Mickey's Christmas Carol

Walt Disney’s “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” is not among the best film adaptations of Charles Dickens’ classic story. Much of the story is omitted or condensed, which leaves you wanting more. However, this makes it ideal for those who want to get into the true spirit of Christmas but are crunched for time.

Ebenezer Scrooge (Scrooge McDuck, voiced by Alan Young) is a bitter miser who resents giving his employee Bob Cratchit (Mickey Mouse, voiced by Wayne Allwine) time off for Christmas and gleefully exploits those indebted to him while giving nothing back to mankind. The cheapskate gets a chance for redemption when the ghost of his long-deceased associate, Jacob Marley (Goofy, voiced by Hal Smith) appears and announces the arrival of three Christmas spirits to teach him a lesson.

Whether you’re nostalgic for it or not, there’s a lot of good stuff here. I challenge your heart not to take a small leap when the film’s opening song (Oh What a Merry Christmas Day) begins playing. The comedy throughout is effective without taking away anything from the story’s heartfelt drama. It’s beautifully animated, and there's a very particular joy in spotting classic Disney characters (both fan-favorites and obscure ones) making cameos in the background. Though condensed down to a mere 22-minutes, the story is compelling. Thanks to a combination of the animated medium and the use of familiar cartoon characters, this adaptation brings something new to the equation.

The only real flaw - you might've guessed it - is the picture’s length. Considering how successful it is, you crave a 90-minute version that contains more than the absolute essentials and nothing else. There’s a lot more to this story than just what’s seen here, making much of it feel like a Made-for-TV special or a short that would appear before the main feature. In fact, upon its initial release, it WAS a precursor to a re-release of a Disney Classic. Today? “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” is sold on Blu-ray on its own. Even with the special features, that’s an expensive short.

"Mickey's Christmas Carol" is a great-looking, well-animated, and charming film with numerous memorable scenes and plenty of real emotions. For many, the Christmas season isn’t complete without seeing it at least once, which makes the investment you pay worth it after a couple of years. You can easily see why it's a favorite. (Theatrical version on the big screen, December 22, 2018)