Search - Saludos Amigos (Disney Gold Classic Collection) on DVD

Disney's "Package Feature" era begins with "Saludos Amigos"

dvdcollector18 | USA | 10/27/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was not really fimiliar with Walt's "Package Features" until their DVD release. "Saludos Amigos", Disney's 6th feature for the first time on DVD, is the first of these features, a style that Walt wouln't abandon until "Cinderella". Since this movie is considered one of Disney's "Classic Films", it would make it the shortest one ever (45 minutes), but don't let the short time put you off, it is actually a very good length to tell the stories of the film."Saludos Amigos" is split into 4 animated stories, with some live action intros in between, all taking place in South America. The first, and the best one, is Donald Duck's "Lake Titicaca", where the feathered tourist explores the lake and the town arround it, with some comical twists, narrated all the way through. "El Gaucho Goofy" is a funny story, of transplanting a Texas Cowboy (Goofy), in the middle of South America. The other subjects are "Pedro", the story of a determined plane, and "Aquarelo Do Brasil" where we meet Joe Carioca.The film on the whole has more of a documentary tone, giving us insight on South America ("The Three Caballeros" focuses more on Mexico).The Gold Collection DVD, has a great documentary which shows us Walt Disney's trip to South America, and the development of the film."

Disappointing release

Mike Bowman | 07/17/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Being a fan of all Disney animated cartoons and features, I regret to say that I was quite disappointed by this release. The problem isn't with the subject matter, but with what's actually on the DVD. As an earler reviewer mentioned, scenes were cut in which characters were seen smoking. I have to ask why? (Espcially when they leave in a scene which shows a "young" airplane drinking gasoline). What else was removed from the movie that we don't know about? In the bonus material they mention two other characters, an armadillo and a burro, which weren't part of the feature. Were they originally? I recall seeing the burro character as a child while watching the Wonderful World of Disney on NBC. Maybe an expert on Disney movies could enlighten us.Disney, let parents decide what their children should watch. Remain true to the original films."

Mmmm... Interesting... actually quite entertaining too.

Vincent O'Sullivan | London, England. | 08/24/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"My young kids enjoy Saludos Amigos just as much as any other Disney offering. Indeed, its format of short animations loosely linked by live footing describing the Disney team's ventures in South America is well suited to them in not requireing a full hour's sustained attention.Speaking for myself, I find it extremely interesting, over and above its entertainment value. There are lots of small incidental details that illustrate the difference between life in the mid-twentieth and early twentyfirst century, one of the first being when they mentioned their three day flight from the US to Rio.Visually and aurally, given the age of the feature, the quality is excellent. The restoration team have done an outstanding job, particularly on the animated sections. José Karioka is a particularly vibrant character visually and Donald Duck sounds great. However, in this day of Dolby Surround Sound with everything, the mono soundtrack is very noticeable (but you can't change history).There are at least some extras. In this area Disney is (slowly) improving but I guess we'll have to wait for a 'Collector's Edition' before we really get the extras we want (i.e. a selection of such background material as is still available, such as discarded clips, interviews, early artwork etc.). But for a relatively minor feature such as this that could be many years away.Overall? Well it's not in the same league as contemporaries such as its predecessor Bambi but is certainly the match of anything subsequently released in the forties. The animation has more in common with Disney's shorts than his films. It's different and that alone makes it worth checking out."

Greetings Friends...

Bruce Gray | Shenandoah Valley, VA, USA | 12/12/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This rather cute collection of four Disney cartoons are kinda interconnected with a travelogue of South America that is very dated by today's standards, but entertaining nevertheless.The best of the four cartoons is "El Gaucho Goofy". Previously unavailable on DVD, "Gaucho Goofy" is Goofy at his all time best. Watch the bit with the bolas - simply hilarious.The next best is "Pedro". The story of the little airplane that could (think "The Little Engine That Could" with wings) is very good at telling a story - and you almost believe for a moment that Pedro didn't get through the Andes.Next best is "Lake Titicaca". This hilarious romp with Donald Duck fighting a reluctant Llama (could this be the inspiration for "The Emperor's New Groove"?) will leave most anyone laughing.Finally, there's "Aquarela do Brasil" - probably closest to the material that links the four stories and introducing the great Jose Carioca. It's kind of a mystery to me why Disney considers this mixture of animation with live-action to be a "canon" movie. It's simply a collection of four Disney cartoons joined together with a live-action look at travelling in parts of South America.The supplementary material, about Disney artists travelling in South America is a nice addition to the material on this disc, and also helps explain that this material is presented as a courtesy to the Office of Inter-American Affairs.The interconnecting material that tries to tie together these four Disney cartoons is sadly dated, and is live-action and not animation. It also does not do near as good a job at tying together the various cartoons as "Three Caballeros" would later do.An entertaining look at what movie theaters used to do - provide news, travel info, and cartoons together and all for a dime. But not recommended for anything but Disney purists."