(Note: This is Volume 12 in a series. The previous editions are #1 Starring Mickey, #2 Starring Donald, #3 Starring Goofy, #4 Starring Chip 'n' Dale, #5 Extreme Sports Fun, #6 Extreme Music Fun, #7 Extreme Adventure Fun, #8 Holiday Celebration with Mickey & Pals, #9 Classic Holiday Stories, #10 Best Pals: Mickey & Minnie, #11 Best Pals: Donald & Daisy, and #12 Best Pals: Mickey & Pluto.)

I've reviewed several of Disney's "Classic Cartoon Favorites" DVDs, and each of of them comes with 7 or 8 animated shorts, some of which have been released on earlier "Treasures" collections and others that are brand new to DVD. This review deals with Volume 12: Best Pals: Mickey & Pluto, which offers a pair of classic shorts that were previously unavailable on DVD, and several others that have since gone out of print -- which makes these 10-dollar discs a real treat for the Disney fan!

Included in Best Pals: Mickey & Pluto are the following cartoons: (The * denotes which ones are making their debut on DVD.)

1. Pluto's Housewarming (1947, Charles Nichols) - Pluto's new home is invaded by a pesky little turtle who shows a whole lot of tenacity. (7:01)

2. Pluto and the Armadillo (1943, Clyde Geronimi) - Pluto gets confused in a South American jungle and mistakes a little yellow armadillo for the ball he was chasing. Antics ensue. (7:19)

3. Cat Nap Pluto* (1948, Charles Nichols) - Frisky little Figaro wants to play, but Pluto desperately wants some sleep. You do the math. (6:33)

4. Pluto's Party (1952, Milt Schaffer) - Mickey's nutty nephews almost ruin Pluto's birthday party. (6:31)

5. Pluto Junior (1952, no director credited) - Pluto's pup gets into all sorts of trouble while Papa snoozes. (7:06)

6. Pluto's Fledgling* (1948, Charles Nichols) - Pluto saves a baby bird from drowning and teaches the kid how to fly -- earning a lot of punishment in the process. (6:47)

7. Plutopia (1951, Charles Nichols) - A vacation for Pluto turns sour when he's forced to sleep outside and wear a muzzle, so he falls asleep and dreams of a dog's paradise. (7:00)

8. Pueblo Pluto (1949, Charles Nichols) - Pluto's left with a nice buffalo bone when Mickey goes souvenir shopping, but a pesky little pup drives Pluto insane. (6:53)

They're all a bunch of simple little shorts, to be sure, but you're getting some really great pieces of classic Disney animation that (you hope) your kids will actually want to come back to.

The DVD

Video: The original full frame (1.33:1) aspect ratio is what's replicated here, and (aside from the flaws inherent within the source material) the cartoons look pretty darn excellent. As I don't own any of the "Treasures" collections, I cannot make a fair comparison, but I suspect even the diehard Disneyites will like what they see here.

Audio: Dolby Digital Mono, which is perfectly fine in every way. There's also a French audio track, as well as optional English captions.

Extras: Disney's still touting their "Fastplay" feature that, I believe, just lets you watch everything in order from the minute you pop the disc in. (And by "everything" I also mean the first two trailers mentioned below.) I suppose the Fastplay feature is meant to allow younger viewers to just pop the disc in and go. If so, great. Me, I'm a click-around-er. The only extras to be found are some trailers for upcoming Disney DVD releases: The Little Mermaid: Special Edition, Dumbo: Special Edition, The Fox and the Hound 2, Little Einsteins: Team Up for Adventure, Leroy & Stitch, Brother Bear 2, Princess Fairy Tales, and Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp's Adventure.

Final Thoughts

This collection is actually a lot more Pluto than it is Mickey & Pluto, but hey: 8 more classic Disney shorts, presented in fine fashion, for about ten bucks. I bet it's better stuff than your kids normally watch.