Animators on assignment from Walt Disney tour South America (along with Donald Duck!) to soak up new cartoon ideas. This long-unseen Disney item is full of color and music, but is obviously a holding-pattern release for the company. I watched the film on video, coupled with the quite-entertaining additional 20-minute documentary which regales even more of the non-animated adventures. Never too popular with the kids, probably because a major cartoon segment involving Pedro the Airplane isn't very funny and lacks the local flavor. Otherwise, some visually dazzling bits but not as good as the similar "The Three Caballeros", released in the US in 1945. **1/2 from ****
50 Reviews
sweet nostalgia
petersj-229 April 2009
I think the reviews of the other posters has been pretty accurate. It is very nice in the era of pixar to see the lush animation of Disney. The special feature South of the Border is fascinating. I hope these Disney travelogues are preserved and digitally enhanced because it would be a great shame to lose them. The picture quality is poor but it is better than not having any recollection at all. The narration is pure Disney and its all about the research that went into the main feature. Of course its testimony to history that seen through the eyes of middle upper class Americans its not really as accurate as Walt thought it was. Some of the facts are not facts at all. They call one creature a rabbit in the documentary but its certainly not a rabbit. It is a capybara. In the cartoon they even have an ostrich in South America!! Still despite the flaws the documentary is a charming bonus with some nostalgic images. Saludos is a pretty good cartoon although I thought the little aeroplane story was quaint it is anthromorphism gone crazy. Everyone's favourite duck with a speech impediment is fun. I never understood a word Donald said but loved his attitude. Goofy steals the movie. It took me years to realise Goofy was a dog! Its a pleasant Disney movie while not being a great one.
Buy it if you're a Disney collector. Other than that...
GWMJedi22 July 2000
When I first heard that Disney was going to release a number of films from the early years which had been "almost forgotten," I was very intrigued. Would there be another Sleeping Beauty or Fantasia hiding out there?
Sadly, Saludos Amigos falls very short of "Disney classic" status. It is basically forgettable.
There are a few smile-inducing moments, but overall the piece really does feel like a "keep the Sudamericanos on our side against the Nazis" period piece from the WW2 era. It's strange to watch a movie made in 1943 with live action sequences of South America looking so peaceful and unaffected by the world's events. Sure, the region was less involved in WW2 than many other regions... but, it is still strange to watch.
Anyway, I'd sum it up thusly: 1. Worth buying if you are a Disney collector and 2. Worthy of note simply to see live shots of Buenos Aires, Lago Titicaca, and Rio de Janeiro, filmed almost 60 years ago.
Other than that, you can skip this one.
Sadly, Saludos Amigos falls very short of "Disney classic" status. It is basically forgettable.
There are a few smile-inducing moments, but overall the piece really does feel like a "keep the Sudamericanos on our side against the Nazis" period piece from the WW2 era. It's strange to watch a movie made in 1943 with live action sequences of South America looking so peaceful and unaffected by the world's events. Sure, the region was less involved in WW2 than many other regions... but, it is still strange to watch.
Anyway, I'd sum it up thusly: 1. Worth buying if you are a Disney collector and 2. Worthy of note simply to see live shots of Buenos Aires, Lago Titicaca, and Rio de Janeiro, filmed almost 60 years ago.
Other than that, you can skip this one.
Historical Disney - not much else unless you're a devotee
nycruise-110 December 2007
This more than any other film shows the plight of the Disney studio in the years following "Snow White" and "Pinocchio".
WWII had broken out, cutting off Disney's European market. In addition, striking cartoonists and their formation of a guild/union meant that the massive about of labor needed to create a "Snow White" or a "Pinocchio" now amounted to a substantially higher production cost then either of those two films (which had not been cheap to begin with).
Thus, Disney was trying to explore new ways to both package his product for another market, as well as develop new product.
They released this movie and capitalized on the then-popular South American craze. Now, however, it looks dated.
You can still it watch it though and see the genesis for several of Disney's later films: "The Three Caballeros" and the whole "How-To" Goofy series are the most obvious.
WWII had broken out, cutting off Disney's European market. In addition, striking cartoonists and their formation of a guild/union meant that the massive about of labor needed to create a "Snow White" or a "Pinocchio" now amounted to a substantially higher production cost then either of those two films (which had not been cheap to begin with).
Thus, Disney was trying to explore new ways to both package his product for another market, as well as develop new product.
They released this movie and capitalized on the then-popular South American craze. Now, however, it looks dated.
You can still it watch it though and see the genesis for several of Disney's later films: "The Three Caballeros" and the whole "How-To" Goofy series are the most obvious.
