Pluto and the Armadillo

A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon.

It is PLUTO AND THE ARMADILLO he encounters that provides the excitement during Mickey's brief stopover in Belem, Brazil.

This is one of the many films in which Pluto gets to interact with a small critter of some sort. The gags are routine. That's Brazilian star Carmen Miranda that The Pup spoofs for a few moments with the fruity headgear. Mickey's appearance is little more than a cameo.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by drawings. As a lad in Marceline, Missouri, he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper; later, as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War, he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle. Back in Kansas City, along with artist Ub Iwerks, Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters. Always the innovator, his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe. Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923, where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor. When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor, the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination, ensuring Disney's immortality. The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut, STEAMBOAT WILLIE (1928), a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music. The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared, and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color, illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development, an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable. Mickey's feisty, naughty behavior had captured millions of fans, but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions: temperamental Donald Duck, intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto. All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films. Against a blizzard of doomsayers, Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White, Pinocchio, Bambi, Peter Pan and Mr. Toad. Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse, or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off.

This is a nice and humble cartoon. Original too. First of all, I love the Brazilian environment on this: the exotic scenario of Brazil, the samba music so full of rhythm (excellent for a dance) and the armadillo itself makes us think of Brazil.

In this story, Mickey and Pluto travel to Brazil very briefly. During the few minutes they have available, they play with a rubber ball... but soon the armadillo enters in scene and confuses Pluto because he can roll itself to the exact shape of a ball - except that he is a living being! Lots of confusion to Pluto, but when Pluto finds out the mystery behind... they actually get along well.

Mostly a comedy, this one also has an emotional part: when Pluto accidentally destroys the rubber ball and thinks he killed the armadillo, crying in so much pain and remorse.

The artwork is great. The exotic Brazilian landscapes are very well drawn and colorful.

This is quite the boring Pluto short - basically, a narrator tells the story about Mickey and Pluto vacationing in Brazil, where Pluto tangles with an armadillo, who seemed to be smitten with Pluto. However, as with all things irregular with Pluto, the dog grows suspicious with the animal and chases it away. But, when he thought he hurt the poor thing, Pluto cries over it. This happens often in other cartoons of his - Pluto cries over things he was tormenting in the first place; he doesn't seem to know what he wants.

Grade D--

Though very much for small children (as ccthemovieman-1 points out), "Pluto and the Armadillo is a delight to watch, being a very sweet little cartoon with Pluto meeting an armadillo (who looks strangely like his ball). Just before he and Mickey need to go back home on a plane in South America, Mickey throws a rubber ball for Pluto to go and fetch. In doing so, Pluto discovers an armadillo, who has rolled him/herself up in a ball - just like the rubber one! Some confusion follows, then Pluto and the armadillo come to know each other.

There is a surprisingly emotional bit in this cartoon, but apart from that, it is a perfect thing for little children to watch, those who like Pluto and Mickey anyway. I personally like it because it is very sweet and very heartwarming. The animation and the narration is also good and worth noting.

I recommend this to people who like Pluto, Mickey, cute armadillos, little children's cartoons and for people who like cute cartoons. Enjoy "Pluto and the Armadillo"! :-)

Pluto and the Armadillo admittedly is not one of my favourites, the story and some of the gags are very routine stuff and Mickey is just a cameo here which is a shame after seeing him in being much more than that in his early work(often he was either heroic, energetic, expressive or affecting or both, and I loved seeing those sides to him). However, Pluto is a lot of fun to watch and he has always been a strong enough to carry a Disney short, and the armadillo is very cute. There's even a funny moment where it has a very I beg your pardon? look after being called an odd-shaped basket by the narrator. The animation is bright and colourful, and the music is characterful and beautifully orchestrated. The narration is thoughtful and amusing. The emotional part where Pluto starts crying because he thinks he had killed the armadillo is very poignant. So all in all, it is a very nice short without being truly exceptional. 8/10 Bethany Cox