Mickey's Christmas Carol 1983

[7.2/10] Full disclosure, I never saw this special as a kid, so I don’t have the sentimental attachment that a lot of folks do. Still, it’s a cute adaptation. I have to admit that I can’t help but compare it to The Muppets’ efforts to insert their familiar cast into the classic tale and prefer that kid-friendly adaptation (which I do have sentimental attachment to), but this one is still roundly enjoyable.

The area where this one ecels or at least stands out is in making Scrooge seem like a real jerk. More so than even in some serious adaptations, there’s (cartoony) extremes to his miserliness that sell how much of a stingy grump he is.

Unfortunately, that digs a deeper hole for the three spirits to have to pull him out of, which becomes tough in such a compressed adaptation. We don’t really get a lot of time in his vision quest to account for his change of heart. But it’s still fun to see Jiminy Cricket, the Giant, and especially a cigar-chomping, reaper robed Pegleg Pete as the three spirits. The special has particular fun in animating Scrooge’s relief and glee when he awakes a changed man.

The decisions in terms of who’s “cast” as whom work out well. Mickey as Bob Cratchit and Donald as Nephew Fred are natural moves. Goofy as Marley is a little more outside the box, but succeeds in putting the other member of the main Disney trio into the proceedings. The special finds neat ways to integrate pretty much all the characters from Disney’s The Wind in the Willows adaptation of all things, which is fun. And cameos from Chip and Dale and others are welcome.

Overall, this one won’t climb terribly high on my Christmas Carol adaptation rankings, but it’s still a solid and squarely entertaining version of the old yuletide story.