Fun and Fancy Free is two short animated films (with some live action and ventriloquism tossed in). The first is the story of Bongo, the magnificent circus bear (who can juggle large items on a high wire and then leap down to land safely on a sponge), and his foray into the wilderness, where he meets the love of his life and learns that bears express their love for each other by slapping each other. The second is the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, with Mickey as Jack.
Eli
Rating: 8/10
Reaction: I remember watching this film in preschool when I lived in California. Well, at least the Bongo part. As I re-watched it, I could see how fun and clever it was (well, the animated parts anyway.) I don't really understand why they included Jiminy Cricket, but hey, maybe they needed to make the film a bit longer. Bongo is a really great film, and the music is so catchy. Forgive me ahead of time for this fragmented review: I've had a few mimosas this morning. Anyway, I really like the song about the bears slapping each other meaning they're in love. It's like a message that it's a-o-k for spouses to hit each other, because it just means they're showing affection. And the bad bear was so mean. I do love Bongo and his girlfriend falling in love and entering what I call "loveland", a heavenly-cloudy place with waterfalls and unicorns flying. (Lies. There were no unicorns. Only in Fantasia.)
Then we have Mickey and the Beanstalk which is - gasp - Jack and the Beanstalk, but with Mickey Mouse (and Donald and Goofy...but they aren't important enough to mention in the title.) The harp sings some fabulous songs, and her first song reminds me of the Wizard of OZ when they sing: "You're out of the woods, you're out of the dark, you're out of the night." Marvelous! And the animation is cute. Anything where they involve water (in both shorts) was fantastic. I could've done without the dummys and all that live-action stuff, but oh well. That's why I haven't rated it higher. Let's just be glad that we don't live on bread that's so thinly sliced that one can see through it! Right?
Regan
Rating: 7/10
Reaction: These stories were cute and had some really catchy songs in them. "Bears say it with a slap *slap slap*" was weirdly fun although these days I imagine audiences would think it was okaying spousal abuse... The harp's opening song to the Jack and the Beanstalk segment was really fun as well. I would actually listen to that on my iPod if I had it, I think. These two were a nice change of pace from some of the recent movies because they had clear story lines and characters that were interesting and likeable. It's impossible not to root for Mickey to find a way to outsmart the giant. Bongo's tribulations in the wilderness were similarly fun, if a bit too easily resolved (circus bear can get along just fine in the wild if he finds a hot chick bear to do the hunting for him was the message, I guess).
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