Playful Pluto

Playful Pluto is a very enjoyable short. I personally would have preferred a stronger and more coherent story where everything wasn't so randomly structured. Mickey is also a secondary character that you don't see very much. To his credit, he generally interacts with Pluto better than Donald, who is too different in personality for my tastes. The main focus this said is Pluto, and he is on top form. Playful Pluto does play to his strengths and to his character, which always did work best when he is curious, causing chaos or wanting fun. However, the animation is crisp and clean as you would expect, with Pluto especially well drawn, while the music is catchy and upbeat while also being beautiful and successfully enhancing the action. The gags are imaginative and funny and helped by lively pacing. However two sequences in particular stand out. One is when Pluto swallows the torch and it turns on so you can see his bones which is hilarious. The other is when Pluto tries to get unstuck from the flypaper, a gag repeated in Beach Picnic but in a tiring fashion, which is an outstanding piece of character animation where the audience can see clearly what Pluto's thoughts and reactions are. Overall, an enjoyable short with two truly great sequences and Pluto on top form. 8/10 Bethany Cox