Walt Before Mickey (2015) User Reviews

A Disney-approved look at the early life of Walt Disney

[paul-allaer · 6/10 · 10 September 2015]

"Walt Before Mickey" (2015 release; 110 min.) is a look at Walt Disney's early years, in particular the decade between 1919 and 1929. As the movie opens, we see a 7 yr. old Walt in rural Missouri, with a stern father. As a 13 yr. old, Walt officially becomes interested in animation, and we swiftly move on to 1919, when Walt moves to Kansas City and starts his first company "Laugh-O-Gram". At this point we are 15 min. into the movie, but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: first, this is the movie adaptation of the book of the same name by Timothy Susanin (and a foreword by Diane Disney Miller). I have not read the book and so cannot comment how closely the movie sticks to the book (I'm guessing, very closely). I don't want to overstate this, but at the same time don't want to not mention it, namely that this movie comes with the official Disney stamp of approval. That could be a good thing, although the downside of this is that there isn't the slightest negative thing about Walt Disney in this movie. I mean, to accept this movie as 100% true, Walt Disney had to have been a living saint. It even goes so far that at the end of the movie, when we are informed what would become of many of the characters featured in this,, it states "Walt never held a grudge against Charles Mintz". (You need to see the movie to fully understand how badly Mintz treated Disney...) As to the acting performances, I felt many of them were quite 'wooden', you can tell they are literally 'acting'. Thomas Ian Nicholas (best known from the American Pie franchise) tries to make the most of it, but even he cannot save the movie. Bottom line, I was disappointed with the second rate quality and overall feel of the movie, like this was a TV Movie of the Week, directed by a first time feature-length director (in this case: Khoa Le). Is there a great story to be told? Absolutely! But it won't be found in this movie, unfortunately.

The movie opened this past weekend and the matinée screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely, somewhat to my surprise, since this movie has not gotten much of an advertising push or anything. Seems that people really do want to find out more about the early life of the American icon that is Walt Disney. Surely Walt deserved a better movie than this. "Walt Before Mickey" is strictly for Disney fans, and even then, viewer beware!

Incredible story, not incredible movie (and incredulous mouse story turns out to be true)

[wuttakidder · 7/10 · 5 May 2016]

I have to confess, I'm a sucker for true stories of people overcoming great odds to do worthwhile stuff. And when you consider the obstacles (Disney's father was actually a lot stricter and demanding than the movie depicted) and the lovable creations he gave the world, done with groundbreaking methods and an undying focus on quality, I of course am drawn to watch this movie. It was, as some of the other reviewers noted, slightly disappointing in some ways...where maybe it missed some humanity in favor of melodramatics. I think it was a little too focused on the details of the financial challenges of the early years (half as much time would have been good). And on the flip-side, there were very telling stories from his childhood, published in well-regarded biographies, that weren't even mentioned...things that obviously fueled his passion to eventually create the happiest place on earth.

But on the other hand, the piece that seemed the most incredulous to me (the mouse that seemed to be more of a friend than a pet) turns out to be real (based on authorized biographies and accounts of the family). However, it looks like the scene in the alley with the cop was made up, which gets back to the unnecessary dramatics that aren't nearly as compelling as the truth.

All in all, I agree with the other reviewers that it's the actual true story that is the draw...not so much the handling of it. (Possibly a larger budget would have helped.) At any rate, because of the amazing heart, vision, tenacity, and legacy of the person, it's still worthwhile (for me) to watch.

So much potential..

[husby-91 · 6/10 · 26 March 2017]

After watching this movie, I have very mixed feelings. A part of me loved the movie for its story and the atmosphere. The other part of me is disappointed because I don't feel like it fulfilled its true potential. Many of the characters felt shallow and without depth, and the actors were just acting. There wasn't too much feeling in their performances, and the dialogue never felt natural or relaxed.

