Air Date March 31, 2001
Synopsis
Credits
Shorts Shown
Comments
Donald felt Mickey's insulted him, and a villain took advantage of him. They just did that plotline, just the week before. :-) This ep did have a few things I liked more than "Lamp Trade", though. Donald got to play the hero this time. :-) That made up for "Lamp Trade", where I thought Donald got a bum rap at that ep's end. I also thought Timon had a better characterization than we've seen before. Here Timon spent the whole ep worried sick about Pumbaa. That's a lot more affectionate side of Timon than the jerk side that we saw in the "Timon and Pumbaa" ep, and nearly the whole of T and P's TV series. I laughed at the gags that used the Pumbaa dummy, which I didn't think would become a running gag. I winced through that gags about Pumbaa's big flatuation at the end, though. I dunno, those gags didn't come off as funny. Just revolting. Maybe you just can't fit gross-out in a reality that includes Mickey and friends and the classic Disney characters.
I think the MouseWorks shorts had a rule of showing classic characters only. One good result of that rule was that they used the classic Disney heroines for Donald's dream instead of any modern ones. It took me a minute to realize why Timon went to Zeke Wolf to look for Pumbaa... That statue Mickey had for Donald was a ref to the "Disney Legends" awards that Disney's been passing out lately. I liked the "Flowers and Trees" segment. The scene featuring the F and T characters did look very close to the original Silly Symphony. Flower's cameo also was a good match to "Bambi", at least in terms of coloring. That stench didn't seem to affect the trees outside the club. They were probably fake trees.
Back in the club it turns out that Mickey is going to give Donald a lifetime achivement award (the award is shaped like Sleeping Beauty's Castle) for his sixty plus years in the animation business. This puts Donald in a tough spot (remember his plans with Pumbaa) and cues his cartoon: Whitewater Donald.
As the short ends Donald rushes to the HOM's roof to stop Pete from "stinking up the place". He tries to pull Pumbaa out of the air conditioning system and ends up falling (with Pumbaa) through the air ducts and back onto the HOM's stage. Mickey gives Donald his award, calls Donald a hero for saving Pumbaa, only to find out Donald planned to use the Warthog to clear the club. Pumbaa then informs everyone that he has a "rumblee in his tumblee..." and Donald rushes the hog outside. A loud explosion follows and Pumbaa returns to warn everyone not to go outside. Donald follows him to show everyone he's telling the truth. (Donald looks like he TRULY suffered for his actions this time.) Mickey kicks Pete out so he can experience what he planned for the club, and we end with an extremely clever ad for "Flowers and Trees Forest Scent Spray". ("Deodorizes in technicolor!") Smelly Warthogs are deodorized for an extra fee. If you're not watching House of Mouse, START watching it, I want it to stay on FOREVER!
