You've probably seen every incarnation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" to come down the pike - Lord knows, if humanity stopped making a new version every season, we'd still have enough to watch one a year for the remainder of man's time on Earth.
But when they star Mickey Mouse, you can forgive just one more.
"Mickey's Christmas Carol" tells the same tale yet again, only this time through the sensibilities of the mouse and his pals (Donald Duck, Jiminy Cricket, Goofy, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, etc.). But how could you leave out the obvious casting of Scrooge McDuck. Want to guess which part HE plays?
As voiced by Disney stalwart Alan Young, Scrooge embodies greed, bitterness and eventual redemption all in one package, and even makes such expected lines as "Bah, HUMBUG" ring true.
If this cartoon has one flaw, it's that it doesn't have the same kind of irreverent spirit and sharp wit that so many of Disney's other movies and cartoon shorts have. Maybe it was a rush job?
Well, it still has the admitted high point of the Ghost of Christmas Present (best known as Willie the Giant from "Mickey and the Beanstalk") stomping through 19th century England and using lamp posts as flashlights and prying roofs off of houses to peek inside and expounding on "Pis-smashio" yogurt.
It still lets the meaning of the season shine through and gives you a warm glow in your heart...and isn't that what cartoons (especially Christmas cartoons) are supposed to do?
Eight stars for Mickey and company - and God bless us, everyone.