But to be honest, I'd easily watch it again. I don't know why, I just didn't think it was THAT bad. Many people put a lot of hours and hard work behind this movie, the least I can do is try to appreciate it for what it is and see the positive sides of it.

Not bad.

[rukstar69 · 6/10 · 22 September 2019]

I must admit reading all these reviews I don't understand all the hate. I understand it's a very low budget movie and being about Walt Disney we expect a little more. This movie is not actually made by Disney. It focuses on Walt Disney's struggles and how he would never give up. Myself being a huge Disney fan found it very interesting. I don't think I would watch it again, but I'm glad I watched it I thought it was decent.

Clean, clear message, decently made.

[garybixler · 6/10 · 22 May 2016]

With the Hollywood machine pounding out flesh-eating, filthy, violent, promiscuous stories by the hundreds each year, it's refreshing when anyone comes along and is willing to take on a "politically incorrect" story about ordinary human beings. Walt was not a super-hero, and this earlier look at his life gives us plenty of thoughtful insight into his character (flaws included), and his tough beginnings. If we want, we can tear apart the acting, the writing, the filming. But I don't want to do that. Here's the simple fact. If a movie doesn't have gore and sex a-plenty, then the big studios will NOT even look at it. With the exception of course of the "art" films that toe the Hollywood line of bull, and satisfy the Academy's lust for twisted entertainment.

Sorry, but I like the story. And as a professional musician, I say this. People might like it if they actually shut off their "fast- paced critical mindset" and tried to open their minds up to the fact that not everyone has to buy into what's currently worshiped by the "sheople" in the crowds. That's how music is. I don't have to like every sound in the performance to love the song. Sometimes the song is enough.

In this case, I'd recommend this to any family, any adults, anyone younger, as a true look at an influential man's beginnings, and how he got his start bringing joy to others.

trying to find something good about this movie

[alouez · 2/10 · 21 December 2015]

Not to put too fine a point on it- this is one of the worst movies I've seen in a very long time.

I wish I could get back the $ I spent to watch this on OnDemand. The acting is painful, the pacing is leaden, and the dialogue reminds one of that written for the sixth grade Christmas play. I dozed off several times and didn't even miss anything.

About the only praise I can come up with is that the cast are pretty much all really good looking. And the guys who play the supporting team of animators in the early incarnation of the Disney studios work very hard and almost succeed in making their scenes compelling. But it's not enough to overcome either the uninspired earnestness of the guy playing Walt Disney, or the atrocious dialogue. Every scene drags. Every. Scene. It very much screamed 'inexperienced director'.

There is a good story lurking underneath here. But it's not told in this particular film. It's especially egregious that they gloss over the fundamental dishonesty of a man who lies to and manipulates his employees to keep them churning out work, with the goal of achieving his own dream. It's not an admirable thing to steal work from an employee- particularly when it's being made clear that those employees are suffering as a result. A skilled filmmaker could have drawn drama out of this scenario; a lot could have been made of the irony of a man trampling all before him to bring the world... Mickey Mouse.

Hopefully, this story will someday get the treatment it deserves. It does not get it here. Which is unfortunate, because apparently most of those involved in this project were also the ones bankrolling it, and they all seem like nice people.

Disney fans will be happy

[charney-1 · 13 September 2015]

As a Disneyphile of sorts, there was no way I was going to miss watching this film on the big screen even though I had to travel two hours via the Interstate through Kansas to the Kansas City metro area (appropriately enough since that is where Disney started his animation company) to get to the nearest theater showing it. The trip was worth it for me personally, but the film itself may disappoint others. Its quality is uneven; it needs the sort of polish and texture that the Disney organization would be able to give it. Don't expect something like "Savings Mr. Banks," the Disney film that dealt with Disney's struggles to get "Mary Poppins" made toward the end of his life. While the story of "Walt Before Mickey" is itself engaging, and the plotting, pace and dialogue not all that bad, the editing is uneven, the cinematography is uninspired, and the acting is just this side of wooden and amateurish. However, Thomas Ian Nicholas saves the day, practically carrying the entire film on his performance alone. His acting is earnest and sympathetic to the persona of a young and struggling Walt Disney; and the character he creates is believable and likable. In the final analysis, the film will never win any awards, but it has a lot of heart and wins the approval of those, like myself, who wish to see Disney (and the Disney legacy) treated in the sort of fair, even-handed, and yet respectful manner he deserves.

