Mickey: The Story of a Mouse

Mickey: The Story of a Mouse is a documentary film directed by Jeff Malmberg. The documentary had its world premiere at the South by Southwest film festival on March 19, 2022, and had its worldwide release on November 18, 2022, on Disney+, on the same day as Mickey Mouse's 94th birthday.[2]

Mickey: The Story of a Mouse
Official release poster
Directed byJeff Malmberg
Produced by
CinematographyAntonio Cisneros
Edited by
  • Jake Hostetter
  • Aaron Wickenden
Music byDaniel Wohl
Production
companies
Distributed byDisney+
Release dates
  • March 19, 2022 (2022-03-19) (SXSW)
  • November 18, 2022 (2022-11-18) (United States)
Running time
93 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Premise

The documentary follows the history and filmography of Mickey Mouse.[3] Mickey Mouse is presented as a worldwide symbol of joy and the innocence of childhood. He became an overnight sensation after starring in the 1928 animated short film Steamboat Willie. Over the decades that followed, versions of the character evolved that reflect both the career of their creator and the changes in the country Mickey came to symbolize.

Production and release

In October 2019, the documentary was announced to be in production, with Jeff Malmberg as director.[4]

The documentary had its world premiere at the South by Southwest film festival on March 19, 2022,[5] before its debut on Disney+ on November 18, 2022.[3][2] The documentary is accompanied by the short film Mickey in a Minute, animated by Eric Goldberg, Mark Henn, and Randy Haycock.[6] The short follows Mickey Mouse, voiced by Bret Iwan, as he tours the halls of the Disney Animation building, ends up sucked into one of his old cartoon posters and takes a "whirlwind" trip through his past performances.[7] The short appears near the end of the documentary.[7]

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 19 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.8/10.[1] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8]

Fran Hoepfner, of TheWrap, gave a positive review, saying it is an "interesting exploration of a global phenomenon that goes out of its way to let Disney (the man and the company) off the hook".[6] Daniel Fienberg, of The Hollywood Reporter, also gave a positive review, saying "Offering 93 minutes of radiant rodent hagiography, Mickey: The Story of a Mouse is maybe the most polished of Disney+'s recent documercials".[9] Stephen Silver, of Tilt, gave 4 stars out of 5, saying "yes, it's a blatant act of self-mythologizing by Disney. But its also a fascinating examination of Disney history and a must-watch for anyone who's a big Mickey fan".[10] Ross Bonaime, of Collider, gave a mixed review, saying the documentary is "an intriguing look at the century-long history of Mickey that can't help but try to avoid the biggest questions of Mickey and Walt Disney's past".[11]

References
  1. "Mickey: The Story of a Mouse (2022)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  2. "Mickey Documentary Film Released Date". Twitter. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  3. Taylor, Drew (March 16, 2022). "'Mickey: The Story of a Mouse' Director Jeff Malmberg Was Surprised Disney Let Him Keep These Controversial Moments". TheWrap. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  4. Low, Elaine (October 18, 2019). "Disney Plus Fleshes Out Nonfiction Slate, Including 'Howard,' 'Science Fair,' Mickey Mouse Docu". Variety. Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  5. SXSW Schedule
  6. Hoepfner, Fran (March 19, 2022). "'Mickey: The Story of a Mouse' Film Review: Disney Doc Explores Character, Icon, Ubiquitous Mascot". TheWrap. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  7. "Disney Animator Eric Goldberg Talks the Return of 2D". April 27, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  8. "Mickey: The Story of a Mouse Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  9. Fienberg, Daniel (March 19, 2022). "'Mickey: The Story of a Mouse': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  10. Silver, Stephen (March 25, 2022). "'Mickey: The Story of a Mouse' Explores a Century of Disney's Greatest Icon". Tilt. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  11. Bonaime, Ross (March 21, 2022). "'Mickey: The Story of a Mouse' Review: Fascinating Look at an Icon That Tries to Avoid the Problems of the Past". Collider. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
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