Barely Feature Length
dbborroughs27 March 2004
This is the fore runner of the many of the Disney TV shows of the 50's, 60's and 70's, mixing live action travel footage with cartoons that tie into the subject.It is also the first of the multi-short film that Disney would release as feature through the 1940's and early 1950's, but its one of the better ones since the pieces are all about on the same level. This, to me, is a better film than the Three Caballeros which followed it and which more people know about than this.
There are really only only four shorts, Donald a tourist, Goofy as a gaucho, Pedro the mail plane, and a piece set to the song Brazil that introduces Joe Carioca.
The real problem with this film is it just stops. Brazil ends and so does the movie. I know they say leave them wanting more but this is ridiculous.
This is a renter. The DVD box says its 75 minutes, but only if you include the short documentary, which is almost as long as the movie itself. If you and your kids like it, then buy it, but its too little to be throwing 20 bucks away on.
There are really only only four shorts, Donald a tourist, Goofy as a gaucho, Pedro the mail plane, and a piece set to the song Brazil that introduces Joe Carioca.
The real problem with this film is it just stops. Brazil ends and so does the movie. I know they say leave them wanting more but this is ridiculous.
This is a renter. The DVD box says its 75 minutes, but only if you include the short documentary, which is almost as long as the movie itself. If you and your kids like it, then buy it, but its too little to be throwing 20 bucks away on.
Saludos Amigos review
JoeytheBrit24 April 2020
Entertaining
TheLittleSongbird1 March 2011
I have been a huge Disney fan for as long as I can remember, and I enjoyed Saludos Amigos. I did think it could have been longer(just a bit), one or two parts could have been better paced and Pedro the Aeroplane in my opinion isn't that funny and takes me out of the setting. That said, the animation is very lush with gorgeous colours and colourful settings and backgrounds. Plus all the characters are drawn very well. The title song is also memorable and the score is marvellous with some catchy rhythms. There are several entertaining sequences, Goofy comes very close to stealing the movie, and there is a hilarious meeting with a pesky llama. Donald himself is great with a wonderful cantankerous attitude, but as he teaches him to samba Jose Carioca steals the show as he is funny and delightfully chirpy. Overall, entertaining if not among the best of Disney. 7/10 Bethany Cox
A historical curiosity with some decent animation showcased, and some interesting time capsule displays of perception of South American culture.
IonicBreezeMachine29 August 2021
A "package film" wherein Walt Disney and his team of animators, artists, and musicians travel across South America experiencing various geographical and cultural points of interest which lead into 4 animated shorts inspired by their visits.
Following the underperformance of Disney's animated films Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi as a result of World War II cutting off needed European and Asian markets, Saludos Amigos came from a State Department arranged "goodwill tour" for Disney and his team as part of the Good Neighbors Policy to improve relations between neighboring South American countries whom had diplomatic and commercial ties to Axis powers such as Nazi Germany. Looking to recoup losses on his overexpanded studio as well as his commercial failures, Disney accepted the deal with the federal grants helping ot finance the film which proved to be a strong success. While the movie is certainly a curiosity with some good animation, it's honestly not all that much of a "movie" with only a 40 minute runtime with a collection of animated shorts that are serviceable but don't exactly stand out much from the usual Silly Symphonies Disney put out saved for the novelty of South American cultural and geographical Iconography that when coupled with the rather dry documentary footage makes the film feel rather anemic.
The animation par for the course for Disney animation is good (though admittedly it's not as ambitious as Disney's other feature films including Dumbo which while intentionally cheap was at least experimental with certain elements). The film features three shorts, two featuring Donald Duck, one featuring Goofy, and another featuring an anthropomorphic plane named Pedro. The Donald Duck short Lake Titicaca, and the Goofy short El Gaucho Goofy are showcases for some entertaining slapstick (with a suspension bridge sequence with Donald Duck being particularly humorous) and while not being anything groundbreaking they are at least enjoyable enough. Pedro is probably the weakest short as it's basically just a cutesy story with a young plane going over mountains to deliver mail over the Andes mountains. It's animated well enough and you can see some of the artistic staples that would be reutilized for later era Disney shorts like Susie, The Little Blue Coupe or The Little House but other than that it's pleasant but forgettable. The final short, Watercolor of Brazil is definitely the most ambitious of the shorts as we start with a bank canvas that is then brough to life through a paint brush giving us the various flora and fauna of Brazil with good usage of misdirection with some memorable moments being a bunch of bananas that turns into Toucans or a tree that turns into a Macaw. This short also marks the first appearance of José Carioca the parrot who along with Donald Duck shows him some of Brazil and the "spirit of the Samba" and with his dapper appearance and energy makes a welcome addition to the Disney canon.
