The Three Caballeros

An exceedingly erratic anthology film, The Three Caballeros follows Donald Duck as he participates in a series of sketches and sequences set in and around Latin America. It’s clear, ultimately, that the picture’s short (but not short enough) running time wreaks havoc on its overall effectiveness and impact, as The Three Caballeros suffers from a pervasive hit-and-miss atmosphere that does, in its final half hour, become more miss than hit – with the oddball, surreal segment that closes the proceedings ensuring that the whole thing fizzles out to a rather demonstrative extent. There’s little doubt, on the other hand, that the movie benefits from its predictably sterling animation and smattering of legitimately memorable digressions, with, in terms of the latter, the midsection boasting a number of standout interludes that effectively perpetuate the mostly watchable vibe. (The tale of a penguin travelling to a warmer climate is thoroughly entertaining, ultimately, while Donald’s exploits on a Mexican beach stands as the film’s high-water-mark.) The final result is a decent-enough endeavor that should have, like its immediate predecessor, Saludos Amigos, topped out at around 40 minutes, although the lively, affable execution makes the movie impossible to flat-out dislike or disregard.

**1/2 out of ****