Wednesday 20 February 2013

Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #6: Saludos Amigos (1943)


By Munir Abedrabbo.

Make Sure You've Read: Munir's Disney Retrospective -- War Period Introduction

When the US joined World War II, the government began launching strategies to reach out to their southern neighbours, in an effort to stop the spread of Nazism to other countries. In order to achieve this, they began creating anti-Hitler propaganda, and animation was a top contributor (Donald Duck’s Der Fuehrer's Face is a clear example of this). Saludos Amigos launched what was called “The Good Neighbor Policy”, attempting to strengthen the ties with Latin America. It's Disney’s shortest film to date and is partially live-action, partially short film and features Donald Duck, Goofy and other newly created characters. Unfortunately, even though it means well and has a nice educational approach (as a Latin American myself I found that charming instead of insulting), the film doesn't offer much replay value and certain aspects (such as the live-action footage) feel dated (even if it is good to see Walt and co. in the film). It's certainly worth a look for historical value and to enjoy some some charming moments, but on the whole Saludos Amigos feels lacking. Rating: 3/5.

Next Week: Animated Classic #7 Review: The Three Caballeros (1945)

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