Saludos Amigos is certainly an important piece of Disney history and you can't argue against the role it played in keeping Disney studios afloat during trying times and giving Disney a tangible foot print in South America as well as changing U. S. public perceptions of South America with its travelogue approach. But as a movie its very thin and while its animation is good by the standards of Silly Symphonies nothing except maybe Watercolor of Brazil elevates it beyond the typical short. Worth a watch for curiosity's sake, but one of the weaker parts of the Disney animated films.
Following the underperformance of Disney's animated films Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi as a result of World War II cutting off needed European and Asian markets, Saludos Amigos came from a State Department arranged "goodwill tour" for Disney and his team as part of the Good Neighbors Policy to improve relations between neighboring South American countries whom had diplomatic and commercial ties to Axis powers such as Nazi Germany. Looking to recoup losses on his overexpanded studio as well as his commercial failures, Disney accepted the deal with the federal grants helping ot finance the film which proved to be a strong success. While the movie is certainly a curiosity with some good animation, it's honestly not all that much of a "movie" with only a 40 minute runtime with a collection of animated shorts that are serviceable but don't exactly stand out much from the usual Silly Symphonies Disney put out saved for the novelty of South American cultural and geographical Iconography that when coupled with the rather dry documentary footage makes the film feel rather anemic.
The animation par for the course for Disney animation is good (though admittedly it's not as ambitious as Disney's other feature films including Dumbo which while intentionally cheap was at least experimental with certain elements). The film features three shorts, two featuring Donald Duck, one featuring Goofy, and another featuring an anthropomorphic plane named Pedro. The Donald Duck short Lake Titicaca, and the Goofy short El Gaucho Goofy are showcases for some entertaining slapstick (with a suspension bridge sequence with Donald Duck being particularly humorous) and while not being anything groundbreaking they are at least enjoyable enough. Pedro is probably the weakest short as it's basically just a cutesy story with a young plane going over mountains to deliver mail over the Andes mountains. It's animated well enough and you can see some of the artistic staples that would be reutilized for later era Disney shorts like Susie, The Little Blue Coupe or The Little House but other than that it's pleasant but forgettable. The final short, Watercolor of Brazil is definitely the most ambitious of the shorts as we start with a bank canvas that is then brough to life through a paint brush giving us the various flora and fauna of Brazil with good usage of misdirection with some memorable moments being a bunch of bananas that turns into Toucans or a tree that turns into a Macaw. This short also marks the first appearance of José Carioca the parrot who along with Donald Duck shows him some of Brazil and the "spirit of the Samba" and with his dapper appearance and energy makes a welcome addition to the Disney canon.
Saludos Amigos is certainly an important piece of Disney history and you can't argue against the role it played in keeping Disney studios afloat during trying times and giving Disney a tangible foot print in South America as well as changing U. S. public perceptions of South America with its travelogue approach. But as a movie its very thin and while its animation is good by the standards of Silly Symphonies nothing except maybe Watercolor of Brazil elevates it beyond the typical short. Worth a watch for curiosity's sake, but one of the weaker parts of the Disney animated films.
Donald, Goofy, and Jose!
donaldricco17 May 2020
Definitely dated, but still entertaing! More like a documentary than a cartoon! I liked how they show the live action, and then the animation. You can see how the artists incorporated what they were exposed to! The Brazil piece was my favorite, more for the music than anything else!
p.s. - My kids liked this, but they prefer "Three Caballeros"!
p.s. - My kids liked this, but they prefer "Three Caballeros"!
Dull shorts strung together and then dumped into the local theaters.
planktonrules1 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
"Saludos Amigos" is a very short full-length film that actually consists of several short films created as a result of Walt Disney's good will tour of South America just before the US entered WWII. This tour is discussed at length in the documentary "Walt & el Groupo" and "Saludos Amigos" is a special feature included on this disk--though it was originally released in theaters in 1942.
I know some will be shocked when they read this, but the fact is that the two feature films created as a result of this trip were pretty poor--mostly because they came off more like travelogues than the typical Disney film. IN addition, they simply are not fun and kids will hate them. Of the two, "Saludos Amigos" is the best--but it still is sub-par Disney. It consists of several shorts all released together instead of separately. Apparently Disney realized that the shorts had very limited marketability, so he had them bundled together and released. Imagine how sad people must have felt when they saw this dull stuff!
