6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Best buddies Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are small-time janitors with big dreams of becoming Musketeers. Their lives are turned upside down when Peg-Leg Pete, captain of the Musketeers, and his sinister lieutenant Clarabelle use them in a dastardly plot to rid the kingdom of Princess Minnie -- the only mouse standing in Pete's way of the throne. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy may not look like heroes, but they have a surprise for Pete. Powered by teamwork and friendship, they soon learn that they can accomplish anything if they work together.
Starring: Wayne Allwine, Tony Anselmo, Bill Farmer, Russi Taylor, Tress MacNeilleFamily | 100% |
Animation | 87% |
Comedy | 49% |
Musical | 36% |
Period | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (as download)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Disney loves August. I don't quite understand the trifecta of late summer, Blu-ray and family entertainment, but the Mouse House has once again settled on August as the month du jour, unleashing another deluge of new releases. Four Walt Disney Animation Studios feature films are making their BD debut -- Fun and Fancy Free (1947), The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949), Hercules (1997) and Tarzan (1999) -- as is the nearly forgotten RKO Radio Pictures feature The Reluctant Dragon (1941), live-action classic Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), direct-to-video DisneyToon movie Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004), brand spankin' new sequel Muppets Most Wanted (2014) and DisneyNature's latest natural history documentary, Bears (2014). For those keeping count, that's nine films spread across seven Blu-ray releases. Whew. Most studios would space it out. But Disney? Open the floodgates, gentlemen. Given the second, sometimes third tier nature of most of the films, though (save Muppets Most Wanted), it isn't exactly overwhelming. Most fans will pick and choose their favorites. Only a select few completists will have to find a way to purchase all seven in bulk.
Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers is the black sheep of the bunch. Produced by DisneyToon Studios, it's a fun little adventure for kids I suppose, but even at 68 minutes, it overstays its welcome. Nerve-grating songs, third tier animation, flat-footed jokes, a looser than loose adaptation of Alexander Dumas' classic novel (and a mediocre one at that), and other missteps add up to an average, perhaps even subpar outing for the iconic trio, and there isn't much here anyone, young or old, will find all that memorable.
Disney's crisp, clean, faithful 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is about as close to perfect as I imagine it could get. Aside from a bit of noise and extremely minor artifacts that creep into a handful of shots, there really isn't anything to criticize. Colors are rather bright and washed out on the whole, but that's a product of the original animation. It isn't a distraction, though. Primaries are still pronounced, black levels are satisfying, contrast is consistent and detail is terrific. The animators' line art is nice and sharp, without any significant ringing or aliasing to report. Likewise, fine background textures are intact, without exhibiting any problems that might hinder the integrity of the image. The Three Musketeers isn't a stunning animated production, so don't expect a miracle here. But as encodes go, this one is exceptional.
The same sentiment applies to Disney's decidedly solid but ultimately forgettable DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. While nothing is technically "wrong" with the mix, the movie's sound design isn't all that impressive. Even so, voices are intelligible and competently centered, LFE output lends notable oomph to action scenes and swordfights, and the rear speakers are active enough to create a fairly involving soundfield. It isn't the stuff of feature animation, but as direct-to-video productions go, it certainly gets the job done. I don't have any real complaints.
Hm. Cut it down to twenty minutes and Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers might make for a semi-decent television special. As is, there's just too much, with too small a payout, and all of it is too pedestrian to warrant such a high price point. Had it been bundled with a better animated film, it would have been a welcome bonus feature. As a standalone release? Even with an excellent video presentation and a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, I'd have to say "no thank you." There are far better titles to add your collection; many of which arrived from Disney on the same day The Three Musketeers made its Blu-ray debut.
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