Donald en el país de las matemáticas

This movie is a must-watch by anyone from age 6+. It may be from Disney. It may have a cute, animated Donald Duck on the cover. It may be a classic "short" (27 mins). What is most impressive about this IMPORTANT piece of entertainment is the ability to converge entertainment with education to create something children, high school students, and professional mathematicians alike see the value of this excellent little film.

This is not your standard short about Donald playing hockey with his triplet nephews. It isn't Mickey and Pluto chasing Chip and Dale up one tree and down another. It isn't Goofy "YA-HA-hooey"ing his way along another bumbling adventure. This is good old fashioned egghead mathematics in the most joyful, silly, absorbing way possible. It is a marvel.

If you are a math teacher, PLEASE buy a DVD copy of this and show it annually to your classes, no matter what grade - 1st-12th -- even university-level would find it invigorating. If you are a student of any age, track this down and watch it. You'll never look at music, chess, pool tables, or algebraic equations (yes, they are all in there) the same again.

The best review I can give is this: My sister-in-law teaches 4th grade math and had never heard of this show. I went home and pulled it out of our library to "loan" to her. When my college-age son saw what I had in my hand, his eyes lit up. "My Trig teacher put that on for us! It's AWESOME!!!" I'm 52 and flunked geometry in high school. My 19yo son was an honors math student through high school. If we can BOTH find this little short to be incredible, I could ask nothing more.

Disney, I applaud you. Thank you for this tiny slice of edutainment that is worth every penny and every second spent watching. It's pure "mathematical joy" - two words I never thought would share the same sentence in my vocabulary.

First, let me trot out my creds. I took a PhD in combinatorial mathematics from Ohio State in 1986. I'm going to claim this is relevant for two reasons: one, that this cartoon is based upon some deep and beautiful mathematics; that this material can open up into deeper study for any student, from junior high to postgraduate.

The second is that this can open up mathematics for kids, and I will offer myself as an example. I remember seeing this when I was pretty young, and really got hooked on the bit about learning to play pool "by the Diamond method". It offered that math was "a lot more than just two times two", and that it was cool to study math.

The cartoon focuses deeply on non-arithmetic aspects of math, and that is welcome. Even as an adult, I still find it entertaining, but would be something I would give to any kid I cared about to expose him to the art behind math.

Buy it for the kids, or for yourself. But be prepared to study number theory and algebraic geometry, if you follow the leads -- rich material awaits... and as the cartoon notes, there are still many other doors to open and new things to discover...

I know I saw this at least four times in public school. Disney did some instructional films during his tenure. In this one, Donald Duck with his whiny squawk and lack of discipline, bemoans the "fact" that he finds mathematics boring. But in steps the disembodied voice of Paul Frees (Boris Badenov) who leads Donald to Mathmagicland where he can see all the benefits of learning about numbers and geometric concepts. After one viewing in about fourth grade, this film was indelibly stuck in my head. We learn about why there are diamonds outside the rails of pool an billiard tables. We see how formulas are constructed. Mostly, it's a history lesson, showing how mathematics has aided people moving into modern time. And Donald is his usually squawky presence.

I am not going to say that this is Donald's absolute best, being a fan of his, as there are so many cartoons of his that are real gems, but Donald in Mathmagic Land has been a personal favourite of mine for a while now. True, there isn't much of a story, if there is one it is very simple, and there isn't a nicely rounded ending as such. But what I do love about Donald in Mathmagic Land is that it is different, it is unique, it is educational for kids and it is really enjoyable. In fact it actually makes maths fun, and I do confess maths was one of my least favourite subjects at school, for example I never got my head completely around algebra. Even if there are minor flaws with the story and ending there is so much that compensates.

There is some stunning art work that is somewhat inventive, and I think it has held up well over 40+ years, there is a fun music score, there are some funny moments such as Donald's quibbling with the omniscient narrator and there is outstanding vocal work from Paul Frees and Clarence "Ducky" Nash. Overall, if you love Disney and you love Donald Duck, plus if you want something educational even if you don't like the subject, just put Donald in Mathmagic Land on. 9/10 Bethany Cox

This animated documentary was an excellent combination of entertainment and education and is a real feather in Disney's cap. Most people have varying degrees of either disinterest or dislike of mathematics. This renders math comprehensible as well as making it fun and interesting-a combination most of my math instuctors were either unwilling or unable to accomplish. After 41 years plus, this doesn't feel the least bit dated. I'm glad to see it's available. Three cheers for the mouse (and the duck too, though I must confess that, for the most part, Donald leaves me cold. Not here, though.). Most recommended.