The mostly true story of Walt before he helped create Mickey Mouse.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 16 April 2016]

While I love the idea about Walt Disney's life before he and Ub Iwerks came up with Mickey Mouse, I am a little apprehensive about wholly endorsing this or any other film. After all, the Disney Corporation has carefully sanitized Walt and created an idealized image of the man over the years. Don't get me wrong...he was a GREAT man...but Disney has had a history of over-idealizing the guy...and, conversely, some jerks have tried to make money saying Walt was practically the Antichrist (I've read two smear books like this)! So exactly how true all the details are...well, that's not an easy thing for me or anyone to say. But it was entertaining and at least mostly true (if not completely true). I know that Walt's father was not the nicest man on Earth and Walt did have a horrible time financing his initial films...so at least these and many other details rang true in the picture.

The movie is a dramatization of Walt's struggles mostly from when he first went to work as an animator. His earlier life is only alluded to very briefly. It's a shame, as I was interested in his life before he became a professional animator. Some of the film was very close to Walt's life (such as his struggles with money and financing as well as his staff and Oswald being stolen by Mintz) and some of it just seemed patently absurd--such as Walt keeping a pet mouse in his pocket as an adult (I sincerely doubt this is true) and Walt not holding a grudge against Mintz for stealing and almost destroying him (this could not be true). As for the second case, Walt was famous for holding grudges and after finally setting a long and costly strike with animators in the early 40s, he promptly fired many of these people and vowed to not rehire them! The film also idealizes his relationship with Iwerks who left Disney for several years in the 1930s to start his own studio...and this isn't mentioned. Still, if you don't mind being given 'the party line' the film is enjoyable and MOSTLY truthful...mostly.

Huge waste of great potential

[TheLittleSongbird · 2/10 · 5 June 2016]

Like most of the other commentators, this reviewer is also struggling to find much that is good about 'Walt Before Mickey'.

There was so much potential here, being based on one of the most influential and interesting figures in animation history and in the 20th century, whose films and short cartoons shaped my childhood and my lifelong love for his work and the work after his death too still remains. Personally only don't care for four of the studio's films (none of them from the classic Walt era, the classic era stuff to me ranges from very good to masterpiece) and only three or so of the many short cartoons (have only seen those from 'Steamboat Willie' onward though, have been meaning to check out his pre-Mickey Mouse output).

'Walt Before Mickey' could have been a fascinating biographical drama about Disney's early life, before triumphing with the creation of Mickey Mouse. It also could have been an inspirational film about how to persevere in a difficult business and not getting knocked down by being rejected so many times or having many setbacks. Can relate here, it took two years for me to finally get into university/music college to study singing, having auditioned to almost all the big music colleges in Britain before getting into Birmingham Conservatoire, where I've spent a happy if sometimes stressful four years and shall be doing a postgraduate course after graduating. Back on target, 'Walt Before Mickey' unfortunately is neither of those things.

Visually, it has a very low-budget look even for an independent film. Some of the scenery is decent, but the film looks dull and drab and shot in a low-budget made-for-TV style. There is little interesting or memorable about the music, and it is also very over-dramatic and intrusive, often in inappropriate places. The script is a mess, with a lot of corny dialogue and the "inspirational" and "thought-provoking" dialogue on the subjects of perseverance and not giving up is predictable and delivered in a rather preachy manner. It honestly reads of a draft college student paper.

