The next wave of Classic Cartoon Favorites have been released on DVD by the Walt Disney Company. This time around, the theme is “Best Pals” and features classic cartoons that feature some of the more famous (and sometimes lesser known) buddies in the Disney flicks.

Volume 10 features cartoons about Mickey and Minnie. Eight individual shorts are found on the disc: “First Aiders,” “Bath Day,” “Pluto and the Gopher,” “Figaro and Frankie,” “Mickey’s Rival,” “The Nifty Nineties,” “Pluto’s Sweater” and “Mickey’s Delayed Date.”

Instead of being about Mickey and Minnie together, these cartoons focus more on either one with a different pal. The exploits of Figaro (the black cat from “Pinocchio”), which many people have forgotten was a touted Disney character decades ago. There’s also plenty of appearances by Pluto with either mouse. My personal favorite was “Mickey’s Rival,” a retro cartoon (read as: no whites of the eyes in the mice) that featured Minnie’s old boyfriend trying to steal her away.

Volume 11 features Donald and Daisy as friends. Individual cartoons include: “Mr. Duck Steps Out,” “Cured Duck,” “Donald’s Double Trouble,” “Sleepy Time Donald,” “Crazy Over Daisy,” “Donald’s Dream Voice,” “Donald’s Crime” and “Donald’s Diary.”

With Donald Duck being the closest a Disney cartoon will get to the zany antics mostly reserved for Warner Bros. properties, he is one of my favorite characters. This volume features more of him with Daisy together, often with Donald trying to win her heart or better himself as a boyfriend. (There also seems to be quite a focus on how much Daisy doesn’t like the way he talks.)

If you didn’t get enough Pluto from Volume 10, then you’ll find plenty in Volume 12. Mickey and Pluto are the focus of this one with the cartoons “Pluto’s Housewarming,” “Pluto and the Armadillo,” “Cat Nap Pluto,” “Pluto’s Party,” “Pluto, Junior,” “Pluto’s Fledgling,” “Plutopia” and “Pueblo Pluto.”

As Mickey often takes a secondary role in these cartoons (which is mighty big of the mouse, considering he’s the studio’s star property), Pluto usually gets into plenty of trouble himself. He’s pitted against everything from an armadillo to Figaro the cat again. However, Pluto’s good nature as a typical friendly dog makes him fun to watch, and a favorite of my own son.

Dinsey’s Classic Cartoon Favorite series provides plenty of opportunity to relive the award-winning cartoons from Disney’s vault.



Specifications: Fullscreen (1.33:1). English subtitles for the hearing impaired.