SHORT REVIEW: OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT

4/5

Rabbit Out The Hat. 

1 Minute. Director: Eric Goldberg. 

94 years is a long time to wait to pull the rabbit out the hat, but this is Disney's anniversary of 100 years of wonder. So what better way to celebrate than to bring back the cartoon creature that was back with them in the salad days when the mouse in the house was whistling whilst he worked as 'Steamboat Willie'? The original classic. I love that Mickey and Minnie literally abuse every part of every animal to make music and the content warning label says, "contains tobacco depictions". No animals were harmed. No mice anyway. 

Now get a horse, or someone with as many carrots as Bugs, because the buzz is back. Lucky for some, 'Oswald The Lucky Rabbit' is back for a beautiful one-minute short, lovingly rendered in the scratchy black and white of the roaring 20s when he made his cinematic debut. And he hasn't changed a bit. Even if this cute character with movable parts like an action figure (just wait until he has a bright idea) will look to some like the Mickey version of what 'The Simpsons' looked like in their first year. Elongated and a little off. But there's nothing wrong with this rabbit though. As iconic as they come. 

This Walt Disney Animated short takes the mouse like critter in shorts to the multiplex where he finally sees his name in bright lights. Not to mention the love of his lif...wait, is that Minnie? Time to steal a kiss. Directed by Eric Goldberg and produced by Dorothy McKim, Oswald still lands like the first time he burst through your fourth wall breaking screen. He's a scream and in this Disney World there's certainly room for everyone. Hand-drawn artistry from the epic era of gold after losing creative control. One minute after almost 100 years doesn't seem like the best luck, but just look. There's a lot you can do in 60 seconds and after this egg-timer alarm bell, you just know Oswald won't be gone again for long. Stretching himself across the screen and onto your sofa like Homer and family. This is not the end. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Shorter Still: 'Steamboat Willie', 'The Band Concert', 'Get A Horse'.