DVD Review: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Super Adventure
This Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Super Adventure DVD is one of two shows that air on Disney Jr. for which I was provided to review. Being Disney Jr. shows, these are intended for young kids and really aren't meant to entertain adults. The animation appears to be 3D CGI with simple cell shading. The episodes are half hour long minus time for commercials and the opening and closing credits except for the title episode Super Adventure! which is about 45 minutes long (and the first episode of season 5).
This episode finds the entire gang, Mikey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donal Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Pluto, outside in the yard playing super-heroes in their makeshift costumes. You know, using towels as capes and the like. But their fun is interrupted when Power-Pants Pete shows up in a blimp and starts shrinking everything in sight, including their clubhouse. Luckily Professor Von Drake is on hand to use one his inventions to give the gang super-powers. What follows is each of the gang trying to use their super-powers to thwart Power-Pants Pete only to fail because they weren't working together in a team.
Throughout each of the episodes there are times when the gang runs into a problem where they need an item to help them out. This is when they call for a mouseketool, where a menu pops up on screen containing four items and the kids watching are asked which item would be most useful in this situation. For instance, when one of our characters is trapped in a bubble the item they pick to help is a blow dryer. I must admit, I didn't get this one. Besides the fact that there's no where to plug in a blow dryer when trapped inside a bubble, a blow dryer doesn't create new air, it just blows the existing air, so how could it expand the bubble to its popping point? In another situation, one of the gang was stuck on a roof and the item chosen to help him get down was a giant piece of celery to be used like a slide. I thought this was much more clever than the blow dryer.
The other episodes involve Mickey losing his lucky coin and having to go on an underwater adventure to reclaim it, Pete learning to exercise, and the group winding up toys which run away. The stories are all very simple but then they're for young kids so it's understandable so I can't really fault it for that. And in fact I do think it teaches some good lessons and would be a good show for kids, but as an adult and being used to more complex situations I have to admit that I got quite bored watching these and have no desire to see anymore. So it's good for what it is, but it isn't for me.
Episodes:
- Super Adventure!
- Aye, Aye, Captain Mickey
- Mickey's Mousekersize
- Mickey's Little Parade
Also included in the DVD case are a pack of free "super action pack trading cards" and a rewards code that unlocks extras like coupons, points toward stuff, the ability to access sweepstakes... you know, stuff most people don't care about. I thought the cards were a nice touch for kids to handle, and they're larger than standard trading cards.
