Fun and Fancy Free Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		2.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Fun and Fancy Free Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown August 8, 2014

Disney's 9th animated feature, 'Fun and Fancy Free,' was the last animated feature starring Walt Disney as the voice of Mickey Mouse, and the only film featuring all four of Disney's most famous characters: Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Jiminy Cricket. The film tells two stories "Bongo," based on "Little Bear Bongo" by Sinclair Lewis, and "Mickey and the Beanstalk," based on the classic fairy tale. In "Bongo," a mistreated circus bear escapes into the forest, only to realize life isn't any easier away from humans, especially in matters of the heart. Then, in "Mickey and the Beanstalk," Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy climb a magic beanstalk and find themselves face to face with Willie the Giant, an enormous brute the three friends have to outwit to rescue a beautiful singing harp and restore peace to their Happy Valley home.

Fun and Fancy Free brought back as many fond memories as The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. It just doesn't hold up nearly as well. "Bongo" is a cute little 37-minute underdog story, with a welcome dose of grass-is-always-greener reality moms and dads like to introduce to their children at a young age. Although it draws inspiration from Bambi and, of course, Dumbo, there isn't much to the story, or much to sitting through it. It has its moments I suppose -- kids will cheer Bongo on no doubt -- but it's easily forgotten soon after Lumpjaw takes a trip over a waterfall and Lulubelle falls into Bongo's arms.

"Mickey and the Beanstalk" is better thankfully... so long as you still have a soft spot for Mickey, Donald and Goofy. (My heart's grown a bit hard toward the iconic trio, but reminding myself that Uncle Walt was voicing Mickey for the last time helped soothe any old-man irritation before it set in.) As rudimentary as the mechanics of the short are, there's a sense of discovery and adventure lying in wait atop the beanstalk and a handful of sharp laughs to be had, if you're eight (or eight at heart) that is. Mickey's straight-man shtick, Donald's temper and Goofy's bumbly, tumbly antics have always worked best when playing off one another, and it's no different here. The fun is in watching the personalities clash and the friends' rise above their own shortcomings, banding together to pull off great things that couldn't be accomplished alone. Now if only the film's ungodly live-action ventriloquist sequences were erased from existence. That would be a true act of heroism. *Shudder*

Fun and Fancy Free Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Fun and Fancy Free's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is a different story, and not a good one. Noise reduction has been employed with such thoughtlessness that smearing and additional softness have been introduced to a film that wasn't razor sharp to begin with. Grain has been completely and mercilessly eliminated, along with fine textures. The animated sequences haven't been rendered nigh unwatchable -- we're not talking The Sword in the Stone Part 2, thank God -- but the live-action segments are, with waxy faces, blurry shots and unsightly midrange shots. Not that the animation is refined. Edges are sometimes too smooth or hazy, taking on the dreaded "magic marker" appearance (particularly in long shots of Mickey, Donald and Goofy climbing across the giant's furniture in "Mickey and the Beanstalk"), and a few select scenes have been smeared within an inch of their life ("Bongo" being home to the worst of it). Of course, color and contrast are strong, and everything still fares better than it did on DVD. But that isn't saying a lot.

Fun and Fancy Free Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Fun and Fancy Free offers a decidedly decent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Narration and dialogue are intelligible, grounded and neatly prioritized, music is full and engaging (if a bit tinny), and sound effects are given limited but effective directional play courtesy of the rear speakers. LFE output is more than serviceable too, considering the age of the films -- brutish bear bullies and lumbering giants are granted extra weight and presence -- and there aren't any problems begging to be noted. The important thing to keep in mind is that Fun and Fancy Free turns sixty-seven this year. It sounds great despite its years, but it certainly doesn't sound as if it were animated yesterday. Adjust your expectations accordingly and you'll be pleased.

Fun and Fancy Free Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disney has yet to release a standalone version of Fun and Fancy Free. Currently the film can only be purchased by way of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad / Fun and Fancy Free 2-Movie Collection Blu-ray, which also includes the 1941 feature film, The Reluctant Dragon.

Fun and Fancy Free Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fun and Fancy Free is only available via The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad 2-Movie Collection, and that's probably for the best. With a flawed video presentation sullied by noise reduction, the film doesn't look as good as it could. Or should. Its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is solid, but that only goes so far.