After a couple episodes in a row that only focus on a few characters, this is a proper ensemble story. It also brings in some back-catalog characters in a way that integrates them well into the main action. This is a fun one!
Scrooge, the kids, and Donald travel to Brazil, to a small town that boasts a rare flower with a once-a-year bloom. While there, they meet up with Donald’s friends from his old band, the Three Caballeros. Embarrassed that he hasn’t made anything of his life, Donald enlists Huey and Scrooge’s help to impress his friends.
Before I get into the main storyline, I’ll talk quickly about the B-plot. Webby is thrilled to be on this excursion—“A cultural tradition I know nothing about! Do you know how rare that is?” she enthuses—but she’s painfully annoyed by Dewey’s preoccupation with his social media, documenting the trip for likes without actually experiencing it. He and Louie strongly believe in “pics or it didn’t happen,” which understandably drives Webby up the wall.
The Three Caballeros is definitely one of the films that was made when Disney was between its peak eras, and I’ve never seen it. Just the thought of Donald being part of a pan-Latin-American crooner trio is amusing, although half an hour of that gag is plenty long for me. While his old bandmates, Panchito and José, are played with elements of stereotype, the portrayals feel mostly well-intentioned to me, and they do get a chance to be actual characters.
Donald’s friends are delighted to see him again, and they’re 100% convinced he’s made a name for himself. Panchito asks, “What are you now? A super spy? A world-famous DJ? Some insane combination of the two?” Even though Huey is generally an honesty-is-the-best-policy kind of guy, he agrees to help Donald stretch the truth about his success and convinces Scrooge to do the same. Naturally, Donald immediately takes this way too far and the other two are stuck backing him up.
This leads to plenty of good stuff for Scrooge. I like his dry, “Ach, they are much more impressive than you,” to Donald when Panchito and José arrive. And because Donald’s “success” is predicated on coopting Scrooge’s achievements, Scrooge goes whole-hog into playing the frail old man who’s had to pass on his wealth to Donald. David Tennant is a hoot here. I especially love the hammy, pointed way Scrooge gropes around for Donald, saying, “Oh, Donald, is that you? My eyes are as clouded as my mind,” as he punctuates each line with an “accidental” slap to Donald’s face.
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