Anyone who has come here long enough to get to know my likes and dislikes probably knows what a Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse fan I am. The man and the character opened the road for so much of what we have today, from Pixar to Tom and Jerry. But, if you’re looking for the kind of cartoons you and I have grown to expect, this one is bound to disappoint you. It’s an episode of the current television series Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It’s an animated Sesame Street, however, and not really a cartoon adventure.
While I use the term Sesame Street, I don’t mean it literally. You’ll find the traditional Disney characters, to be sure. There’s Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto, and even Professor Von Drake. You won’t find a Cookie Monster or a Big Bird anywhere. What you will find is that strictly educational style. The characters talk directly to the children watching. They ask questions geared toward teaching such basic concepts as identifying colors and shapes to basic math problems. There’s a great deal of shouting encouragement as well. You should be prepared for your young one to answer Mickey’s questions and join him in some hollering. There’s a particularly annoying repetition as the gang calls for a character named Toodles. Toodles carries objects that the characters need to accomplish various tasks. Whenever they find they are in the need of one of these tools Mickey encourages everyone, including your child, to yell “Oh Toodles”, to bring the character to them with the needed item.
The story for this episode of Mickey’s Clubhouse has Minnie opening a store for all kinds of bows. Pete needs help picking out a present for his Aunt Mabel.
Video
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie’s Bow-tique is brought to you in its original broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Colors are bright, and the picture is certainly very clear. It’s not the most detailed animation, so sharpness isn’t going go to be a major problem. The animation is rather large-scale, like something out of a coloring book.
Audio
The Dolby Digital 5.1 track does exactly what it was originally intended to do. It delivers dialog and some mid-range music. Nothing to write home about, but nothing to distract.
Special Features
Bonus Shorts:
Minnie’s Picnic, Minnie’s Bee Story, and Minnie’s Pajama Party.
Interactive viewing options.
Final Thoughts
This one is strictly for the very young kids. It’s fine and basically educational; just don’t expect them to sit quietly here. That’s not going to happen. If that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for, this one is likely as entertaining as any other very young children’s program. But, if you’ve got pre-schoolers in the house, then all you’ve got to do is say the magic words: “Meeska Mooska, Mickey Mouse”.
