Pluto Gets The Paper: Street Cleaner/Donald's Dinner Date/Maestro Minnie: Brahms Lullabye/Hydro Squirter/Mickey's Piano Lesson

Love animation to bits. It was a big part of my life as a child, especially Disney, Looney Tunes, Hanna Barbera and Tom and Jerry, and still love it as a young adult, whether it's film, television or cartoons. Actually appreciate it even more now, having more knowledge of the different animation styles and directors and what work went into them.

Am most familiar with the 'Mickey Mouse Works' cartoons from them featuring on 'House of Mouse', a show still held a fondness for by me. With the colours and sound effects, that 'Mickey Mouse Works' makes a real effort to retain the spirit of the old/classic/golden age Disney cartoons is to be lauded. The characters' original personalities are admirably stuck true to as well, particularly Goofy and Donald, while also expanding those for a few, Mickey being more interesting here than before. The hyperactive energy present here is one of few things that is different.

The "Pluto Gets the Paper" cartoons are not exceptional, or among my favourite 'Mickey Mouse Works' cartoons. Nonetheless they are cute and amusing, providing nice if predictable scenarios for energetic Pluto.

'Donald's Dinner Date' has a situation that anybody who has been in the same situation. Daisy isn't annoying, like she is insufferably so with Minnie, and Donald is suitably temperamental while making an effort to tone it down. Goofy is hilariously incompetent and the ending is priceless.

Really like the "Maestro Minnie" cartoons, despite being too short, being not just a fan of animation but also a lifelong lover of classical music. 'Brahms Lullaby' is amusing and clever with some fun instrumental gags and how one of the most famous and most recognisable pieces of classical (and even ever) music (even non-fans will recognise it mostly likely) is arranged.

'Hydro Squirter' is typically deliciously eccentric, as one would expect from the Ludwig Von Drake "House of Genius" cartoons and the character himself. Again, it is an identifiable situation too.

'Mickey's Piano Lesson' is great fun and has a great and important lesson about not complacent with practising. Inspired use of music too, particularly the last movement of Beethoven's "Moonlight" sonata. The ending, with uproariously inventive everything-going-wrong antics from Mickey (also relatable, having had a faulty music stand during a concert and my bow getting stuck in the bridge in another, was diligent with my practise generally so there's a difference), is the highlight.

While not surprising in outcome, the stories are lively and engaging, kept afloat by the character interaction, characters and the atmosphere.

The writing is clever and very funny, even with the deliberately corny moment and pun which made me grin rather than groan.

Really enjoy the spontaneous flow of the episode and Donald's spotlight stealing/accident with the blind is very funny indeed.

Furthermore, the animation is very colourful, smooth in movement and with some meticulous detail. The music is suitably groovy, jaunty and cleverly used.

Voice acting is very good with some of the best voice actors in the business involved. Wayne Allwine, Bill Farmer and Tony Anselmo are more than worthy successors to Walt Disney/James MacDonald, Pinto Colvig and Clarence "Ducky" Nash. Corey Burton is similarly terrific.

Overall, very enjoyable once again. 8/10 Bethany Cox