Il Giorno Fortunato Di Paperino

Hearing the upbeat music and reading the title, you'd think that Donald's Lucky Day is what we associate usually from the Donald Duck shorts. Actually, it's not what we expect but to me that was refreshing. Donald's Lucky Day doesn't see Donald losing his temper, and for Disney and Donald it is darker and more eerie than the title and opening music lets on. Again, none of these are bad things but actually quite a refreshing change. The animation is still the vibrant and detailed animation style we are familiar with and love, yet also has a more eerie and somewhat film-noir sort of look to it. A great touch was to have the gangsters at the beginning in shadow and we never see their faces, that was creepy and added further to the suspense. The music as always is just as wonderful, right from the catchy opening credits, the jaunty enhancement in the more humorous scenes and some haunting but not too obvious scoring in the more suspenseful ones. Coming with Donald's Lucky Day is a great story with a fair bit of humour, suspense and tension. The humour is good, with the fantastic bit where Donald gets buried in fish being the highlight. Donald is on top form, always a strong lead character he really shines as he battles his own superstitions and how he struggles with them is the short's strongest asset I feel. Clarence Nash's voice work is impeccable. All in all, a Donald Duck classic, different but incredibly well done in all respects. 10/10 Bethany Cox