Runaway Brain (1995)

"Runaway Brain" is an animated 7-minute short film from 20 years ago and as it features world's most famous mouse it is obviously a Walt Disney movie. And a fairly successful one at that as it managed an Oscar nomination many decades after the mouse's glory days. Still I was not too impressed. The Frankenstein and King Kong references were not enough to make up for the lack of a great story or really funny moments. It lost the Oscar to Nick Park, but his film there is also maybe my least favorite "Wallace & Gromit" picture. Must have been a weak year in terms of animated shorts. One of the weakest Mickey Mouse short films I have seen in a while, which is pretty disappointing as the writer and director have both been prolific in animation at that point already. Not recommended.

My only complaint really of this otherwise excellent cartoon is that some of it was a little too rushed. That said, it is hugely enjoyable. Bizarre yes, with some quite effective freaky imagery, but also very off-the-wall in its humour. The animation is of very good standard, the colours are bold and Mickey looks better than I have seen him in quite some time.The music just enhances the atmosphere, often exciting, haunting, evocative and nightmarish it suits the tone of Runaway Brain wonderfully. The dialogue is memorable and the story while simple benefits from a great idea and is kept at bay right up until the end. I loved Mickey here, I always have although he can be bland sometimes when he is sidelined, but here we have a completely different side to him and while it mayn't be to everybody's tastes I liked that side to him.Overall, bizarre yet still excellent. 9/10 Bethany Cox

AWESOME full fluid animation, amazing character acting, and clever writing.Doesn't follow the innocent flow of the old Mickeys, but has a great modern edge. awesome! I watch it every chance I get. its the best mickey cartoon ever made. Mickey playing Disney video games! is there anything cuter? maybe him cowering under a striped pillow ;) His innocent charm still radiates through (lobo-tomy lane haha!) Mickeys capture of the monster at the end was an unexpected hilarious addition =3 awesome for old Disney fans that grew up and still love the old characters.

I remember seeing this cartoon attached to, I believe, George of the Jungle. I was in my very early teens at the time, and had been a big fan of the old Mickey cartoons since I had owned several on video as a child. But this frightened me. I was 13, and frightened. The old Mickey cartoons had charm, this new thing was fast paced, way too off the wall for a Mickey cartoon, and didn't have any of the Disney Cartoon vibe you would imagine one should have if you are a fan of the old stuff. They were trying so hard to reinvent Mickey, be funny, have the kids of gags that were not typically Disney, and going for more of an adult audience and I do not think it worked AT ALL. I might watch this again one day since it is out on one of the Disney Treasures DVD sets, but it will probably frighten me again even though I'm in my 20's.