The first short involves Donald Duck in Peru. While it has a few moments, it comes off as a dull travel film and not much more. Then, the film switches to an odd and not particularly entertaining film about a tiny plane called Pedro. This really seemed to have little to do with Chile. Then, footage of Walt and his employees visiting the Argentine gauchos is shown--followed by a short featuring Goofy as one of these cowboys. It's a lot like the typical Goofy educational film and shows the differences between the American and Argentinian versions. This is probably the best short of the four in the film but once again, it's far from their best work. Finally, the film jumps to Rio where there is a lot of samba music and lots of footage of Carnival and the short "Watercolor of Brazil". The music is the same title music to the Terry Gilliam film "Brazil"--a film about as different from this Disney film as you could imagine. This short features Donald Duck and a new character, Joe Carioca--a talking parrot. Mostly you just see them dancing about to samba music and they don't have a lot of personality...or fun.
Overall, a pretty dull lot but made a bit better if you see the accompanying documentary. I certainly wouldn't recommend you rush out to see this.
I know some will be shocked when they read this, but the fact is that the two feature films created as a result of this trip were pretty poor--mostly because they came off more like travelogues than the typical Disney film. IN addition, they simply are not fun and kids will hate them. Of the two, "Saludos Amigos" is the best--but it still is sub-par Disney. It consists of several shorts all released together instead of separately. Apparently Disney realized that the shorts had very limited marketability, so he had them bundled together and released. Imagine how sad people must have felt when they saw this dull stuff!
The first short involves Donald Duck in Peru. While it has a few moments, it comes off as a dull travel film and not much more. Then, the film switches to an odd and not particularly entertaining film about a tiny plane called Pedro. This really seemed to have little to do with Chile. Then, footage of Walt and his employees visiting the Argentine gauchos is shown--followed by a short featuring Goofy as one of these cowboys. It's a lot like the typical Goofy educational film and shows the differences between the American and Argentinian versions. This is probably the best short of the four in the film but once again, it's far from their best work. Finally, the film jumps to Rio where there is a lot of samba music and lots of footage of Carnival and the short "Watercolor of Brazil". The music is the same title music to the Terry Gilliam film "Brazil"--a film about as different from this Disney film as you could imagine. This short features Donald Duck and a new character, Joe Carioca--a talking parrot. Mostly you just see them dancing about to samba music and they don't have a lot of personality...or fun.
Overall, a pretty dull lot but made a bit better if you see the accompanying documentary. I certainly wouldn't recommend you rush out to see this.
Great feature about South America! I love Saludos Amigos!
kristinaa18 February 2007
This feature was made to improve relations with South America. It features a few animated shorts with live action breaking the scenes up. The live action is designed to teach about South American culture.
I am someone who really likes this feature (even though it is short). I love the scene with Jose Caricoa (sp?) where Donald can't pronounce his name. "Joe-say...". I would watch this at my old job at a video store every chance I got! I would recommend it to everyone, but since some people are not impressed with this feature I would suggest renting it first.
Overall very good!!!
I am someone who really likes this feature (even though it is short). I love the scene with Jose Caricoa (sp?) where Donald can't pronounce his name. "Joe-say...". I would watch this at my old job at a video store every chance I got! I would recommend it to everyone, but since some people are not impressed with this feature I would suggest renting it first.
Overall very good!!!
José Carioca Is The Star
Eumenides_025 May 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I vaguely remember this cartoon from my childhood. Personally, I don't even find it a particularly interesting piece of Disney fiction and magic. The movie is divided in four segments across the South America, I can only remember three of them though: one in Lake Titicaca where tourist Donald Duck fumbles with a stubborn llama; a rather dull segment about an airplane on a perilous journey across the Andes...
This definitely is not the stuff Disney is famous for! However, the last segment, lovely titled 'Aquarelas do Brazil' makes the whole show worthwhile. It follows nothing less than the birth of the amazing José Carioca, a Brazilian parrot who'd go on to become one of the most famous Disney characters in South America! I fondly remember reading his adventures in comics as a child. The cartoon doesn't yet show Carioca with his characteristic traits, namely a mixture of tramp/conman figure who's always broke but always succeeds through luck and wit.
In 'Saludos Amigos' he's still in his infancy although one already sees his love for fun and folly. Priceless is watching him teach Donald Duck how to do the Samba and both hitting all the nightclubs in Rio de Janeiro bringing to life the exuberant life of the '40's Brazil! Also beautiful is the song 'Aquarela do Brazil,' which Terry Gilliam would later use in his masterpiece, 'Brazil,' which I've recently seen and made me reminisce about this long-forgotten piece of my childhood.
This definitely is not the stuff Disney is famous for! However, the last segment, lovely titled 'Aquarelas do Brazil' makes the whole show worthwhile. It follows nothing less than the birth of the amazing José Carioca, a Brazilian parrot who'd go on to become one of the most famous Disney characters in South America! I fondly remember reading his adventures in comics as a child. The cartoon doesn't yet show Carioca with his characteristic traits, namely a mixture of tramp/conman figure who's always broke but always succeeds through luck and wit.
