D.I.Y. Duck

When I saw the preview image of this brand-new short on Disney+, I thought it looked promising enough. I was impressed and it felt like a breath of fresh air for Disney's animation team to actually go back to basics and create a short that is not only wholesome and relatable but also very true to Walt Disney's classic cartoons, thanks to the comedic timing and animation style reminiscent if 1940s and 1950s Disney cartoons. The only complaint I have is that "D. I. Y. Duck" could have been longer. Other than that, do yourself a favor and watch this short but timeless short. I promise you: you won't be disappointed.

"D. I. Y. Duck" is a very entertaining short film, which primarily focuses on taking you on a time travel journey with the adventures, curiosities, and antics of Donald Duck. Easily within its two-minute duration, it takes you back in time and fulfills its purpose.

Donald is a classic character from many years ago when animation and comedy were super important in the entertainment world, bringing home well-executed and controversial reflective messages depending on the case. However, this does not escape from it and reflects themes such as frustration, anger, rage, and ignorance in performing household activities that have their foundation and execution. All of this with the aim of emphasizing calmness and the application of instructions.

"D. I. Y. Duck" uses a very familiar soundtrack to make you feel more connected to this little story. The animation is really great and maintains both the essence of the classic and updates that enhance the enjoyment for many viewers. The color tone, the sequence of movements, and the narrative plot are decent.

Seeing our friend Donald back on the main screen with his respective colors is all a big fan of his stories needs.

D. I. Y. Duck is a short revolving around Donald Duck that was released for the 90th anniversary of Donald's debut. The short is uses aspects the shorts of the 1930's when it comes to the plot and a bit of the animation and combines it with more modern animation. I do prefer watching 2017's DuckTales as there is more to be gotten out of in a 3 season long series than a short. This is still alright though. Donald Duck is the classic Disney animal character I get the most into, mainly because of the 2017 DuckTales series. I wish there was a season 4 of the DuckTales reboot detailing the aftermath of the season 3 finale and possibly even a spin-off about Darkwing Duck that acts as a reboot to the 90's Darkwing Duck series. This does something for the ending but still wish to see the reboot of the spin-off of the original DuckTales that is also a spin-off of the reboot of DuckTales and something following the events and the cast of the DuckTales reboot. DuckTales is definitely a big part of Donald Duck's history that led up to this short that I went on a little rant about and they should do something for it for the 95th or 100th anniversary of Donald Duck's debut.

The only real problem with this is that Disney was too cheap (?) in only giving this director Mark Henn 3 minutes instead of the customary 6 or 7 (one of the last to have the keys to acrual hand-drawn animation tools at the studio). Still, in these few minutes Henn doesn't waste a second as it's just a series of gags as Donald tries to rebuild his house and everything goes wrong and wrong and ::screams into the endless void of awful setbacks::

It's a prime example of why Donald Duck is the best, because his reactions mount and mount as an Everyman (err Duck) until it has to boil over, though it never becomes so unbelievable in the context he's in. At the end of the day, aren't we all Donald Duck trying to screw in a goddamn light bulb and nothing goes right because life is a series of confounding and bewildering disappointments? Phooey!

Anyway, this was very good, and the hand drawn animation isn't (or isn't just) for nostalgia as the comic timing is essential for it to work.

This rehash put a giant smile on my face the instant Donald's face popped on screen. In terms of music, sound effects, and most of the visual style, it's remarkable how closely this 2024 short feels like the lost art of the 1940's-50's. For a moment, I was a kid again, but it rapidly gave way to a muted disappointment once things got moving.

Unfortunately, the story itself fails to capture the magic of the old Donald Duck shorts in the same way modern "Simpsons" just isn't as funny as it was in the 90's. They had to update the pacing for modern sensibilities and the whole thing zips by without allowing for any crescendo or letting any of the humor adequately breathe. They really needed to run the full 7 minutes to tell a little story and the 3 that they give us here just wasn't enough. It feels sadly more like a hobbyist's homage rather than an actual Walt Disney production.

So if you're looking for something that had its heart in the right place, check this out. It's refreshingly devoid of any politics and moralizing like most modern Disney output and back to their basics of yesteryear. I really wish they'd spent a little more time crafting the scripting and editing, but it does remind me of what master craftsmen Disney had back in its heyday.