Anssi Vartiainen
Yet another Disney film that tried to hold them aloft after the war years. A short film collection, like all the rest, though this time we only get a two segments and a framing story featuring Jiminy Cricket.Of these two segment, Bongo, the first one, is pure boredom. It's nothing but this circus bear escaping his confinement and gallivanting around in the forest. And you already know how it goes. At first he's thrilled, then the actual, you know, nature rears its ugly head, he meets other animals, gets into trouble, rinse and repeat ad nauseam. Granted, the animation is pretty good, some of physical stunts are pretty humorous and the music could be worse, but it's simply so uninteresting. Nothing of value happens, the main character barely has a personality and... boring! Mickey and the Beanstalk, on the other hand, is a born classic. This is an incredible segment, featuring Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck as medieval farmers living in an enchanted valley, ruled by a magic harp (it's not as weird as you think), who unfortunately has now gone missing and thus everyone hungers. And you know the story. Mickey goes to sell their cow, buys some "magic" beans, and the rest is story telling history. It's action-packed, the three make for a hilarious comedic trio, the animation is impressive, the story thrilling and it's just a great deal of fun.I also have to mention that the framing story is beyond creepy, especially the ending. Jiminy Cricket is fine, he's one of Disney's finest as always, but they decided to hire a famous ventriloquist Edgar Bergen to play himself in the framing story, and his puppets are simply put pure horror. Who decided this was appropriate for little kids? So yeah, Mickey and the Beanstalk is a really good segment, but it has since been re-released on its own so many times that there's really no reason to see its actual origins film. Watch this if you want to say you've seen them all.
OllieSuave-007
This movie consists of two cartoons combined to make into a full-length feature film: Bongo and Mickey and the Beanstalk.From what I recall, Bongo was the story about a circus bear who escapes the Big Top to seek adventures and survive on its own in the wild. It was an OK cartoon without dialog, but I believe its pretty obscure to today's audiences.The more exciting story is the Mickey and the Beanstalk short, a cartoon based on the Jack and the Beanstalk fairytale and stars Mickey in the lead role. Other characters include the huge but somewhat clueless Giant and a beautiful singing Golden Harp; she sings a very soothing and serene song, typical of the 1940s era, but very comforting. Donald and Goofy join Mickey in this adventure, first starting off as starving farmers, then finding the magic beans that grow into a huge beanstalk. They climb it and it leads them to the Giant's castle, where they attempt to rescue the Golden Harp. It's non-stop fun you would expect in a cartoon from beginning to end.It is one of the more shorter in length Disney classics. But, it's great for the kids - perfect duration for their attention span. I personally prefer the second story over the first one. though.Grade B+
preppy-3
Two shorts strung together with material involving Jiminy Cricket and Edgar Bergen and his dummies. The two stories are--"Bongo" about a circus bear escaping and his "comic" misadventures in the wilderness and "Mickey and the Beanstalk" with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy recreating "Jack and the Beanstalk". The animation is great (that's why this gets three stars) but the stories are trite, padded and downright boring! They're also full of songs so unmemorable, bland and sweet that you'll be thinking cutting off your ears! To make matters unendurable Edgar Bergen has got to be the world's worst ventriloquist! His lips are plainly moving when his dummies "talk". A sleep-inducing mess. VERY patient young kids might go for it.
Seth Nelson
The duo of Disney and RKO continue the magic onto 1947 with this flick, "Fun and Fancy Free." In it are a couple of wonderful and terrific stories: "Bongo," and "Mickey and the Beanstalk." Again, this movie has everything that you would expect in a Disney classic. Also, look out for more great Disney friends, like Jiminy Cricket!!!!!One interesting fact: did you know that Walt Disney, the man who created Mickey, was the voice of Mickey Mouse? In "Mickey and the Beanstalk," Walt Disney himself voiced as Mickey Mouse, and that would end up being his last cartoon to do so.So, this shows that movies like this just aren't made anymore. (sniff) But still, watch this movie with your children, enjoy it, and have a whole lot of fun with "Fun and Fancy Free!!!!!" 10 out of 10 stars.
AD
