Pluto's Seal Deal

A Pluto Cartoon

Release Date : February 19, 2000

Synopsis

Pluto is given the responsibility to guard a package that is being delivered for Mickey. But instead of the cappucino machine he's expecting, he gets to take charge of Salty, the Seal.

Characters

Mickey Mouse

Pluto

Goofy

Salty, the Seal

Credits

Television

Mickey Mouse Works: Season 2 - Episode 14

House of Mouse: Season 3 - Episode 21

Technical Specification

Comments

From Patrick Malone : A nod to Mickey and the Seal but this one turns out a bit better than Car Washers. Pluto goes through a lot of complications, including a wacky trip through an Ice Cream factory to guard what he thinks is Mickey's package, but turns out to be Salty the Seal. There was one sequence that I would have liked to see end up better; the part where Pluto gets stuck on the slippery ice. In the classic shorts, we would have seen the characters using either whatever intelligence they had or dumb luck to get out of their predicament. In this sequence, we have a nice build up where Pluto is seen struggling with being on a slippery ice patch, but then in the next, he's out without any indication of how he escaped.

This is a small complaint, though. The short as a whole adds up to a wonderful time, and the ending (which I won't reveal except to say that the seals end up with Mickey's cappuccino machine) is a classic topper.

From Juan F. Lara : And here they brought back the seal from Mickey and the Seal. This short had the same premise of the "Roger Rabbit" shorts and more closely the "Mindy and Buttons" shorts from "Animaniacs", with Pluto thinking that Mickey will get mad if he doesn't keep the seal out of danger. But some of the seal's antics were cute, like in the blizzard scene. (Stephen James Taylor's really cute music for the seal helped a lot.) I also liked the design of the ice cream factory: cavernous, fully automated, but painted in soothingly muted colors. Then the short changed its tone in a scene where Pluto had to save the seal's life. The friendship between them that came from that scene made the short very endearing. The short then ended with a hilarious scene showing what that other package did to the zoo's other seals. So, I warmed up to the short after rewatching it.

From David Gonterman : I remember the short this takes from, Mickey and the Seal, merely with the sight of Mickey streaking - yes, Disney's been doing South Park references long before the show was ever coined or even before Uncle Walt even died. At least with the 2000 version, they stuck with Pluto with the seal, and even took it to an Ice Cream Factory, where the seal would be more at home. Only one question: What would the seals at the zoo do with a 'Chino Maker? I would be seeing them resemble something from the X-Files with all that shaking later on.

From Jesus Daprice : Here we have that same little seal from Mickey and the Seal. One thing I have to wonder is why was Goofy fishing in the sewer?

From Lee Suggs : This is one of my favorite "MouseWorks" shorts. The premise is excellent, and it works well by using Pluto's loyal nature combined with his capacity to make a mess. I liked all the sight gags (One is an image of DL's castle) while Pluto tries to obey Mickey's orders and save a baby seal from himself. However, the best part of this short was the surprise ending. It is the best ending on any of the "MouseWorks" shorts. (The baby seal is from the 1948 short, Mickey and the Seal.)

From Lelila : Really cute short with lots of great site gags (have to wonder a little about the bit with the shotgun, however...). Pluto the Neapolitan dog is a keeper. But Mickey Mouse drinking cappuccino? Welcome to the 21st century, baby!