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| Special Features: |
Full frame format
Chapter selection
Talent bios
Movie poster image
Bonus Mr. Magoo short. |
| Video Format: |
Full Frame (1.33:1)
[SS-SL]
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| Languages: |
English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
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| Subtitles: |
None.
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| Captions: |
No
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| Casing: |
1-Disc Keep Case
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Dicken's classic tale of redemption is given a cartoon twist. "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" was the first made-for-TV holiday special. The 52-minute animation special first aired in 1962. The special is true to Dicken's tale. The tale is presented with Mr. Magoo portraying Scrooge on Broadway. The production includes numerous songs by veteran Broadway composer Jule Styne and lyricist Bob Merrill. How much you like this version might depend on how much you like Mr. Magoo. I have always been a fan of Jim Backus. I enjoyed his curmudgeonly comments as the old miser. This is a fun DVD for the family.
Nice holiday cartoon. OK picture. Good sound. OK extras. Can't beat the price!
 Picture Quality: 6/10
Mr. Magoo was one of the most poorly animated cartoons ever. I never understood the Spartan style of the series. If not for the formidable vocal talent of Jim Backus, I don't think the series would have lasted as long as it did. This animation for this Christmas special is above par for a Magoo cartoon, but it is still, well, if you've ever seen a Magoo cartoon, you know what I mean!
Sound Quality: 8/10
The songs and music by Mr. Styne and Merrill are very good. They sound fresh on this stereo track. Mr. Backus's grumbling delivery of Magoo’s lines is quite audible. No distortion.
Menu: 5/10
The design is based on the Magoo animation so it is bland. Easy to navigate.
Extra Features: 7/10
Except for the bonus cartoon, the extras are text screens, which are sparse in information. The history of Magoo provides the most information
 "The History of Mr. Magoo in Film and Television" is a 7 screen text history of the beloved (but not by me!) animation character. Interesting for those who care.
Short bios are provided for Jim Backus, Morey Amsterdam, Jack Cassidy and June Foray, the vocal talents on this holiday special. There is also a career retrospective of the composer and lyricist for this film. It includes three screens of text.
The last extra is the Mr. Magoo short cartoon "Mr. Magoo Meets McBoing Boing." The cartoon deals with Magoo babysitting a small boy, but mixing the kid up with the family dog.
The Final Word:
Fan's of Magoo and Dickens will like this. You can't go wrong at the price.
Rusty White
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