There was a good story somewhere in 'Walt Before Mickey', sadly it never emerges. There is a noticeable lack of accuracy, especially the romanticised portrayal of Disney himself where that he was a chain-smoker, a hard worker and that he was married to Lillian for 41 years were the only noticeable elements accurate (his treatment of his colleagues is pretty glossed over) and that senseless last sentence of Charles Mintz's biography in the closing credits (to me it was clear in the film that Disney did have a grudge against him, disliked him intensely and didn't trust him, but maybe that's just me) amongst other things. It's very leaden in pace, the same issues occur over and over with very little elaboration that it becomes repetitive, everything feels very stagy, under-rehearsed and never natural, it's often overwrought, contrived and attempts at pathos come over as cheap and manipulative. Complete with a completely tacked on and inaccurate ending (seeming to imply that 'Plane Crazy' was Mickey Mouse's debut cartoon, it was actually 'Steamboat Willie').

Khoa Le's direction has such an inexperienced feel to it, while the characters are not interesting in the slightest and few are engaging. The most interesting parts of 'Walt Before Mickey' actually were the footage of the pre-Mickey Mouse output with Alice and Oswald, which was quite interesting, however they were only shown for a very brief duration and there wasn't enough of it. It has made me interested in checking out the cartoons from this period though. The acting is poor, with the least bad and most sympathetic performance coming from Armando Guatierrez as Ub Iwerks. As the great man himself, Thomas Ian Nicholas (who struck me as a bit too young for Disney) is quite wooden, passionless and too earnest as Disney, his determination coming across as more desperate.

Jon Heder looks lost and somewhat too gormless as Walt's brother Roy, a prime example of one of the many uninspired performances in the cast, in an attempt to underplay compared to usual Heder forgets to bring any personality to Roy. Kate Katzmann looks luminous, but can do little with a flatly written character and stilted dialogue. The rest of the cast either don't try hard enough in their acting (David Henrie is pretty dull, and it is saddening to see another animation giant Fritz Freleng being played so forgettably, Frank Carici also mumbles his way through a very thick accent) or overact (Conor Dubin's Charles Mintz is very cartoonish).

Overall, a huge waste of great potential. Doesn't do justice to Walt Disney at all, surely his early potential was far more interesting than how it was portrayed here. 2/10 Bethany Cox

IT'S A BARN

[nogodnomasters · 7/10 · 25 April 2018]

The film starts out with Walt as a youth being discouraged, being discouraged as an adult and ends with the creation of our second title character. This is "the Disney version" of his life sanitized for our protection. His interesting period as a WWI ambulance and truck driver was only mentioned. There was never any mention of infamous AWOL incident which spurred a famous urban legend I believed as a kid growing up. We see Disney (Thomas Ian Nicholas) as the world's worst business manager, forgetting to factor in things like "profit" when making a deal. The acting was not great and having Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) play his brother Roy was a total miscast. It was like watching when he ran Pedro's campaign.

This is a family friendly film one that teaches perseverance no matter how wild your dreams are or who tells you no or who you have to borrow from, or how many bad checks you write, or how often you don't pay your rent...and the art of leaving town when you have a lot of bills.

Yes, I liked it, but it could have been far better.

Really, Really Bad

[fisheric26 · 1/10 · 2 May 2016]

We watched this after returning from a Disney World vacation, still not quite ready to put our recent trip in the rear view mirror, and turned it off about an hour into the film. It's a terrible movie. The acting is atrocious, so bad that I wondered several times how the director approved a scene for the final cut. The thing is that I didn't think the cast was that bad, there are a few decent names in here. Everyone was just awful though, clear that they were only in it for a paycheck.

What's more is that the story was told in a way that's so boring and bland, nothing is interesting. This is a movie that should have been played on Lifetime, and even that may be giving it a little too much credit.

Don't believe the 4.5/5 star rating it gets on Netflix like I did - this movie stinks.