In 'Saludos Amigos' he's still in his infancy although one already sees his love for fun and folly. Priceless is watching him teach Donald Duck how to do the Samba and both hitting all the nightclubs in Rio de Janeiro bringing to life the exuberant life of the '40's Brazil! Also beautiful is the song 'Aquarela do Brazil,' which Terry Gilliam would later use in his masterpiece, 'Brazil,' which I've recently seen and made me reminisce about this long-forgotten piece of my childhood.
For collectors only
apararas14 April 2019
Cool flick!
Shannon-3219 June 2002
Like it's sequel, "Three Caballeros," "Saludos Amigos" was made to improve the relations between North and South America and to expose Northerners to Latin American culture. Great music and great fun, though the Latin American culture is a bit sugar-coated. A great family film though the concepts of inter-continental neighborship will go right over the kid's heads.
Is that it?
briancham19942 June 2020
Dark days, bright cartoons
Horst_In_Translation12 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The Disney movie "Saludos Amigos", which runs for little under 45 minutes, came out in 1942 when World War II was in full force and a certain movie called Casablanca hit theaters as well. Basically, this Disney work is a collection of four cartoons, each under 10 minutes. Between these cartoons, we find out some information about life in South America at that point. I did not like the introduction about cartoonists traveling down south, but the other sequences between the cartoons very informative and certainly worth a watch already for the contemporary historical documents they are.
The four cartoons were all created by different directors and also work as stand-alone films. The first is about Donald experiencing South American in his usual slapstick fashion. We see his struggles with a llama and with dizzy heights. The second is about little mail plane who suddenly gets called to action after his parents suffer from high oil pressure. I found the ending a bit too melodramatic, but everything else about this short film is very good, possibly my favorite from the quartet. The third is another how-to short film featuring Goofy about how Argentinians/Gauchos live. I like especially the sports-related Goofy shorts, but this one did not do too much for me. Finally, Donald is back and meets a Brazilian bird. A fruitful collaboration as these two caballeros join two years later for "The Three Caballeros" with another bird not seen yet in this short film. Also, I would like to emphasize one scene, where a bee gets swallowed by a carnivorous plant, then transforms into Donald and spits out the bee again. This example that the bee is not just gone shows how family-friendly these cartoons were and really neglected the presence of death completely unlike animated films these days.
"Saludos Amigos" scored three Oscar-nominations in the music/sound categories, which is fairly uncommon for a short film looking at today's standards. It did not win an Oscar, but its success was probably one of the main reasons for the sequel. Worth a watch for cartoon enthusiasts or people interested in the history of South America. Lots of Latin music included here as well.
The four cartoons were all created by different directors and also work as stand-alone films. The first is about Donald experiencing South American in his usual slapstick fashion. We see his struggles with a llama and with dizzy heights. The second is about little mail plane who suddenly gets called to action after his parents suffer from high oil pressure. I found the ending a bit too melodramatic, but everything else about this short film is very good, possibly my favorite from the quartet. The third is another how-to short film featuring Goofy about how Argentinians/Gauchos live. I like especially the sports-related Goofy shorts, but this one did not do too much for me. Finally, Donald is back and meets a Brazilian bird. A fruitful collaboration as these two caballeros join two years later for "The Three Caballeros" with another bird not seen yet in this short film. Also, I would like to emphasize one scene, where a bee gets swallowed by a carnivorous plant, then transforms into Donald and spits out the bee again. This example that the bee is not just gone shows how family-friendly these cartoons were and really neglected the presence of death completely unlike animated films these days.
"Saludos Amigos" scored three Oscar-nominations in the music/sound categories, which is fairly uncommon for a short film looking at today's standards. It did not win an Oscar, but its success was probably one of the main reasons for the sequel. Worth a watch for cartoon enthusiasts or people interested in the history of South America. Lots of Latin music included here as well.
Saludos Amigos
aileencorcoran18 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I'm not sure whether to call "Saludos Amigos" a film, a short, an educational piece or an experiment. It is, at the very least, an interesting endeavor. The snippets of information given in the segments are interesting, and it's nice to get a bit of culture. The aged, sepia tone video footage of the Central American areas visited (and South American) gives it a rustic feel, which makes me want to visit. Yes, this Disney cartoon made me wonder what it is like to live in Brazil, Argentina and so forth. That's impressive enough on its own.
"Saludos Amigos" isn't as such a whole story, but four segments. In all honesty, they don't seem like much to make up a movie, and while the first three are cute and well animated, they seem more like the Disney shorts for television. The style doesn't seem cinematically distinct, like the Golden or Dark Age of Disney. It's lovely to look at and masterfully done; the movements and comedic timing are sublime, and the backgrounds are gorgeous. It just seems a tad less special than Disney's other works.
