O Barco do Mickey

Before VHS tape and DVD technology, many old movies and old cartoons were re-released every few years. I was a preteen in the early 1950's and vividly remember first seeing the 1938 "Boat Builders" just before a Roy Rogers Saturday matinée flick at the local theater. It was the funniest cartoon I had ever seen. I laughed aloud continually through the entire seven minutes as Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and their animated friends build a boat and launch it with outrageous slapstick humor aplenty. The whole audience joined me in the laughter. Several years later I watched "Boat Builders" again. It was still funny and enjoyable, the animation still amazing. I'm rating this cartoon from the standpoint of a preteen. For youngsters yesterday, today, and tomorrow, this one is a winner.

As I continue to review the films that make up the "shorts" section on Disney Plus, I arrive at another classic Disney short, from the days of RKO's distribution that I can imagine went down reasonably well at the time, but doesn't have much going for it for a middle-aged man almost a century later.

Mickey (Walt Disney), Donald (Clarence Nash) and Goofy (Pinto Colvig) attempt to build a boat from an easy construction pack. The difficulty, and the fact that the boys keep getting in each other's way, hinders their progress and this is before Goofy mistakes the ships masthead for a potential love connection.

Apparently, this was the 99th Mickey Mouse short film, so it stands to reason that they've got the distinctive and charming art style down by now. That style, combined with the vocal performances that set the tone for the show going forward are, without question, great stuff. The plot and gags of the short though were a bit lacking compared to some of the other contemporary efforts that I've seen.

It's certainly not bad, by any means, but I did just find it a little bit underwhelming.

Boat Builders was a solid Walt Disney cartoon. Featuring Mickey, Goofy and Donald, it has some really entertaining moments. My only real complaint is that some of the animation isn't always that great, there is the occasional stiff movement or the occasional flat background. That said the music is wonderful, and so is the voice acting, while Walt Disney and Clarence Nash both turn in fine work, it is Pinto Colvig as Goofy who comes off best.

Then there are parts that are truly funny, the scene with the loose plank was funny, but the best was when Goofy thinks a mermaid figurine is a real woman and starts chasing after her when Mickey takes her away. Overall, I enjoyed this cartoon. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This is a classic Disney cartoon featuring all of Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Minnie. The former three buys a boat kit and attempts to build a gigantic ship out of the it - it's like buying the parts and building a miniature model. But here, in funny cartoon style, the three characters decide to christen the ship after completion of the assembling and take it out to sea.

While assembling the ship, Mickey, Donald and Goofy meet all sorts of weird mishaps, from a rolled-up plank deck that won't cooperate to Goofy taking the boat's statue for a real woman who adores him. It really sends some good laughs your way and it's definitely very entertaining. You're in for huge laughs when the ending of the cartoon comes and Minnie gives the green light for the ship to sail!

Grade A

If Mickey, Donald and Goofy build themselves a boat ('so easy even a child can do it') do you REALLY think that by the end of the cartoon it is still going to be standing? Obviously not.

Their usual lack of skill and ignorance for each other's well-being cause enough problems during the actual building of said boat but it is when Minnie christens the boat 'Queen Minnie' that all their hard work slaps them in the face.

And who would have known that Goofy was dumb enough to think a figurehead is a real lady and fall in love with her.

Mildy amusing.