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It's been awhile since I've seen this, but I remember it fairly well. It's probably my favorite of all the package features. Seeing Mickey and the gang together in an official animated classic is great, and it's pulled off very well. I absolutely love the Jack and the Beanstalk segment. I'm not quite as crazy about Jimminy being the host, though, as I still think of him as a Pinocchio character, not a 'transportable' character like Mickey, though he's become that over the years. Actually, I don't have a problem with it at all outside of the "animated classics" realm, but having him in two unrelated classics bugs me just a little. But not much.

As Luke's site review says, this feels much more like a movie than some of the other package features. Ichabod & Toad is the only other one to really carry that feel.

-Aaron

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Fun and Fancy Free was a good movie. i rmember watching it on the Disney channel before it was released on video in 1997. i think this is the first time a character comes back for another movie without the next movie being a sequel.

Fantastic piece. Me and my daughter love the Mickey and the Beanstalk segment. Excellent.

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I have always loved this movie. They lied on the video box from 1997, which said, "FIRST TIME ON VIDEO" for it's 50th Anniversary. It was really their second VHS release. Their first release was from the early 80's, before they started releasing any of the "classics", with the orange and yellow striped logo:<p><img border="0" src="http://www.duckfilm.de/film/cover/vvfancy3.jpg" width="182" height="300"></p>
And it was also released on laserdisc in Japan, a good 13 years before it got a laserdisc release in the U.S. and later on DVD. I like watching the older version better, because the restored version has that "too perfect" look. This is one of my favorite laserdiscs.<p><img border="0" src="http://www.geocities.com/disney_laserdiscs/pics/sf078-0043.jpg" width="400" height="196"></p>

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Of all the animated classics, "Fun and Fancy Free" is one of my least favorites. Yeah, the film is beautifully produced and it has some great sequences (I just love the growth of the beanstalk seaquence) but overall it is pretty lackluster and the storyline is mediocre. "Bongo" doensn't have a lot of story to tell, and it soon wears off. Dinah Shore's narration doesn't help a lot either. She does have a charming voice and brings the a 40s quality to the movie, but her narration keeps the pacing of the movie even slower.
"Mickey and the Beanstalk" is a much better segment, but I think the live-action interstitials harm it a bit. I mean, I do like Edgar Bergen's dummies (Charlie, specially, is a riot) but the story never gets the fully development it deserves. I don't know if there is enough story to justify a full-lenght sized story as it was planned, but I am sure there was more room for story than we see here. Besides, we don't get to see the ending of the story! I mean, we do hear Edgar Bergen tell that "they lived happily ever after", but we don't see it in animation, so the segment looks unconcluded.

Well, now the goodies: as I said, the film is technically brillant. I specially love the multiplane forest scenes during the Bongo sequences, and the backgrounds are beautifully detailed as well. The design of the characters are pretty good (the bears look much better than the lackluster bears in the Salmon Run sequence of "Brother Bear") and the watter is one of the best animated watters I've ever seen. The Mickey segment is mostly positive, with a great and colorful villain, that wonderful beanstalk sequence and some very funny gags (Donald going nuts is just great ).

"Fun and Fancy Free" is not bad at all, it is just weak when compared to the other features in the canon.

Let's talk about Disney and political correctness with that wonderful spousal abuse song from Bongo. If you love someone, say it with a SLAP!!!

Chicky Mouse - your Avatar is rather hypnotic. It made me lose my train of thought for a second.

My feelings towards Fun and Fancy Free are rather mixed.

I love Mickey and the Beenstalk. Really well done. Great pacing, good story. Edger, Charlie and Mortimer are always a treat.

However, Bongo is so slowly paced. Not a great story to begin with either. I cant believe that it was originally supposed to be its own feature. Even if you cut it down to a better length I dont think it would compare favorably with other shorts.

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And I second that.

I think only the male members here are the ones hypnotized by that avatar.



also i remember Disney saying that same thing for The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh when they released the movie in 1996 saying it was the first time on video. found out that it was released on video in the 1980's.

WHat so say about Fun Fancy Free. Well when I was younger i really dfidnt care much for it. In Fact I think the puppets scared me so I didn't really watch it. Although I love the Mickey and the Beanstlak segment But from the movie BONGO was my favorite. the little Bear and his Unicycle Lol so cute and the song if you love someone say it with a slap . Its a great movie just shows that with just the right characters and plot any movie can truly be great.

Well, believe me, there are a certain number of us Chickies who are hypnotized by then as well. The Gurlies love it too!!!

Please yoru avatar is very disturbing. your avatar is the reason why so many little girls are playing with BRATZ dolls today. and i thought that Barbie dools were bad enough. it was bad to see how a bunch of little girls would would have so many different outfits for Barbie and they decide to leave the Ken dool naked. one time while i was watching my younger brother's soccer game and i noticed that there are two girls, at about the age of 6 or 7, who are playing with Barbie dolls. soon one of them yells to her soccer asking to get the naked Ken doll from the car. and i was thinking "WHAT?" what on earth would they be calling it the "naked Ken" doll. it's like Mattel has decided to create the all new Ken doll with special features on it. its like I'm at Wal-Mart and to get to one area of the store, I have to pass by a whole shelf full of naked Ken dolls. When passing by, I think to myself "I see naked People ". and its was bad to enough to hear that Wal-Mart took out all of the pregnant Barbie dolls because Barbie wasnt wearing a wedding ring.

That's a pretty absurd statement. Please put me in touch with 1 little girl who saw my avatar and decided to play with a BRATZ doll (whatever that is) because of it. I would like to talk to her.

Hello. I'm the little girl who saw your saw your avatar and have made your avatar my idol. When I grow up, I want to look just like your avatar.

Hi little girl. Since I'm your idol, listen up. Be yourself. Don't try to look like anyone else, and people will like you more. Now go play.

There's nothing wrong with wanting large breasts. It's the American dream. Just look at Disney idol Lindsay Lohan.

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I just finished my first viewing of Fun and Fancy Free. Highlights for me were the opening song, Jiminy Cricket, Edgar Bergen and his friends, and the great interplay between Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. The story of Bongo was mildly entertaining, but it did not hold much resonance for me. It may grow on me in the future, but it is definitely the weaker of the two main stories.

Random Bongo thoughts: Why does Lulubelle play hard-to-get AFTER the slapping? Also, was anyone else reminded of the Nick Jr. show featuring an animated bear?

Overall, I'd give the movie a 7/10. It's average, but average Disney is pretty high above most other movies.

I was surprised to find a short documentary on this Gold Collection DVD. I'm sure it was on the VHS release as well, but I wasn't expecting more than the read-along storybook and trivia game. It was a nice look at the genesis of the film, but it only makes me want a special edition that much more.

If you're in the mood for light fare and the occasional quip, I'd recommend this.

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I love the film Fun and Fancy Free, I think the mickey and the beanstalk segment is wonderful, it's a shame they wern't able to make this as a full length feature as originally planned.

I also love Bongo, especially the song Say it With a Slap.

After all How can anyone hate a film that promotes domestic violence with a catchy little tune?!

OK, Fun and Fancy Free was great all because of Mickey and the Beanstalk story with Goofy and Donald but the puppets part was lame and boring. Also Bongo was an ok a ripe-off of Dumbo but was great to pair up the two segments.

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