That is, until the last segment. Set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it is called Aquarela do Brasil (Watercolour of Brasil). It's beautiful, artistic and inspired. The music is wonderful, and it showcases the animator's talent and imagination. It seems like the whole movie was interesting tidbits, leading up to a really cool piece of animation. The flamingos, waterfall and toucan-bananas were really cool! Not only that, but now I know where that green parrot originated from. José Carioca, needs to be brought back. He's suave, has a sexy accent, and smokes cigars. I demand more José! Also, seeing Donald getting drunk and nabbing some booty is rather hilarious.
The segments include Donald and Goofy in all sorts of situations; Donald rides a grumpy llama at Lake Titicata, Goofy takes on the persona of an Argentinian gaucho. There's a sweet little short involving a plane named Pedro, who must deliver mail in Santiago. There is a few funny moments, such as when Donald and his llama get stuck on a bridge, or when he breaks the fourth wall in the fourth segment by using ink from José's outline to draw a silly stick figure. The educational aspects were pleasant, you can tell the animators had fun. It was neat to see Uncle Walt! Overall, "Saludos Amigos" is a passable little feature. It sports some decent and amazing animation, and introduces a cool character. It was genuinely interesting. I'm not sure if the information is outdated, but it show cultures of days gone by, and that is worth a lot. It's nothing amazing, but it's cute, you can see the effort put into it. It deserves to be checked out at least once.
"Saludos Amigos" isn't as such a whole story, but four segments. In all honesty, they don't seem like much to make up a movie, and while the first three are cute and well animated, they seem more like the Disney shorts for television. The style doesn't seem cinematically distinct, like the Golden or Dark Age of Disney. It's lovely to look at and masterfully done; the movements and comedic timing are sublime, and the backgrounds are gorgeous. It just seems a tad less special than Disney's other works.
That is, until the last segment. Set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it is called Aquarela do Brasil (Watercolour of Brasil). It's beautiful, artistic and inspired. The music is wonderful, and it showcases the animator's talent and imagination. It seems like the whole movie was interesting tidbits, leading up to a really cool piece of animation. The flamingos, waterfall and toucan-bananas were really cool! Not only that, but now I know where that green parrot originated from. José Carioca, needs to be brought back. He's suave, has a sexy accent, and smokes cigars. I demand more José! Also, seeing Donald getting drunk and nabbing some booty is rather hilarious.
The segments include Donald and Goofy in all sorts of situations; Donald rides a grumpy llama at Lake Titicata, Goofy takes on the persona of an Argentinian gaucho. There's a sweet little short involving a plane named Pedro, who must deliver mail in Santiago. There is a few funny moments, such as when Donald and his llama get stuck on a bridge, or when he breaks the fourth wall in the fourth segment by using ink from José's outline to draw a silly stick figure. The educational aspects were pleasant, you can tell the animators had fun. It was neat to see Uncle Walt! Overall, "Saludos Amigos" is a passable little feature. It sports some decent and amazing animation, and introduces a cool character. It was genuinely interesting. I'm not sure if the information is outdated, but it show cultures of days gone by, and that is worth a lot. It's nothing amazing, but it's cute, you can see the effort put into it. It deserves to be checked out at least once.
Tourist guide for South America
DogePelis201527 November 2020
Just Okay
jordyntsmith2 January 2020
Watching through the entire Disney animated canon and finally took the time to watch this short film. It is simply, okay. Interesting for its historical context, but hardly a good standalone movie. It's nice that it is only 42min long.
It is like how I remembered it...and more.
jordondave-2808528 April 2023
(1942) Saludos Amigos/ Hello, Friends in English
FAMILY DOCUMENTARY ANIMATION
Consist of some interesting cartoon skits (4 exact) with documentary clips between each one of the actual Walt Disney and company's trip through Latin America, including Brazil (Brasil), Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Mexico. A great percentage of it deals with some of the influences and behind-the-scenes the artists had experienced upon coming up with their characters, including José Carioca the parrot, Pedro the small airplane, intermingling with Donald Duck and Goofy. The final segment is a 20 minute documentary showcasing Walt and comp.
Consist of some interesting cartoon skits (4 exact) with documentary clips between each one of the actual Walt Disney and company's trip through Latin America, including Brazil (Brasil), Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Mexico. A great percentage of it deals with some of the influences and behind-the-scenes the artists had experienced upon coming up with their characters, including José Carioca the parrot, Pedro the small airplane, intermingling with Donald Duck and Goofy. The final segment is a 20 minute documentary showcasing Walt and comp.
