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Good movie but grossly overrated

Fresh and Exciting

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

"The Three Caballeros" is a much more solid product than "Saludos Amigos." The animation is better, there appears to be a lot more passion put into it, unlike "Saludos Amigos," where the only segment with that true Disney flair was the last ten minutes or so in Brazil. In "Caballeros," the colours just pop, the characters leap off the screen. It's wonderful to look at, if not a tad exhausting. Much like "Saludos Amigos," it tries to be an educational piece, telling American audiences little tidbits about their South American and Mexican neighbours. It was, as was its sister picture, an attempt at showing harmony between South and North America.There is not much in terms of plot. The framing device is Donald Duck opening some birthday presents, which transport him to different places in Central and South America. There are some short films, such as a little boy and his flying burro, a penguin who wants to live in the sun, and so on. These shorts are much more entertaining than those in "Saludos Amigos." We also have the welcome return of José Carioca, the green parrot, who brings Donald to Bahía, where they lust after a live action woman (Aurora Miranda), who is selling cookies. There is also the introduction of our Mexican mascot, Panchito, a hyperactive rooster who dons a sombrero and carries a pair of pistols. He's as much fun as José, if only crazier. Panchito tells a very interesting story about Las Posadas, a Mexican Christmas tradition, which implements the use of the piñata. Using a magic carpet, or sarape, Panchito flies Donald and José to various places in Mexico, such as Acapulco and Pátzcuaro, where they learn various Mexican dances, and where Donald tries to get it on with the ladies. You read that right, Donald tries to get some tail on a Mexican beach. I hope Daisy doesn't find out! This is a fun little film. The main trio are enjoyable and charismatic (more so José and Panchito), and the animation is bright and well crafted, and brilliantly timed. There is also some live action and cartoon mixing, which is not as impressive as later Disney ventures, but still impressive for this time. The ending gets a bit too heavy on the dancing and partying, and never slows down to take a breather. There is a lack of focus, but it seems that was the intention. Regardless, the animation is so nice, the characters so likable, and the music so catchy and fun, that it makes "The Three Caballeros" a unique, enjoyable experience, with plenty of culture and atmosphere.

So the idea behind making "The Three Caballeros" was that Disney was building goodwill with Latin America. I suspect that most of the people in hispanophone and lusophone America who saw it left the theater thinking "Disney has a weird idea of goodwill." Basically, it makes the region look like a nonstop party, always populated by sexy women. The representatives are a pair of exuberant birds: a suave Brazilian parrot and a hyperactive Mexican rooster. A real look at Latin America would focus on colonialism and poverty. To be certain, Brazil bulldozed favelas to make room for the World Cup stadium (which will probably never get used again).I know, this movie wasn't really meant to be serious. Even so, pushing stereotypes is not an authentic way to build goodwill.

Let me explain my summary. When you are a kid and it's Christmas, think of what it would be like if ALL the beautifully wrapped presents under the tree are actually nothing but underwear! After all, you have very high hopes....only to be bitterly disappointed. As a child, I saw this film and was psyched when it began. The film DID star Donald Duck and like all sane kids, I loved the duck. But then,....it all struck me. It was about as fun as the underwear! Singing, dancing and a travelogue! That was NOT what I'd anticipated. Years later, I rented the film again...assuming my childhood memories must have been wrong. They weren't. The film is a dull and only good to be used as a means to punish misbehaving children. I could imagine a parent saying "If you are good, I'll buy you BEAUTY AND THE BEAST...but if you're bad, THE THREE CABALLEROS!!!". Proof that not everything Disney is good.Aside from nice animation and a catchy theme song, this is dull from start to finish.

If your kids like this film, IMDb recommends Fellini's 8½! Yeah, this one's weirder than you thought.The Three Caballeros is essentially a barely narrative series of experimental animated shorts, starting in nature film parody, progressing to a couple of early live-action/animation hybrids, and ending in a lustful interspecies psychedelic freakout--needless to say, it's an influential film. You might have to gag through some touristy Latinisms, but there's some prime Disney surrealism waiting for you if you do.-TK 11/2/10