Mickey, Donald, Dingo : Les Trois Mousquetaires

Walt Disney's classic cartoon characters are back for a feature-length adventure. This hour-long direct-to-video 'toon features longtime Disney favorites Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Pluto, as well as Peg-Leg Pete and even Clarabelle Cow. These characters all started way back in the 1920s and 1930s, and it's nice to see them dusted off and brought to life on-screen these days, and not merely used to adorn merchandise.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS (2004) is not, as one might expect, an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's classic story (previously adapted by Disney in live-action in 1993), but is an original adventure that uses Dumas as a jumping-off point. (Mickey, Donald, and Goofy aspire to be musketeers after a childhood encounter with the Dumas heroes.) Set once upon a time in seventeenth-century France, the movie's got Mickey, Donald, and Goofy as misfit musketeers trying to protect Princess Minnie while the duplicitous Captain Pete plots to become king.

The film is fast-paced and cartoony, with lots of gags to keep kids' attention. There's swashbuckling action and some peril, but the henchmen are as hapless as the heroes in this cartoon, so it's entirely kid-friendly stuff.

The music is conspicuously recycled from old classical tunes and other pre-existing (public domain?) songs, including several straight-up Gilbert & Sullivan songs in the climactic scene at the opera house ("Pirates of Penzance"). It seems like a cost-cutting measure for a direct-to-video release. As this movie is clearly aimed at children, one wonders how many of them would realize that the songs are set to famous classical tunes. (And does that matter?) Maybe this will be their first time hearing the music, and they'll forever afterward think of these lyrics. But on the other hand, maybe it's a fun way to expose young audiences to classical music for the first time.

There's an air of postmodernism about the way the film handles Disney's classic cartoon gang, to freshen them up for today's kids. For example, while scribbling "Mickey + Minnie Mouse" in her diary, a lovestruck Minnie realizes that she and Mickey have the same last name. (It's fate!) And, in another scene, Mickey confesses that he doesn't understand a word that Donald says. There's even a scene with Minnie and Daisy eating fast food in the royal carriage.

As the three unlikely musketeers, Mickey is "too small", Donald is "too cowardly", and Goofy is "too dumb". Mickey, primarily a corporate mascot at this point in his career, is bland, bland, bland. Scaredy-cat Donald and idiot Goofy are marginally more interesting, but Pete steals the show as the fourth-wall-breaking villain. Daisy Duck is given a modernized edge as dreamer Minnie's wise and more pragmatic lady-in-waiting. Clarabelle is a henchwoman, for some reason (probably just lucky to be included), but she's got personality and is fun to watch. A French-accented turtle acts as singing narrator throughout the story, and is annoying.

While it's encouraging to see Disney put its classic characters to use, this particular film is rather limp. The breakneck comedy seems designed to entertain antsy children, and it may well do so, but for more seasoned audiences, the gags fall flat and the "all for one" story is not very compelling.

Cute little Disney film with Mickey, Donald and Goofy as The Three Musketeers, or is that supposed to be Mouseketeers? Ha-ha!! The plotline is about how Peg-leg Pete is trying to kidnap Princess Minnie and claim the throne for himself, with the help of the Beagle Boys, who, as I have said, steal the film. I suppose it is a combination of the way the Beagle Boys' faces are drawn mixed with the actor's voices for these roles. The film has good songs and the first song, I guess it is called The Musketeer Song is a fun little ditty. Peg-leg Pete gets quite a few laughs throughout this film. It is a film for all ages.

It's a refreshingly short animated movie and if you are in love or like Donald, Mickey and Goofy already, you may have some plus points or head start when it comes to enjoying this, than others have. Having said that, the story should be very well known, except we throw beloved (and not so beloved, see cat) characters at it.

The humor works, the quirks of the characters is there. You get some music and singing too, which may qualify this as musical to some (for better or worse). Animation is ok, jokes are decent too. Nothing too surprising but solid overall

When people hear the words direct-to-video, they groan, though actually most of them aren't that bad. Two or three of them are awful, like Cinderella 2, but this one belongs up there with one of the more entertaining films.

The animation is not that bad at all. Most of it is very colourful, though in the more sinister bits it is a little flat. I liked the songs also, with some very funny lyrics(and random in some of them)set to the works of classical composers like Beethoven and Grieg.

The story, while not very faithful to the classic tale, is very nice, and goes at a fast pace. Although, the film could have done with being 5 to 10 minutes longer. The plot has some funny twists, with Captain Pete plotting to kidnap Princess Minnie and take over as ruler. A bit over-familiar, but it is decorated with some very funny sword fights, and a very funny scene in the opera house.

The voice talents are top notch, especially Jim Cummings as Pete. In fact all the characters were very well-done, but the short duration didn't allow the script to fully develop.

Anyway, despite the flaws, I really liked it, so I will award a 7/10, for the humour and the characters. Bethany Cox.

Good things about this film: Very good humour, at least one laugh every few minutes, good use of classical music for songs, good animation, sweet simple images of Versailles, good talent and a good job of Mickey and his friends! :-)

A tortoise in the studio is very excited about his comic about the three musketeers and cannot help "singing along". When the narrator of a TV programme falls down a hole in the floor, the poor tortoise ends up taking the narrator's place and reads out his comic. He begins with Mickey Donald and Goofy struggling to survive in the gutter. Then they meet the royal musketeers...

Good for any Mickey Mouse fan and any lover of classical music used by Disney, people who like good quality humour (both slightly slapstick and humour) and cartoon things which are CGI free!

Enjoy "Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers! :-)

7 and a half out of ten.