heyflp

5/10

“Saludos Amigos” comes from an intriguing concept, where the production context stands out more than the actual content. Designed as a diplomatic tool at the height of World War II, the film was born from Walt Disney and his team’s famous trip to South America as part of the United States’ Good Neighbor Policy. The goal was clear: strengthen relations between countries and, on the side, open up a new market for Disney films. The result? A peculiar feature-length film stitched together from four shorts, tied loosely by a semi-improvised documentary structure that mixes animation with live-action footage. The problem is that, as a film, “Saludos Amigos” never shakes off the feeling of being more of a collection of ideas than a truly cohesive work. The narrative structure follows a repetitive cycle: the animators arrive in a new country, explore the local culture, and then create a short inspired by what they observed. This approach could have been interesting if it had been developed further, but the episodic format prevents any deeper engagement with the characters or stories. The first segment, starring Donald Duck at “Lake Titicaca,” works as a decent introduction to the film’s tone. Donald, a master of physical comedy, is thrown into a series of typical misadventures—dealing with high altitude, precarious boats, and a stubborn llama. The problem is that, while visually well-made, the short doesn’t deliver any truly memorable gags and ends up feeling like just an exercise in setting the scene rather than something with lasting comedic impact. The second short, “Pedro,” about a small plane facing a dangerous journey over the Andes, is by far the strongest of the film. Even with a predictable storyline, it has more energy than the other segments and benefits from an art direction that fully embraces the grandiosity of the landscape. The decision to portray Mount Aconcagua as an almost living, menacing entity adds a layer of tension that the other shorts lack. There’s a real inventiveness in how the film builds this world of anthropomorphic planes, something that years later would be explored (with much less inspiration) in “Cars.” Next up, “El Gaucho Goofy” brings back the familiar format of Goofy’s educational shorts, where he’s placed in a new setting to humorously exaggerate cultural differences between the U.S. and other countries. Goofy’s impeccable comedic timing and naturally clumsy personality always make for good moments, but the short itself isn’t particularly innovative. It works as a fun interlude but is far from a standout. The final segment, “Aquarela do Brasil,” is where “Saludos Amigos” finally finds some energy and style. The transition from live-action to animation is smoother here, and the use of a paintbrush creating the scenery and characters in real time adds an artistic charm that sets it apart from the rest of the film. The introduction of José Carioca, the Brazilian parrot who became one of Disney’s signature Latin American characters, is one of the most memorable moments—especially in the way he and Donald Duck interact to the rhythm of samba. Unlike the other shorts, this one actually feels like a real celebration, even though it ends rather abruptly without much of a proper conclusion. Overall, “Saludos Amigos” is more of a product of its time than a fully realized cinematic experience. The lack of a strong narrative thread makes it feel more like a collection of sketches than an actual feature film. The animation is solid, and there are some visually impressive moments, but the limited script and fragmented structure keep it from being anything more than a curious experiment. For those interested in Disney history or the political context of the time, it might be worth checking out, but as pure entertainment, it falls short.

TinyTinkerBell9

3/10

Disney Classics Marathon :pound_symbol:6 So, props to Disney for stereotyping America as well instead of just other cultures? Yay? "Saludos Amigos" is the worst of the six "War Time Package Movies" that the Disney Company delivered through the late 40s and I‘m honestly surprised those films managed to stay part of the official Disney Classics canon instead of being just put on a different shelf and ignored for all eternity. That being said, they are not all bad. Some of them certainly have their moments or at least somewhat now iconic elements. "Saludos Amigos" is not necessarily one of them. I admit, I wasn’t even sure I have seen the complete film before. I remembered elements, like Pedro the Plane or the new character of José Carioca (though that could be from "The Three Caballeros" as well) but I don’t know if I have truly ever seen it as a whole. I surely did not remember any of the live actions parts. I do like the combination of live action and animation, if done well (like Mary Poppins, Enchanted, Who Framed Roger Rabbit or cinematic masterpiece Space Jam) but unfortunately Disney’s documentary tour through South America doesn’t really work here. It’s not a bad idea per se, but the execution comes with a trigger warning now on Disney+ so go figure. Let’s face it, Disney loves two things (besides money): Cultural appropriation and stereotyping. And while I think "Saludos Amigos" is not the worst offender when it comes to harmful stereotypes or just plain weirdness while dealing with other cultures (I‘m sure Dumbo, Peter Pan and Pocahontas would agree), the stereotypes represented in the animated segments are certainly not something to look upon and remember fondly. Lake Titicaca Not much happens in this first segment to be honest. Donald, who people at least recognize, travels to Lake Titicaca, meets down locals and also there are llamas. The only fun part about this. It could’ve easily been a random Donald Duck cartoon with not much going for it. Donald is mostly entertaining in his own cartoons, here not so much. It happens. It stereotypes. It ends. No one cares. Pedro Here we have the short story about an anthropomorphic plane named Pedro, ready to take its first delivery flight. This is a segment I actually remembered, though not very well. It’s the most dramatic story and for some reason also the most cartoonish in design. Tone and art style don’t really match well, but the score is well chosen. The segment actually sparked a lot of controversy, especially some criticism from Chilean cartoonist René Ríos Boettinger, who felt his country was so misinterpreted with the character of Pedro, that he created his own cartoon character, named Condorito, to counter it. El Gaucho Goofy As far as the terrible stereotyping goes, this segment is the worst offender and most buzzard entry on the list. By throwing in Goofy, yet another iconic Disney character is added to draw in in audiences and give them something familiar. He starts the segment as your typical American cowboy and slowly learns the way of the gaucho with every cliché thrown at it. This part of the film is the main reason it now comes with a disclaimer, because yeah, fun with stereotypes (I know some films are a "product of its time" but this was never okay the it was done and is partially uncomfortable to watch these days“) Aquarela do Brasil Probably the most recognizable segment and due to its music, the most lively part of the movie. It introduces José Carioca, a new character that would pop up occasionally through Disney History, especially in follow up movie "The Three Caballeros." He teaches Donald the samba and there are dancing flamingos, so there’s that I guess. I‘ll be honest, I don’t have that much of an opinion here. Why I respect certain aspects of the film (mostly some of the animation and soundtrack) I was just increasingly bored with it as I kept watching. It’s fortunately not very long, but more than enough. I just kept losing interest as I watched. I‘m sure "Saludos Amigos" has its fans, I‘m for one, are not one of those. 3.5 out of 10 stars.