TheLittleSongbird Review of Mickey's Steam Roller

Mickey's Steam Roller (1934)

Great animation and gags but seemed abrupt at the end to me

[8/10 · 27 July 2012]

Whether I grew up with them or not, I have enjoyed Disney. Mickey's Steam Roller is not one their best, but of this particular it is for me one of their more under-appreciated ones. I would have forgiven the slightly routine story, as it is true of many other Disney cartoons(even the funnier ones), if the ending was stronger. Sadly, the ending seemed rather abrupt to me, and for all the trouble Morty and Ferdy caused instead of getting a well-deserved talking to I found it really odd that Mickey acted as if nothing had happened(maybe it was a way to make the entertainment consistent and Mickey no less likable but somehow it didn't work for me). However, the animation is clean and very well done, especially the animation on the steam roller and the anthropomorphic face on its machine as it chases Mickey. The colourised version is also a treat, one of the most richly coloured originally-black-and-white cartoons I've seen actually, and the character designs don't jar too much either. The music sounds lovely and has much character to every scene, while the gags are also great especially the middle with the nephews and the steam-roller, the bit with the conversation hearts was a very cute distraction also. The characters engage, Mickey and Minnie are likable and Morty and Ferdy are adorable and very funny, one wishes why you didn't see much more of them after. In conclusion, very enjoyable but more work on the ending could have helped. 8/10 Bethany Cox