Runaway Brain
| Runaway Brain | |
|---|---|
| Mickey Mouse series | |
 Theatrical Release Poster with A Goofy Movie |
|
| Directed by | Chris Bailey |
| Produced by | Ron Tippe |
| Story by | Tim Hauser |
| Voices by | Wayne Allwine Russi Taylor Bill Farmer Jim Cummings Kelsey Grammer |
| Music by | John Debney |
| Animation by | Gary Dunn Deboissy Sylvain |
| Studio | Walt Disney Animation France |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Pictures Buena Vista Distribution |
| Release date(s) | August 11, 1995 |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 7 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | The Prince and the Pauper |
Runaway Brain is a seven-minute animated short-subject produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation Paris, and starring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. It was released on August 11, 1995 attached to the critically panned feature A Kid in King Arthur's Court, the same year on April 7 with A Goofy Movie, and was re-released on July 16, 1997 in front of Disney's live-action remake of George of the Jungle. It was also screened along with Disney's 1995 animated blockbuster Pocahontas. In 1996, the short was to be re-released with 101 Dalmatians and the film was even sent to theaters with the short attached, but Disney asked theater owners to cut the short off all film prints to replace it with trailers for Hercules, That Darn Cat, Jungle 2 Jungle and George of the Jungle.[1] In international theaters, it was shown preceding A Goofy Movie. The short, according to Leonard Maltin, was inspired by the 1933 Mickey Mouse short The Mad Doctor.[citation needed] This to date the last theatrical short to feature or star Mickey Mouse.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
In the cartoon, Mickey is hooked on a Mortal Kombat-style video game based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs when Minnie arrives to find that Mickey forgot their dating anniversary. Mickey comes up with a last-minute idea to take her to a miniature golf course. Showing her a newspaper, Minnie, however wants Mickey to take her to Hawaii, a trip that would cost $999.99. An excited Minnie skips out the door before Mickey can set her straight, causing Mickey to worry about how to earn so much money. Pluto shows his master the "help wanted" ads, and Mickey finds an ad for work with a mad scientist, named Dr. Frankenollie (an inside joke reference to Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, while also referring to Frankenstein) for a day of "mindless work" that would instantly give him $999.99.
Mickey goes to the home of the simian Dr. Frankenollie (played by Kelsey Grammer of Frasier fame, also known for Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons). When he knocks the door, Mickey gets sucked downward through a trap door into Frankenollie's laboratory, where Frankenollie plans to switch Mickey's brain with that of his monster, Julius (portrayed by perennial nemesis Black Pete). Although Dr. Frankenollie is killed in the experiment, the brain transfer is a success, with Mickey's mind ending up in Julius' giant body, and Julius finding himself in control of Mickey's body.
The dimwitted and insane Julius finds Mickey's wallet in his pocket and, finding a photo of Minnie, is instantly smitten with her. He escapes the laboratory on a hunt for Minnie, whom he finds shopping for a bathing suit (A Bikini). When the real Mickey (in Julius' body) shows up to save his girlfriend, Minnie screams for help and runs until Mickey convinces her of who he is. Julius continues to pursue Minnie, leading to an epic battle between the two of them ("Go get em, Mickey," cheers Minnie. "Rip his ears off!").
During the course of their battle, Julius and Mickey fall onto electric wires, which cause their minds to transfer back to their correct bodies. Although Julius is more of a threat than ever now that he is again in control of his own monstrous body, Mickey manages to subdue him and save Minnie. Julius falls from the tall building with a bungee rope, which then winds itself up and down like a yo-yo.
The closing scene of the film finds Mickey and Minnie on their way to Hawaii, with Julius providing the horsepower for their inner tube as he swims towards the same photo Mickey had in his wallet that Julius saw before.
[edit] Trivia
- The last Mickey Mouse Cartoon to be nominated for an Academy Award (it lost to the Wallace and Gromit short A Close Shave).
- The first appearance of Mickey Mouse in his red button shorts since 1943's Pluto and the Armadillo.
- At the beginning of the short, Mickey is shown playing a Mortal Kombat-style Snow White fighting game, in which Dopey is fighting the Evil Queen (in hag form). The names of all the six other Dwarfs are listed on the bottom of the game-screen as already "killed".
- When the video-game Dopey is killed, a Wilhelm scream is heard.
- On Mickey's wall is a poster with a picture of cheese, and labeled "Just Say No".
- To the right of the door, when Minnie enters, you can see what seems to be a model of the Starship Enterprise of the program Star Trek
- If you look at the advert, just to the left of the mindless days work, you can see the name Clarisse, which is a reference to the Chip 'n' Dale character.
- As Mickey is falling down the tube, a pink slip (an American term for being Laid-off) with the initials J.K. on them passes Mickey and moves the left of the screen. This is a referral to Jeffrey Katzenberg, who was fired by Michael Eisner the year previous.
- If you look at the Banana peel in front of Mickey's electric chair, most of the time it's standing up until Julius comes out and when Mickey looks shocked it has managed to fall over.
- Mickey has a picture of himself from Steamboat Willie in his wallet to which he comments "Oh, that's old."
- Mickey whistles the song from Steamboat Willie when waiting at the door. The song is also heard during the credits.
- Doctor Frankenollie is an in-joke to the legendary Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston.
- This short film was featured on the T.V. in Disney's Magical Mirror Starring Mickey Mouse.
- In two shots of the short, the hornbill Zazu from The Lion King can be seen: once when the trapdoor at Dr. Frankenollie's office opens and again when Julius roars. Also, in the second shot, you can hear what appears to be a crow.
- Mickey's arrival at Dr. Frankenollie's lab bears a striking resemblance to the movie poster of The Exorcist.
- The Walt Disney Pictures logo is lower pitched (By four lower tweaks).
- Of course, "Lobo-tomy Lane" (as Mickey pronounces it), is a reference to Lobotomy.
- The design for the feral Mickey with Julius's brain was considered for the Scrapper persona in the upcoming Epic Mickey, but for fear it would alienate the classic Disney fans, Disney Interactive Studios and Junction Point altered it to a more ink-smudged form.
- Doctor Frankenollie was inspired by the Floyd Gottfredson created characters of Professor Ecks, Duplex and Triplex from the Blaggard Castle storyline and Ecks even served as the short's original villain until "lukewarm response" from studio executives lead to the creation of a new character.
[edit] Release
The film was screened out of competition at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.[2]
The short was released on DVD in the Walt Disney Treasures collection Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Vol. 2.
[edit] References
- ^ "Whither Runaway Brain?". groups.google.com. http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.disney.animation/browse_thread/thread/166626b3eb9fd78d/6f37f54d56d07be3?hl=en&q=george+of+the+jungle+runaway+brain. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: Runaway Brain". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4733/year/1996.html. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
