Runaway Brain

Infobox Hollywood cartoon
cartoon_name = Runaway Brain
series = Mickey Mouse


caption = Poster
director = Chris Bailey
story_artist = Tim Hauser
animator = Gary Dunn
Deboissy Sylvain
voice_actor = Wayne Allwine
Russi Taylor
Bill Farmer
Jim Cummings
Kelsey Grammer
musician = John Debney
producer = Ron Tippe
studio = Walt Disney Feature Animation Paris
distributor = Buena Vista Distribution
release_date = flagicon|USA August 11, 1995
color_process = Technicolor
runtime = 7 min
preceded_by = "The Prince and the Pauper" (1990)
movie_language = English
imdb_id = 0114308

"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 preceding "A Goofy Movie". The short, according to Leonard Maltin, was inspired by the 1933 "Mickey Mouse" short "The Mad Doctor".Fact|date=December 2007

Plot

In the cartoon, Mickey is hooked on a video game based on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" when Minnie arrives 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's body is destroyed 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 an epic 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 monstrous body, Mickey manages to subdue him and save Minnie. Julius falls from the tall building with a bungee rope, which then winds itself up and down like a yo-yo.

The closing scene of the film finds Mickey and Minnie on their way to Hawaii, with Julius providing the horsepower for their inner tube as he swims towards the same photo Mickey had in his wallet that Julius saw before.

Home video

The short was released on DVD in the Walt Disney Treasures collection "Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Vol. 2".

External links

*imdb title|id=0114308|title=Runaway Brain
* [http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1995/runawaybrain.html Runaway Brain] at [http://www.disneyshorts.org The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts]