It truly is sad how Disney has treated Mickey’s Christmas Carol with an awful video transfer and only satisfactory audio which itself wasn’t upgraded at all. There are no features to speak of other than some decent animated shorts.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol: 30th Anniversary Edition (1983)
Genre(s): Animation, Family, Drama
Disney | G – 25 min. – $36.99 | November 5, 2013
MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: NA
Writer(s): Charles Dickens (original material)
Voice Cast: Alan Young, Wayne Allwine, Hal Smith, Will Ryan
Theatrical Release Date: December 16, 1983
DISC INFO:
Features: 5 Animated Shorts, DVD Copy, Digital Copy
Number of Discs: 2
Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 2.0), French (Dolby Digital 2.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.78
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Disc Size: 21.9 GB
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C
THE MOVIE – 4.0/5
Plot Outline: Make the season merry as 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.
Quick Hit Review: Although only 25-minutes, Mickey’s Christmas Carol has always been a favorite of mine as a kid seeing my favorite Disney character portray characters from Charles Dickens’ classic story. It might be going on 30 years old, but this animated short still resonates today and should satisfy both old and young.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.0/5
The release comes with a glittering slip cover and inside a standard DVD Copy and Digital Copy code.
Unfortunately there’s not much here outside of 5 Animated Shorts, including a new one and the annoying Disney Intermission in which “Mickey invites viewers to sing Christmas carols with his pals” when you pause the movie.
VIDEO – 1.75/5
Disney has once again cheapened out and royally screwed fans with not only an inferior transfer but one that’s downright insulting. The 1080p high-def transfer might look OK from afar and perhaps on a smaller television set, but the picture went through a scrubbing removing all signs of grain and detail. Colors at times look fine but others seemed to have been brightened because, well, its high-def and we need to make it look it. This is a mess of a transfer with DNR and over-sharpening and it is obvious that Disney wanted to do a quick release and in the process, did a disservice to such a classic.
AUDIO – 2.75/5
Not unexpectedly, the movie retains its original Dolby Digital 2.0 track which, while nothing amazing, is serviceable. Dialogue levels are strong and other elements, such as when Scrooge is visited by the spirits, offer minor depth for a stereo track. I wish Disney chipped in for a lossless upgrade but given the horrors of the video, I’m not surprised.
OVERALL – 2.0/5
Overall, it truly is sad how Disney has treated Mickey’s Christmas Carol with an awful video transfer and only satisfactory audio which itself wasn’t upgraded at all. There are no features to speak of other than some decent animated shorts. I suppose if you don’t already own this and can get it under $10, it might be worth but only for the short and not for the video work done.
Published: 11/16/2013