This was a well made but rather morally dubious cartoon from the early days of Mickey Mouse. Like most of these early films, they are in black and white and feature sound effects and occasional voices, but are (for the most part) like a silent film with added sound effects.
The film begins with Mickey and his fellow mice all running to volunteer for a war against the....well,...whatever those other Pete-like characters are supposed to be. Oddly, the mice all dance to "Dixie" and wear Confederate-style uniforms while the enemy wore helmets that looked like WWI Germans. Why they were fighting is uncertain but it sure looked fun...and very violent. For 1929, this played pretty well but today it felt a bit unsavory--with the allusions to the South and the way it portrayed war as great fun! It's probably a film you best watch with and explain to your younger kids, but as an adult I enjoyed and appreciated the artistry of the film--Disney Studios was miles ahead of the competition in quality.
The film begins with Mickey and his fellow mice all running to volunteer for a war against the....well,...whatever those other Pete-like characters are supposed to be. Oddly, the mice all dance to "Dixie" and wear Confederate-style uniforms while the enemy wore helmets that looked like WWI Germans. Why they were fighting is uncertain but it sure looked fun...and very violent. For 1929, this played pretty well but today it felt a bit unsavory--with the allusions to the South and the way it portrayed war as great fun! It's probably a film you best watch with and explain to your younger kids, but as an adult I enjoyed and appreciated the artistry of the film--Disney Studios was miles ahead of the competition in quality.