Very informative

[startrekfan72 · 10/10 · 5 May 2023]

I would call this a very informative film I look back to Walt Disney's earlier days absolutely incredible definitely a watch for the entire family It's also a look back to the earlier days of film and animation before computer technology when talent was actually required If you want your family to get a history lesson of early American film work this is the film I would definitely recommend it it's an early look into the Walt Disney company before Mickey mouse before Alice in wonderland before any of them this is a look into the life of a great man who shaped American cartoon work American film and family entertainment from the very start and how we had to compete against big companies like MGM.

The beginning of everything

[joaovpassos · 7/10 · 23 December 2015]

First of all, I need to say this movie is a good history to think about when you are asking yourself regarding if you follow your dreams or keep doing the same and boring things forever.

Walt Disney's life is very hectic and he made a choice: He would follow his dream. But the things haven't come out like he has planned, although he continued searching a way to do what he has always wanted to do.

And the movie shows all the steps to achieve the success, since the fight with his family, he had to prove that what he was willing to be able to support himself and his wife (after) until the opening of his company.

It's strange and hard to believe that a company didn't want to get the stories produced by Walt Disney, but that way you realize that not even the most famous artists had an easy life in the beginning.

To conclude, I just wanna say that I watched this movie because I have grown by watching his animations and I am a big fan of Walt Disney's.

Waited this film - got slapped in the face

[DrDarkness · 2/10 · 22 April 2016]

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I was overjoyed. I love comics, animation and history, so this seemed like a film I would enjoy very much. Today Walt Disney is an icon for animation, his legacy is to inspire animators and cartoon lovers (I'm not speaking of today's Disney Corporate, though...).

First red flag came to me when I saw the movie title in Netflix. But I thought oh well, at least I don't have to pay separately for my movie ticket or anything and that's cool. I've found many good & recent movies in Netflix, so I didn't quite expect what I was down for.

I nearly shot my cola out through my nose when I saw the first credits. They looked like someone had JUST found out the "Scetch" filter in Photoshop. I quickly started to feel like I was watching a bad biography from the nineties. But again, I assured myself, that many great movies have pulled it together with a small budget.

But I was about to learn a hard lesson here. Acting? Mediocre. Script? Horrible. Music? Constant piano playing that makes you want to pull your hair out one by one. Story flow? Like many car crashed put together. The ending? "Ohhhh man. Did I just waste two hours on THIS?" The only even mildly interesting stuff happens in the first 30 minutes of the film and after that it's just a pain to watch.

I'm truly sorry for the actors, the director and the screen writer. I don't know who hurt you, but please don't ever do another movie together again.

Informative biography

[ajoyful · 6/10 · 23 June 2016]

It was somewhat interesting to learn of the struggles Walt Disney went through in his early life.

It made me want to read more about the story.

They made some interesting choices with casting.

It's always good to learn about how people struggle before they become famous.

Wholesome story.

The sets and costumes looked very realistic for the vintage times.

I learned quite a bit watching the movie.

It would be nice to see a follow up movie and take up where they left off.

I liked watching a good moral story such as this.

Great movie ! Fun to watch

[twix-85904 · 7/10 · 15 June 2016]

This movie was great! I enjoyed watching it! The cast played well off each other and it was nice to see Jodie Sweetin in something again! I think it's a great movie for families to watch together and enjoy! It actually does a great job depicting the early life of Walt Disney and how he got started! The movie caught my attention from start to end! I think Thomas did a great job portraying Walt in the movie, he made me actually believe that he was Walt. Overall if you are looking for a movie to watch with your kids or if your a huge Disney fan then this is a movie you must watch! Also you may recognize a couple of child stars all grown up, which is a great thing to see.

Appalling

[btsmall74 · 1/10 · 25 April 2016]

This is my very first IMDb review. I was compelled to write, as this film is simply THAT bad.

This is a cheesy, cheap, made-for-TV style travesty with all the depth of a teaspoon. The script is weak, the dialogue stilted and cringe-worthy, and the acting is quite simply pitiful. But the worst thing about this film is the pathetically awful directing. A glance at Khoa Le's bio tells you everything you need to know. A director with absolutely no skill or experience who's greatest talent seems to be talking himself up.

