Pluto's Judgement Day

"Pluto's Judgement Day" is one of the darker Disney shorts I've ever seen...so much so that I am a bit surprised they ever made it in the first place. And, incidentally, MGM later copied the idea and used it in a Tom & Jerry cartoon.

The story begins with Pluto chasing a kitten. Mickey stops him and scolds Pluto for being mean to cats...telling him that he'll get his on Judgement Day if he doesn't stop. Soon Pluto falls asleep and dreams about going to cat Hell...where he's judged for all his nefarious anti-cat actions. It's all very dark and weird....and great for adults. As for kids....it's one you just might want to skip due to its dark theme.

As usual for the era, the artwork is second to none, with vivid full color* and great animation. Well worth seeing and very weird.

*While a few studios used color in 1935, only DIsney could use full color, as they had an exclusive contract with Technicolor to use their three-color process. Other studios were stuck using two-color Technicolor or Cinecolor, two color processes that only used red-orange and green-blue....resulting in a strange look and less than lovely results.

I first saw this cartoon short when it was part of the special Halloween Treat program from Disney video. It consists of Pluto chasing a kitten through a window and right into Mickey's lap. After Mickey scolds him, Pluto skulks away and falls asleep in front of the fire and dreams of a of himself being put on trial in a cat underworld.

This was a pretty intense cartoon that from a Disney story in my opinion, as it features a cross between judgment day and the underworld. It was intriguing, making you wonder how Pluto what get out of his predicament and if he would change his ways in dealing with cats. It definitely is an attention grabber, but it has a dark story that may scare some children a little.

Grade B-

This is one of what I like to call, the Disney Halloween Triple. Among them are "Lonesome Ghosts" "Trick or Treat" and this one. In this cartoon Pluto is chased by cats into hell where he is tried by cats, do to his many crimes against the feline species. Kind of creepy!

This is another of my favourite Pluto cartoons. I still consider it a Pluto cartoon, even though they label it as a Mickey cartoon. In this well-known short, Mickey scolds and reprimands Pluto for chasing an adorable little kitten. After Mickey scolds Pluto, Pluto dreams that he is standing on trial in a hellish court before a jury of cats. When Mickey tells Pluto, "You will have plenty more to answer on your Judgement Day," I always think of "Judgement Day" as the day when someone will judge Pluto's soul to determine whether he goes to heaven or hell. Of course, I still question myself about the concept of heaven and hell.

This cartoon is considered a famous Halloween cartoon by Disney fans and is part of the "Halloween Triple" lineup, which also includes "Trick or Treat" and "Lonesome Ghosts." You can watch it either on Halloween or at any time of the year.

While not the best Silly Symphony out there, this is still very good. Pluto is the star of the show, and he really shines here. There were times here when I felt really sorry for Pluto, who wouldn't when hell was portrayed in a very scary way. And those felines... I wouldn't want to mess with them.

The animation is terrific, in colourful and vibrant Technicolour and it hasn't aged a jot. The music, an element I always look out for is superb, and Walt Disney and Pinto Colvig provide the voices flawlessly. The story is well-told and simple, starting with Pluto chasing an adorable kitten, and then most of the silly symphony is spent with him in hell, being tried by cats, in the silly symphony's highlight.

All in all, not the best, but well worth the look. 9/10 Bethany Cox