Runaway Brain
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| Runaway Brain | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Chris Bailey |
| Written by | Tim Hauser |
| Starring | Wayne Allwine Russi Taylor Bill Farmer Jim Cummings Kelsey Grammer |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Home Video |
| Release date(s) | 1995 |
| Running time | 7 mins |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Runaway Brain is an Academy Award nominated 7-minute animated short-subject produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation Paris, and starring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. It was released on August 11, 1995 attached to the feature A Kid in King Arthur's Court and was re-released on July 16, 1997 in front of Disney's live-action remake of George of the Jungle. In international theaters, it was shown in front of A Goofy Movie.
[edit] Plot
In the cartoon, Mickey is hooked on a Mortal Kombat-style video game based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs when Minnie comes home to find that Mickey forgot their dating anniversary. Mickey comes up with a last-minute idea to take her to a miniature golf course. Showing her a newspaper, Minnie misinterprets and thinks Mickey is taking her to Hawaii, a trip that would cost $999.99. An excited Minnie skips out the door before Mickey can set her straight, causing Mickey to worry about how to earn so much money. Pluto shows his master the "help wanted" ads, and Mickey finds an ad for work with a Dr. Frankenollie (an inside joke reference to Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston) for a day of "mindless work" that would instantly give him $999.99.
Mickey goes to the home of the simian Dr. Frankenollie (played by Kelsey Grammer of Frasier fame). When he knocks the door, Mickey gets sucked downward through a trap door into Frankenollie's laboratory, where Frankenollie plans to switch Mickey's brain with that of his monster, Julius (portrayed by perennial nemesis Black Pete). Although Dr. Frankenollie is killed in the experiment, the brain transfer is a success, with Mickey's mind ending up in Julius' giant body, and Julius finding himself in control of Mickey's body.
The dimwitted and insane Julius finds Mickey's wallet in his pocket and, finding a photo of Minnie, is instantly smitten with her. He escapes the laboratory on a hunt for Minnie, whom he finds shopping for a bathing suit. When the real Mickey (in Julius' body) shows up to save his girlfriend, Minnie screams for help and runs until Mickey convinces her of who he is. Julius continues to pursue Minnie, leading to a battle between the two of them ("Go get em, Mickey," cheers Minnie. "Rip his ears off!").
During the course of their battle, Julius and Mickey fall onto electric wires, which cause their minds to transfer back to their correct bodies. Although Julius is more of a threat than ever now that he is again in control of his own monstorous body, Mickey manages to subdue him and save Minnie. The closing scene of the film finds Mickey and Minnie on their way to Hawaii, with Julius providing the horsepower for their innertube as he swims towards the same photo Mickey had in his wallet that Julius saw before.
[edit] Afterlife
After the theatrical runs of A Kid in King Arthur's Court, A Goofy Movie, and George of the Jungle, Disney kept Runaway Brain out of circulation, becuse of its use of an "evil Mickey" character and the darkly comedic death of the professor.[citation needed] The short was finally released on DVD in the Walt Disney Treasures collection Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Vol. 2, albeit with a slight audio sync problem.
