Not Just a Goof

Sometimes, there exists little corners of pop culture that are transformational for a generation. 1995's A Goofy Movie is one of those "pockets". Despite being a critical flop, the heartwarming messages and sheer entertainment value of the film helped born-in-the-80s-and-growing-up-in-the-90s kids navigate adolescence. Not Just A Goof Is a tribute to that legacy.

For the most part, Not Just A Goof is a pretty straightforward "behind the scenes" doc. A lot of archival footage/interviews were recently discovered and put to solid use here. Granted, these are also the most "boring" parts of the doc, so to speak. The material is fine--there's just too much time spent on the technical "making of" film specs and less about legacy.

Fortunately, there are enough highlights here to largely ameliorate those concerns. One is the segment on the music of the film. Truly remarkable how The Goofy Movie team somewhat stumbled into a group of musicians that made the songs of the film stand the test of time.

Then, the last 20 minutes of the doc are absolutely riveting--as that is when the film's legacy is discussed. It remains somewhat unreal (to the fans and the creators alike!) that The Goofy Movie has not only achieved cult status, but even vaulted far above that to headline Disney expositions and becoming an out-and-out 90s classic.

Truth be told, a bit more time could have been spent on "legacy" and a bit less on "nuts and bolts of filmmaking" and Not Just A Goof would have been even better. But as a card-carrying "Goofy Movie kid" through and through, it was still fun to recall that magical mid-90s period and recall how a classic Disney character transcended those roots and inspired a generation.

Check out my review of this documentary and the video where I roast the critics who hate A Goofy Movie on my YouTube channel: Roast The Critics. Review: Of of the movies to make a documentary about, they picked my absolute favorite Disney movie, A Goofy Movie. I thought I was the only one who considers it modern Disney's greatest achievement. I thought I was the only one who was moved so deeply by the story since I was a little boy. I thought my dad was the only dad who sat down to watch it with me (he hated cartoons, but he watched this one). Apparently, there's a gigantic following that are as moved by this under-appreciated masterpiece. This documentary brought such happy tears, and confirmed that I wasn't the only one who is obsessed with this movie. I hope Disney is paying attention, because if they hope to survive another 30 years, they better recapture the magic of A Goofy Movie. I've always said they need to make a feature film about Mickey Mouse and the whole gang - in 2d animation. There's not a demographic on the planet that, if done right, it wouldn't appeal to. We don't want more expensive films. Keep the budgets modest and the stories simple. That's what we want. That needs to be the new era of movies going forward.

Would watch A Goofy Movie (1995) and Goof Troop (the series that it spun off from) many times in my childhood. Both have aged quite nicely in my opinion and seeing that Disney+ was releasing a documentary about the making of the film to coincide with its' 30th anniversary I was quite intrigued to see what happened behind the scenes.

The documentary shines a light into a lot of things that transpired during the making of the film. This was Kevin Lima's first directorial effort, the crew didn't have as much money to work with compared to other features Walt Disney Animation Studios was developing like The Lion King (1994) and Pocahontas, and Jeffrey Katzenberg was both the project's biggest challenge and cheerleader - for instance, the rumor that Steve Martin was suggested to voice Goofy instead of Bill Farmer? It turns out it is true, and Katzenberg even wanted him to use his regular speaking voice - thank goodness director Kevin Lima believed in Farmer and had him redo some of his lines with his normal voice which proved to Katzenberg his idea to recast was the wrong one to have.

Katzenberg's exit from the studio did not do the movie any favors though, as their marketing budget got slashed, and they were unable to make a strong impact at the box office, but luckily it found success in syndication and on home video release and it is regarded as a classic.

Definitely a delightful and insightful documentary. The 2D animated flashbacks were also a nice and humorous touch.

I expected to hear some cool stories about the production of 'A Goofy Movie'. I wasn't ready for what I got; a vivid picture of a group of people given a project that was questioned by so many.

'A Goofy Movie' is a certified Disney classic due to the amazing people behind it and the fanbase that came with time. And 'Not Just A Goof' is a love letter to all of them!

If you grew up with that perfect slice of the 90s, then this wonderful documentary is worth the watch. And if you're at all a Disney fan, like myself, pair it with a viewing of 'A Goofy Movie' afterword. It was a whole new viewing experience!

Not going to lie, cried my way through it.

It was awesome to see behind the scenes to the greatest 90's Disney film and top 10 movies of that generation. We love you all who helped make this possible. You are loved in cherished through every30 to 40 year old smile.

This documentary reminded of why I watched the movie fove times in theateres. My Dad was working three jobs, I really didnt know at 8 years old. We thought my mom was going to die from bacterial minengitis, so I spent all my birthday money to get my Dad to go with me to theateres to try and make a connection with him. So if I had lost my mom, we had something to connect over. Luckily we didnt lose her, but it was a long road to recovery, that so much so we watched the movies on VHS while she was bed ridden.

This movie gave me comfort when I needed it the most.