Perfect cast and a good story

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

Just perfect...

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

I've got a little confession. While I love Disney movie and the shorts with Donald and Goofy, I have never understood the world's love affair with Mickey. Generally, he is a very bland character and lacks the edge and fun of the rest of the Disney gang. I'm sorry, but that's how I've always felt.However, when I saw RUNAWAY BRAIN, I finally saw a Mickey Mouse cartoon that I absolutely loved. Gone was the sickeningly sweet Mickey and instead this "new Mickey" was like the old one done by the folks who made Ren and Stimpy or Tex Avery!!! The art style was much more "elastic"--with lots more action and weirdness than you'd find in ten traditional Mickey shorts. The new Mickey was also part action-hero and I really liked what I saw. Plus, with a plot involving brain transplants, you know this is definitely NOT your grandpa's generation mouse!!A wicked sense of humor, fantastic animation and more than anything else FUN--this is the type Mickey Mouse cartoon I would like to see a lot more of in the coming years!By the way, if you want to see this film, get a copy of "Mickey Mouse in Color: Volume 2"--it's included in this nice collection of Mickey shorts.

For all intents and purposes, the brilliant Mickey Mouse cartoons of the 20's and 30's are a tough act to follow. The filmmakers of the 40's and 50's couldn't do it, and even though "Mickey's Christmas Carol" and the "Prince and the Pauper" met with some success, they didn't entirely recapture the magic of those earliest shorts. So, in 1995, they decided to try again.Did they succeed? Not entirely. Times have changed, and they don't make cartoons quite like they used to. Perhaps the creators realized this and decided to go the darker route that most kids cartoons were taking at the time. The result was a rather twisted spin on the Mickey Mouse mythos in which their beloved star ended up as a monster. Not one of their wiser moves (Disney all but neglected the short afterward), but certainly one of their most entertaining--at least in this humble viewer's opinion.It stands to say that the pace does seem to go alarmingly fast upon first viewing the short, a factor that can be exceptionally jarring and is easily "Runaway Brain"'s biggest flaw. A repeat viewing is essential to getting acquainted with the pace. But after that hurdle is bypassed, a delightful romp through horror movie conventions follows as poor protagonist Mickey Mouse almost loses his girl, gets his brain switched with a monster, then has to fight the real one once the switch is reversed. The Mouse is in fine form here, spouting plenty of humorous lines, showing quite a range of hilarious facial expressions, and, ultimately, using both his care for Minnie and his cunning to win out in the end. The coloring perfectly sets a dark atmosphere and the animation was flawless as far as I could see. With the exception of the death of Dr. Frankenollie and the design of Mickey Mouse possessed by Julius, the cartoon was far more comedic than morbid, and can be enjoyed by almost all save for really small children. The short ends perfectly happily, which should satisfy more discerning critics (not to say it does, though).All in all, a fantastic short ruined by comparisons to older shorts (that are too different to be compared anyway), jumpy pacing, and those who are so narrow-minded as to believe that Mickey should never be portrayed as anything other than sweetness and light.

I agree with the above review that it is not only in poor taste for Disney. But I too was frightened by the harsh imagery and evil mickey, Disney can do much, much better. I understand why it was pulled from circulation for a number of years.I agree with the above review that it is not only in poor taste for Disney. But I too was frightened by the harsh imagery and evil mickey, Disney can do much, much better. I understand why it was pulled from circulation for a number of years.But I too was frightened by the harsh imagery and evil mickey, Disney can do much, much better. I understand why it was pulled from circulation for a number of years.

As the second Mickey in Color DVD collection shows, after the release of the Brave Little Tailor Mickey's screen career was on a steady slide into the toilet. Outside of his feature appearances Mickey's films were dull. It wasn't until the 1980's with Mickey's Christmas Carol and The Prince and the Pauper that the animators knew what to do with the Disney symbol.In 1995 they released this gem and it simply is one of the best Disney shorts ever produced. Mickey in need of money to buy a gift for Minnie gets mixed up with a mad scientist and mayhem that previously was only witnessed in Warner cartoons occurs. Its every horror movie cliche turned on its head.What can I say? This is funny funny stuff, that Disney, attached to some live action box office dog, so odds are you've never seen it, which is a shame because its so good that it almost single handedly makes the Price of the Mickey Mouse in Color Volume Two DVD set worth buying.Go track it down. Its only seven minutes long so you'll be able to watch it three or four times in a row with out feeling like you've wasted too much time.This is a true Disney classic.