Chasseurs d'élans

This cartoon short was included in one of Disney's Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Cartoon Collections video my mom used to rent for me when I was a little kid. It features Mickey, Donald and Goofy out hunting for a moose, with Donald and Goofy disguised as one to lure a live one to Mickey.

I remembered this cartoon to be very hilarious; Donald and Goofy teaming up in dressing up as a female moose was the highlight of the cartoon. I used to be scared of one upcoming scene of the cartoon - the part where two male moose were unhappy to see each other and threaten each other to a duel because they were fighting over the female moose (Donald and Goofy in disguise). I would be so relieved to be able to get through that scene. Now, of course, the cartoon is just funny stuff and brings back great memories.

Grade A

As Mickey, Donald, and Goofy work to land a big moose (disguised as a female) everything goes haywire. Mickey is taken out of the game early as his gun is broken. Meanwhile a mating dance begins (accidentally) as the phony moose attracts a big bull. Soon a series of clever gyrations take place. It is well animated and Goofy and Donald are pretty funny, trying to keep up the act an save their skins.

This time it's the partnership of the thinly disguised "Donald Duck" and "Goofy" who use an old raincoat and a kazoo to try and lure a moose out into the open for "Mickey Mouse" to shoot at! Making themselves as alluring as possible, they do manage to convince a rather dumb critter than there's is a true gal-moose and so a series of daft escapades ensue as the loved up boy-moose flirts away merrily. That's before he discovers his would-be assassin in a tree, another rival moose arrives and things all start to get a bit cross. I was never really a fan of the duck and it's squeaky voice, nor really of the purity of the annoying mouse either - so this didn't really do much for me. There's a fun (brief) duel at the end though but it's all a bit too predictable and just that extra bit silly.

Mickey, Donald (who's species are used to being hunted) and Goofy are on a hunting trip in what appears to be the Canadian wilderness. Goofy and Donald disguise themselves as (a horribly ugly) female moose in order to get close enough to blow it's brains out. The plan works but the male moose falls in love with there disguise (I guess it was the lipstick that fooled him) and they have trouble shaking him off.

Meanwhile, Mickey has broken his gun and is stuck in a tree as a moose takes bites out of the leaves, exposing him more and more. The two mooses finally fall in love with the Goofy/Donald disguise and go to war with each other.

The disguise soon fails. The cartoon ends. Not heavily funny but a mindless 8 minutes.

The short starts off slowly, but it kicks off properly half way through. The rest is essentially undemanding but mindless fun, the best gag being Donald and Goofy's priceless female moose impersonation.

I have to say though the animation is lovely here, the forest background especially was gorgeous. The music, as pretty much always, is a real delight to the ears. Mickey, Goofy and Donald, while they have all given better performances whether together or individually, are still great, and brought to life by the wonderful vocal performances of Walt Disney, Pinto Colvig and Clarence Nash.

Overall, while not necessarily an essential must, this is a cartoon worth watching. 8/10 Bethany Cox