name will be delighted to see these rarely seen (until now) gems.

The shorts have been listed numerous times so I don't need to do that. But in the Disney world today, true animation is being phased out for CGI, leaving classic animation as a lost art. Animation will never have the charm that the classics do though, which is why I am glad I got my hands on a copy of this dvd. Released in Wave 1 of the Treasures series, I think it sets the standard for what DVD can be and it truly gives justice to a seemingly lost art.

The shorts have been remastered to look the best they possibly can. The colors are bright and vivid and truly give a great viewing experience. Sound-wise it is the best it will be. A lot of people express dislike of Leonard Maltin and his intros to the politically-incorrect shorts, but if it weren't for him we would not be seeing the original versions. Doing the intros was the only way Disney would give the public the uncut versions of the toons, so thumbs up for Maltin and his part in giving us the Walt Disney Treasures. Lastly, the extras included are pretty good including Mickey Mouse in Living Color featurette w/ Leonard Maltin, as well as pencil tests for a few select shorts. There are some easter eggs you will want to check out, and while I cannot remember right off where they are, you can go to dvdeastereggs.com for a listing of any easter eggs (hidden material).

Overall I say any Disney fan must own this set. This may pose a problem to some because this is the rarest and most expensive of all of the Treasures. I recommend saving your money and buying this though because it is classic Disney at its best. All of the great aforementioned material comes in a special edition tin which is really great as well. If you are fortunate to find this set, you will be glad to have full access to some of the most creative and imaginative Disney animation there is. Be prepared to pay $90+ dollars for a mint in the tin copy though. This, along with the Goofy and Donald sets, is my favorite and in my opinion worth the price I paid. Get this while you can!