Review of Fun and Fancy Free

'Fun and Fancy Free (1947)' is a package film that ties its two main shorts - 'Bongo (1947)' and 'Mickey and the Beanstalk (1947)' - together with footage featuring Jiminy Cricket. The anthropomorphised insect gets his own song but ultimately serves as a way to transition between the mini movies that most people came to see. Interestingly, the version of the adaptation of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' that appears here is interspersed with, frankly, odd live-action footage of the ventriloquist who's telling the tale to a young girl with the help of his two seemingly magic dummies. When the short was later released as its own thing, the live-action stuff was cut completely. I suppose that may remove some of its charm, as the version that appears here is somewhat endearing even if it is unexpected. In any case, it certainly stands out amongst Disney's other work. As one should expect from a package piece, there isn't much of a holistic narrative. The picture is very much a vehicle for its smaller stories, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The two shorts that appear here are both fairly entertaining. They're animated with a lively verve and have their share of enjoyable moments. Ultimately, the flick is a decent attempt at conserving resources during wartime (which is why it exists in the form it does). It's decent enough, but I wouldn't recommend it above most of the studio's 'full' features or, indeed, its isolated shorts. 6/10