War times were tough, even for animation studios
Vartiainen19 June 2015
Saludos Amigos is basically Disney's desperate wartime attempt to find new markets and to make some quick cash, because understandably European markets had something else on their minds at the time. And it shows. Saludos Amigos is straight pandering to South American public and at least it earns some points for honesty and for at least trying to be entertaining.
Nevertheless, it's pretty clear that this was made in some rush and with an extremely limited budget. All of the segments are brief, kind of rough and don't contain much of a story. All are also little more than tourist ads for various South American locations, which isn't as much of a problem as you would think, given that this was done by Disney, after all.
The first and the third segment, featuring Donal Duck and Goofy, respectively, are the two better ones in my opinion. Both heavily resemble the various Disney shorts made before this and in a good way. They're quick with jokes, the two characters are as entertaining as they've always been and as a whole I have nothing major against them.
The second segment, featuring Pedro, the littlest airplane, is the granddaddy of Pixar's whole Car franchise, and that's not a compliment. While the segment contains some of the nicest animation sequences in the whole film, and the various images are both threatening and cute, varying as the scenes demand, the main character is annoying, the story predictable and as a whole it's just painfully childish.
The last segment, featuring José Carioca, is not my favourite, but it's a fun little story about one crazed parrot introducing Donald to samba and various other Brazilian traditions. From what I've understood, José is still a popular character in South America, and I can see why. He has a lot of personality, funny hijinks with his whole "ladies love samba" gigolo routine and he works very well with Donald. The whole segment is painfully advertising, but at least we got a good character out of it.
Saludos Amigos is important part of Disney's legacy, because it was one of the films that allowed them to tide over the war years. It's not a very good film compared to Disney's usual fare, but I like that I've seen it.
Nevertheless, it's pretty clear that this was made in some rush and with an extremely limited budget. All of the segments are brief, kind of rough and don't contain much of a story. All are also little more than tourist ads for various South American locations, which isn't as much of a problem as you would think, given that this was done by Disney, after all.
The first and the third segment, featuring Donal Duck and Goofy, respectively, are the two better ones in my opinion. Both heavily resemble the various Disney shorts made before this and in a good way. They're quick with jokes, the two characters are as entertaining as they've always been and as a whole I have nothing major against them.
The second segment, featuring Pedro, the littlest airplane, is the granddaddy of Pixar's whole Car franchise, and that's not a compliment. While the segment contains some of the nicest animation sequences in the whole film, and the various images are both threatening and cute, varying as the scenes demand, the main character is annoying, the story predictable and as a whole it's just painfully childish.
The last segment, featuring José Carioca, is not my favourite, but it's a fun little story about one crazed parrot introducing Donald to samba and various other Brazilian traditions. From what I've understood, José is still a popular character in South America, and I can see why. He has a lot of personality, funny hijinks with his whole "ladies love samba" gigolo routine and he works very well with Donald. The whole segment is painfully advertising, but at least we got a good character out of it.
Saludos Amigos is important part of Disney's legacy, because it was one of the films that allowed them to tide over the war years. It's not a very good film compared to Disney's usual fare, but I like that I've seen it.
Live action/animation Disney film detailing a goodwill trip to South America
llltdesq24 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This is the sixth animated feature done by the Walt Disney animation studio. There will be spoilers ahead:
Prior to US entry into World War II, the US Department of State got Disney to go on a goodwill tour of South America due to the popularity of Disney's characters in Latin America.Material gathered there was used to make this film, which proved to be sufficiently popular that Disney made a second film (The Three Caballeros) in the same vein.
At just over 41 minutes in length, this is just barely of feature length. Composed of live action footage and animation, it covers visits to the four countries of Peru, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Each section of the film describes what the Disney artists found in each country as inspiration, followed by short animated sequences based on the visits. Brief live action/animated transitions of flights are used to lead into the sections.
The first animated segment, "Lake Titicaca", shows Donald Duck visiting Peru as a tourist and interacting with a boy and his llama. It's typical Donald Duck and is rather funny. The highlight is Donald and the llama crossing a suspension bridge.
The second segment, "Pedro", concerns a little plane named Pedro and his flight to carry the mail over the mountains in Chile. It's a fairly standard short of the "small hero faces adversity and wins through" variety and is the weakest segment, mostly because the other three are more entertaining. It's still fairly solid.
The third segment is Argentina and its gauchos. The live action footage of gauchos leads into a Goofy short, "El Gaucho Goofy" and it follows the pattern of other Goofy shorts. The best part here is the slow motion footage of Goofy in action at the tail end of the short.
