Aquamanía

Disney Plus's short film section appears to have had a bit of a revamp, so there are some new shorts that have appeared nearer the top. One such film is "Aquamania" a 1961 cartoon starring Goofy as a man involved with some water-based entertainment.

Having indulged in the very familiar American pastime of owning a boat, Mr X (Goofy) (Pinto Colvig) heads to the open water with his son to engage in some water skiing. Goofy Jnr (Kevin Corcoran) though is a little over enthusiastic and enters a race. Having gone underwater, Goofy collects an innocent Octopus who ends up participating in the race with them.

Definite and obvious change in visual style here from the classic era cartoons from twenty years earlier. I'd describe it as being 60's style, rather than having that enduring look. Wikipedia tells me that this is the first Goofy cartoon to use Xerography as a technique, which I think makes the dark black lines stand out a little more. The same technique would be used on "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" that was also released this year.

I often find it tough to review these cartoons, as I can remember when access to these was rare, so they were delightful additions to a TV schedule. It doesn't work like that now though, and I'm looking for things that my forty-year-old brain appreciatse, rather than the six-year-old one. It's not much fun though, despite the wild ride that Goofy ends up going on and certainly once the analogy to alcoholism is done.

Too much quality to dislike it, but not enough going on to really like it.

I recently saw this short on the Disney Channel. It features Goofy and his son, who I don't know the name of. In the short, Goofy and his son plan to go boating on a peaceful sunny day in the ocean, but end up getting involved in a crazy boat race and not to mention a run in with an octopus. I thought this cartoon was one of Goofy's greatest hits and possibly the last of his greatest as he would appear on the children's show "Goof Troop", which is just plain boring (although I liked it as a kid). This short will make people of all ages laugh.

Disney have many classics under its belt, shorts and feature films, and Goofy- the funniest and most well developed of the popular re-occurring characters- has been in some of them. Aquamania is interesting for the use of Xeroroxing(the first use of it in a Disney short) and that it was Goofy's first short since 1953. However, while watchable it's not up there with the classics. The animation is not very appealing here, the Xeroroxing technique worked very well in the 1960s feature films but here it was such a departure from the usual Goofy animation style that if it weren't for Goofy being in it and the documentation format that the How to...series adopted you wouldn't be sure whether it was a Goofy short or not. Instead of bright, colourful and bouncy, it is rather flat, scratchy and not as careful. The story doesn't generate that much spark, it is rather routine and not as crisply paced and doesn't quite seem to sustain its 8 minutes(or so) length. And there does seem to be too much of a re-hash feel to it, yes. The music is lively and characterful with luscious orchestration and a great ability to be in sync with the gags and such. The documentary-like narration entertains and teaches, still delighting in how Goofy manages to do the opposite of what the narrator is saying, it's a very familiar format but one that works. The gags are at least amusing if not particularly exceptional, Goofy is still a likable and funny character and the vocals are done with enthusiasm at least though they've had more inspired material. In conclusion, disappointing for Goofy but as an overall short it is still watchable. 6/10 Bethany Cox

This is one of Disney's later animated short cartoons, featuring Goofy!!!!! "Aquamania" was released back in 1961 (Now that's late!), and it's a very good short. It's been a while since seeing it, but I do remember a part where Goofy was trying to get a boat into the water!!!!! Good stuff!!!!!

I've seen this first on VHS back in the early 90s (it was green and had sports shorts on the tape) because they didn't have my usual red "Fun on the Job" tape. Then I've seen this on the Old Disney Channel as a short by itself and on "Walt Disney Presents" (the part where that scientific duck (Is it Prof. Von Drake?) puts a little water on a microscope slide and we see boats shooting across the slide was seen before the cartoon started).

"Aquamania" - good short, good times!!!!!

10/10

In a town where almost a third of the population are "aquamaniacs" we are introduced to "Mr X" ("Goofy/George"). Now a while back, he was just a normal working man, but after he espies a boat shop, his head turns to maritime mush. Water on the brain perhaps? Anyway, he decides that he has to have one for him and his family, and so with water-skiing lessons in mind for "Junior", these land-lubbers head for the nearest lake (along with the rest of his seagoing neighbours) and some daft regatta-style antics ensue. I'm not sure this does the US car industry many favours but there are some fun facial expressions as the water-borne activities become more like a perilous form of water-jogging. We get our own version of a chariot race where even the octopuses aren't safe - but can they win the race?! It goes on a bit long, but is good fun, this.