The Prince and the Pauper (1990)

Great Film overall

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Disney's short adaptation of "The Prince and the Pauper" delivers the expected slapstick stuff, with appearances by a number of the Mouse House's famous characters. I've never read Mark Twain's original story, although it's safe to guess that this is a loose adaptation even so. One thing that I noticed was that Frank Welker voiced both the king and archbishop. This was unusual for him. While he often provides voices for cartoons - namely Fred on "Scooby Doo" and Ray on "The Real Ghostbusters" - it seems like he seldom does multiple voices in a single production (he often provides voice effects, as in "All Dogs Go to Heaven"). As for some of the other cast members, Arthur Burghardt, who voices Pete, played the Great Ahmed Kahn in "Network", while Elvia Allman, who voices Clarabelle, appeared as Lucy's and Ethel's boss in the candy factory.Anyway, it's nothing special but entertaining.

I wonder what Mark Twain would have said, had he lived to watch this animated adaptation of one of his most notable works "The Prince and the Pauper". I'm confident he would have liked it as 25 thoroughly entertaining movies with lots of funny sequences and a good morale. I won't go too much in the story as it's kinda known to most. Prince coincidentally meets pauper and they realize they look very much alike. They decide to change roles for a day. Prince witnesses the social ills he never got to see inside the palace. Pauper is in danger of coronation. Prince gets there in time, beats the bad guy and becomes the new king.Voicing initially silent animated characters is always quite a risk. I've seen some approaches which really destroyed the whole experience. i'm looking at you, Tom and Jerry. But I applaud Wayne Allwine (rip) and Bill Farmer for their work in this one. What they did with the characters could indeed be described as career-defining as that is exactly the way they should be speaking. Of course the well-written dialogs also help the matter. What I also like about the Disney version is that, besides telling the story centered on the two Mickey's, they made all the supporting characters hilarious to watch. I laughed so hard when Pluto is the only one to realize it's not his real master. Donald gets his fair share of misfortune and reacts hilariously as always and stuck-up Horace Horsecollar delivers as well.All in all, a very well-crafted piece of animation for viewers from all age-groups.

I absolutely love it! Mickey's my favorite Disney character, and his pal Pluto; Donald Duck, who are also in this film too as a valet. And it's the best short film ever made in the Disney Studios' "Renaissance" years. I love the storyline. I thought it's a good adaptation of Mark Twain's classic book by the same name featuring Mickey and his friends. Twain is also the author of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." I love literary films, including literary theatrical shorts. Personally, I think Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy too are great character actors of their time.

I don't know if Disney is the only animation company that can pull off a good mix of genuine drama and comedy in a 25-minute cartoon, but they probably are the only ones willing to try.This cartoon is fantastic! It has more class in its short length than some "hit" animated movies these days have in their whole digitized-thrill-ride selves. The emotional depths reached here are jaw-dropping, from the Prince hearing children complain of hunger (and then say that it's normal), to the death of the king, and some of Captain Pete's reign of terror thrown in for good measure. And that's just the dramatic side.The comedy here also works well. As usual, the Disney crew hits Goofy and Donald with everything they can, extracting every possible gag and joke from the scenes they're in. Even Pluto is granted some fine moments (with some very memorable expressions that remind you of why you own a dog in the first place). Plus, there's a rollicking arrangement of "La donna è mobile," when Mickey and Goofy sing about what they'd do if they could live like the king.The cartoon also works as an adventure film on par with those of Errol Flynn. Both Mickeys are granted some subtle moments: Pauper Mickey, for instance, just before he orders Pete's arrest, has a rather shifty expression you wouldn't expect for a Disney movie of any length (don't blink or you'll miss it). The musical score also raises the cartoon to a level unthought of by other cartoonists; I turn up my TV's volume whenever the coronation scene starts because the music is phenomenal. It's almost too good for the movie.In short, if you want a great adventure that works for all ages (not just young kids--I'm 18 and watch this almost every other week), with a great mix of comedy and drama, plus a well- written score, please watch this.Unfortunately, it's not widely available. It was originally released as a short film before "The Rescuers Down Under," I believe, during the latter's theatrical run. I own it on video, as part of the Disney Mini-Classics series, but I think it's been discontinued. I would like to find this on DVD, but I don't know if it's available, either alone or with other cartoons. If it's not out, it should be.