Walt Disney, the man himself, is a subject that is ripe for the picking - compelling, universally appealing, easily marketable. No one but the most dyed-in-the-wool deluded Disney fanatic could believe this version of his story is all there is to tell. This paltry product barely even begins to pick off the obvious scabs of the man's early life. Any other half-witted music video producer masquerading as a feature film director could have done so much more with this material and cast.

The most intriguing and surprising thing about this, is that it got past the Disney legal team.

Good portrayals and visuals, but a bit slow-paced.

[nicolechan916 · 7/10 · 9 May 2016]

While the film does well in showing us Disney's hardships and how he lived through them, it felt very repetitive, and not all that engaging. I watched the movie over three days, but can you tell that I probably would not have liked it if I watched it straight. The main issue I have with it, is the pace of the movie. It went by too slowly.

Also, the narrative is predominantly focused on Walt himself, and not his company or how he gets set up. The development is on Walt, and audiences are meant to focus their attention on him and how he interacts with others. We are hardly given enough information about others to create a judgement about them. Other characters merely drift past our vision. We know vaguely who they are and what they do, but like Walt, our attention is not focused on them. As well, we are told of the hardships they face, but aren't shown much suffering.

The film has the appropriate aged feel to it, which corresponds rightly to the era it wishes to portray. However, I also feel that it paints a biased and safe depiction of Walt. He was consumed by his work and his anger and frustration are sometimes shown , but not enough to really grasp how tightly he ran his ship.

In other aspects, the acting is pretty good. Nicholas plays the part of Walt well, and portrays the intensity and drive that Disney must have had to succeed at his animations. However, sometimes his character does look awkward and stagnant - though this could be the fault of the directing. Other supporting actors and actresses did their roles good enough.

There are some nice visual shots, but overall the cinematography is not very spectacular. The tone of the film has a consistent aged look to it, but which also adds to the slow pace of the film. As well, most shots are stationary (that I can remember) which again contributes to the slow pace.

Overall, it is an inspiring film about hard work, but one that also reinforces the idea of the 'American Dream'. The narrative and acting are well done, though the pace is a bit too slow to watch in one sitting. Additionally, a little thing I noticed, is that the young actors playing the younger versions of Walt (Owen Teague and Demitri Vardoulias) look nothing like Nicholas. They quite look like each other, but not at all like the grown up Walt.

Hugely Disappointing

[gracekirkby · 2/10 · 13 May 2016]

I actually had to stop watching half way through because the film was so painful to watch. I think my biggest mistake was watching "Saving Mr Banks" the night before watching this film. Walt Before Micky certainly tried to recapture the magic so easily conveyed in Saving Me Banks yet failed miserably. Not only were the portrayals of these real people wildly inaccurate, the acting was completely wooden. Everything about the script, direction and acting screamed inexperience and was reminiscent of a school production. I am very disappointed as this could have been a charming film in much the same way Saving Mr Banks made the history of Disney come alive, alas this time around it failed miserably; hopefully one day a remake will do this story justice!

Please visit the Disney museum in SF and than watch this movie !

[snaker-3 · 7/10 · 16 March 2019]

Few years ago, I visited the Disney museum in San Francisco and got a strong impression from this museum and remembered a lots what I saw this movie, Walt before Mickey. This movie looks like boring for people who never visited the Disney museum. I know now better about the earlier life of Disney. He is also one of the greatest Americans. This movie focus the life from 1919 to 1928.

high school stage production, filmed by a made-for-TV crew

[008_Bob-JamesBob · 1/10 · 27 April 2016]

A wretched waste of time. Life is short, do not spend time that you will never get back watching this... experiment. Character portraying Walt Disney is miscast. By all accounts, Mr. Disney was more serious-minded and more self effacing than the man we see in this film. Mr. Disney first drew a mouse while he was in the trenches, serving in World War I. This insipid movie had him befriending a mouse while down-and-out and dumpster diving. Worst of all, the man presented to viewers as Walt Disney in this movie is an unfocused goof-ball- nothing at all like the real man who was more like the Bill Gates of his time- very focused and hard working.

