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6.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Ye Olden Days remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you've got seven minutes and a soft spot for the really early, black-and-white animation, sure. It’s for the folks who like seeing how the sausage was made before everything got shiny and digital. If you need a complex plot or high stakes, you’re definitely going to hate this.
It’s essentially just a fairy tale remix. The king is grumpy, Minnie is locked away, and Mickey is being a hero. That’s it. There’s no big subtext, just a lot of rubber-hose limbs flying around.
The whole thing feels like a fever dream you’d have after eating too much cheese. The way the characters move is so bouncy, almost like they’re made of literal rubber bands. It’s hypnotic in a weird way.
I caught myself staring at the background textures more than the action. They have this hand-painted, slightly smudgy quality that modern stuff just misses. It’s not perfect—sometimes the lines jump around a bit—but that’s exactly why I like it. 🎨
The prince character is a total clown. He’s the kind of guy who probably trips over his own feet while standing still. Seeing Mickey outsmart him is satisfying, mostly because the prince is so insufferable.
It’s not quite as chaotic as Nutty Notes, which is another one of these vintage shorts that feels like it’s vibrating on screen. But it hits that same specific scratchy, musical itch.
It’s fine. Just fine. You watch it, you smile because it’s cute, and then you move on with your life. Not every movie needs to change your world, right? Sometimes you just want to see a mouse save a princess and call it a day. 🐭