After taking a step forward with Fun and Fancy Free, Walt Disney and his animation team takes a slight step backward by returning to the overstuffed ‘package’ film format. Melody Time has its share of virtues but it can’t escape the stigma of seeming like another Fantasia clone that fails to live up to the achievements of the original.The film opens reasonably strong with ‘Once Upon a Wintertime,’ a tale of two young people in love on a romp through the winter scenery. The inventive but forgettable ‘Bumble Boogie’ comes next and features a jazz variation of “Flight of the Bumblebee.” Up next is the classic short 'The Legend of Johnny Appleseed.' Most people my age and younger have seen this charming animated tale while growing up and it still has all the charm and magic as the first time you may have seen it.
'Appleseed' is a tough act to follow but 'Little Toot' does well enough in the cleanup spot. It’s about a rambunctious little tugboat and features the signing of the Andrews Sisters. 'Trees' offers a bland recitation of a poem by Alfred Joyce Kilmer. Saving the day is 'Blame it on the Samba,' a wonderfully entertaining short featuring Donald Duck, José Carioca and the crazy Aracuan bird. This reunion from The Three Caballeros is a welcome attraction for me, even though I’ve grown tired of the formulaic structure of these War-era Disney films.
Wrapping up Melody Time is 'Pecos Bill,' a tall tale of the legendary Western characters adventures spun by none other than Roy Rogers. The home video release is cleaned up for political correctness (gone are virtually all depictions of our hero smoking) but the good-natured fun remains. It ends the film on a high note, which is good because anything less than a solid ending would have left audiences frustrated with this re-serving of more of the same.
I don’t mean for this review to come off so negative. The animation is solid, the music is enjoyable and the stories are fine. My beef is that ‘fine’ isn’t good enough for a Disney product. I understand that World War II drained Disney of resources and box office returns tanked but this is the fifth consecutive Disney film to lack a central story line. There is no meat and no growth for characters. All we get are a few splashy colors, fanciful music and short stories. This cheap and easy approach has lost its luster and leaves you longing for the glory days of Snow White, Pinocchio and Bambi.
While Melody Time never tries to be the second coming of Fantasia, it’s impossible not to compare them based on their similar structures. Where Fantasia was a bold and innovative experiment, Melody Time is intentionally formulaic and manufactured. The end product is still worth watching though; it’s just not a main course that you’ll be asking for seconds of.
RATING: 3.25 out of 5
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