The fourth and by far the best animated segment is "Aquarela do Brasil" ("Watercolor of Brazil") which is the most lushly beautiful animation of the film. Donald makes his return in this and it also introduces Jose Carioca. The animation starts out as a series of watercolor drawings which become animated and things morph from one thing to another. The animation is fantastic and the music is marvelous. Donald meets Jose, who is awed at meeting "Pato Donald" and takes Donald out to see the sights and to dance the samba. Thje segment is too short and leaves me wanting more.
This is available on DVD and is well worth watching. Recommended.
Prior to US entry into World War II, the US Department of State got Disney to go on a goodwill tour of South America due to the popularity of Disney's characters in Latin America.Material gathered there was used to make this film, which proved to be sufficiently popular that Disney made a second film (The Three Caballeros) in the same vein.
At just over 41 minutes in length, this is just barely of feature length. Composed of live action footage and animation, it covers visits to the four countries of Peru, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Each section of the film describes what the Disney artists found in each country as inspiration, followed by short animated sequences based on the visits. Brief live action/animated transitions of flights are used to lead into the sections.
The first animated segment, "Lake Titicaca", shows Donald Duck visiting Peru as a tourist and interacting with a boy and his llama. It's typical Donald Duck and is rather funny. The highlight is Donald and the llama crossing a suspension bridge.
The second segment, "Pedro", concerns a little plane named Pedro and his flight to carry the mail over the mountains in Chile. It's a fairly standard short of the "small hero faces adversity and wins through" variety and is the weakest segment, mostly because the other three are more entertaining. It's still fairly solid.
The third segment is Argentina and its gauchos. The live action footage of gauchos leads into a Goofy short, "El Gaucho Goofy" and it follows the pattern of other Goofy shorts. The best part here is the slow motion footage of Goofy in action at the tail end of the short.
The fourth and by far the best animated segment is "Aquarela do Brasil" ("Watercolor of Brazil") which is the most lushly beautiful animation of the film. Donald makes his return in this and it also introduces Jose Carioca. The animation starts out as a series of watercolor drawings which become animated and things morph from one thing to another. The animation is fantastic and the music is marvelous. Donald meets Jose, who is awed at meeting "Pato Donald" and takes Donald out to see the sights and to dance the samba. Thje segment is too short and leaves me wanting more.
This is available on DVD and is well worth watching. Recommended.
Adios, Hollywood, and saludos, amigos
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews3 September 2023
Four shorts inspired by South America.
The animation is quite high quality. There are some very funny sight gags and verbal jokes. Some of the cliches about the people are positive and presented in a very appealing way, such as the passion of their culture and language. It is always sad to see racism, but I do agree with the decision to present it uncensored on Disney Plus and invite a conversation.
I think it played better in 1942 than it does today. With an abundance of handholding exposition(at one point he is directly told to shut up), at 42 minutes it's a long time to sit and just watch Donald Duck and Goofy do shtick. I'm not calling for it to have been shorter. I think this would have been better if they made it feature length and dropped the entire framing device and simply made it a 90 minute story of these characters going to, among other places, Brazil from America and having adventures there. I have yet to watch The Three Caballeros, but it seems like that might actually be what that one is. So at least they did get there.
I recommend this to any fan of the characters. 6/10.
The animation is quite high quality. There are some very funny sight gags and verbal jokes. Some of the cliches about the people are positive and presented in a very appealing way, such as the passion of their culture and language. It is always sad to see racism, but I do agree with the decision to present it uncensored on Disney Plus and invite a conversation.
I think it played better in 1942 than it does today. With an abundance of handholding exposition(at one point he is directly told to shut up), at 42 minutes it's a long time to sit and just watch Donald Duck and Goofy do shtick. I'm not calling for it to have been shorter. I think this would have been better if they made it feature length and dropped the entire framing device and simply made it a 90 minute story of these characters going to, among other places, Brazil from America and having adventures there. I have yet to watch The Three Caballeros, but it seems like that might actually be what that one is. So at least they did get there.
I recommend this to any fan of the characters. 6/10.
Disney's strangest adventure.
Pjtaylor-96-1380447 July 2020
'Saludos Amigos (1942)' is clearly Disney's weirdest 'classic', acting as a live-action travelogue with an anthology of animated shorts peppered throughout. At the time it was released, it apparently enlightened a lot of North Americans about life in South America; now, the information is more than common knowledge. That's perhaps why this piece has aged more than its peers. The actual animated shorts aren't particularly bad, but they don't exactly grip you, either. Still, they're a decent amount of fun in their own right. The best is probably the musical finale, which introduces José Carioca - essentially the Brazillian Donald Duck - and features some inventive 'real-time painting' visuals. As a whole, the movie is rather uninspiring. It's odd and poorly paced, sticking out like a sore thumb in the studio's catalogue. It isn't terrible, of course, but it isn't particularly good, either. 5/10
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