Love it

[az-always · 10/10 · 3 May 2016]

I loved this movie. It is everything I watch movies for. Call me corny, but I like to smile. The cast was great. I wasn't bored. The movie wasn't slow, and I will see it again. I don't like movies that are full of complexities. I get enough of that in real life. I don't like being taken on an emotional roller coaster ride either. This movie I can just put on and feel like I am around friends. I watched it on Netflix and the people who had viewed it before me gave it an average of three and a half stars so I decided to give it a try. I gave it five stars. Funny how critics didn't like this movie but viewers on Netflix did. I wish there were more movies like this.

"I wanted to be an artist."

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 14 May 2019]

If there was ever a personality who deserved the big screen treatment, it would be Walt Disney, What you have here though, is an 'A' list story wrapped in a 'B' movie package, which is kind of a shame because Walt Disney's career was larger than life and his legacy deserves better than this. Not that the picture is entirely bad, it provides a bare bones outline of Disney's (Thomas Ian Nicholas) early life and decision to make animation his full fledged career. Disney's early associations with the men who helped him get a start, along with brother Roy (Jon Heder), are chronicled through all the trials and tribulations of seeking financing and securing a decent place to form a studio. But the players aren't very charismatic and the performances are generally wooden. While watching, I was recalling my memory of Disney from watching the weekly Sunday night broadcasts back in the Fifties, and how he'd introduce each program and talk a little bit about it's subject matter. Delving into that portion of his career following the creation of Mickey Mouse and how the Disney empire emerged would have been a more valuable viewing option than what this turned out to be. The film ends right after the Ub Iwerks (Armando Gutierrez) animation 'Plane Crazy' featuring the original version of Mickey, and that's where I thought the story was really about to begin. Ultimately, the film leaves you wanting more, and maybe someday, Disney fans will get a more definitive treatment.

Walt Disney's initial years as a struggler as he slowly evolved his cartoons and desperately sought for finances until the day he discover Mickey Mouse

[djbs99 · 2/10 · 29 July 2016]

I was appalled, cruelly disappointed at how flat this movie was. I've always been an avid Disney fan. As a kid I used to devour Mickey and Donald comics and cartoons on TV. I find his movies magical. How could anyone depict the genius that the man was in such a dreary, drab fashion? There is absolutely no drama in the script or in the direction. The man himself is so terribly ordinary you wonder how such a man could have invented a whole new grammar of films, animation. Surely some of his craft, the humanness, joy of his movies would get reflected in his personality? But what comes across in the movie is a pedestrian character whose romance (I just read up after watching the movie that Walt and his wife were married for 41 years) is so incredibly facile, one dimensional and completely unromantic that I kept waiting for that one sublimely soulful moment that would make me realise what he saw in her - but we get absolutely no insight into their relationship just as there is very little camaraderie between his fellow animators though we are supposed to believe they are like a family. In short I have yet to see a movie which had such an exciting subject and such a dull, uninspired, shoddy treatment.

to much formula

[tomsters · 7/10 · 15 January 2019]

History made for theaters only seems to glorify the hard times before the final fairy tale happy ending. it would have been nice to highlight the highlights. the formula of misery rather than just history is not fun to watch. what i did like about this movie is i did get to see the history personally. thats about it. to those putting the movie down to include bad acting because they didnt like the rest of the movie only makes me think they are somebody else's studio propaganda thats happening with all the fake accounts and their fake reviews. the acting was good in a standard way. it was a well made movie in all aspects except, in my opinion, the approach. i wish it paid more attention to the highlights while including the lowpoints without dwelling on them.