Deep Dive Disney: Wes Looks at DuckTales the Movie

Welcome back to Deep Dive Disney. We got a real treat for you today because today we’re looking at The Duck Tales Movie. You all know about DuckTales right? Well, if you don’t, the show centers around Scrooge McDuck, the world’s richest, toughest and oldest Duck who built his fortune with only a dime as his nest egg by being tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties. Also, somewhere along the way, he may have inadvertently inspired the invention of anime, like, in real life. That’s a story for another’s day. In any case, the show focuses on Scrooge and his nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, their friend Webby and a lovably incompetent pilot named Launchpad having all sorts of adventures. So, I have a bit of a confession to make. I didn’t really grow up with the original DuckTales. I was certainly aware of it and watched a couple episodes here and there but that’s about it. I watched a ton of Darkwing Duck, a show that featured a few characters from DuckTales, most notably Launchpad McQuack, and I absolutely adore the 2017 Ducktales reboot but the original series just wasn’t part of my childhood. Because of that, I’m basically coming into this one blind. So what’s the story here? Well, Scrooge and the gang have found the lost treasure of Collie Baba, something Scrooge has spent forty years of his life trying to find. Among the treasure is a dusty old oil lamp and you all know how this song and dance goes. The kids discover there’s a magical genie in the lamp and befriend it. Meanwhile, an immortal sorcerer named Merlock and his wormy assistant, Dijon, are after the lamp as well and if the evil magician gets his hands on The Lamp, the entire world could pay the price. So, let us waste no further time and dive right into, DuckTales the Movie.

Main Character:

It’s difficult to pinpoint one main character in all this. The entire Ducktales gang takes center stage in this one. What can I say, they’re all the characters you know and love from the original show. Personally, I tend to prefer the 2017 Reboot versions of Huey, Dewey, Louie and Webby since they’re given more distinct personalities, but I can hardly hold that against this movie. They’re fine as far as little kids in Saturday morning cartoons go. Scrooge McDuck himself however is awesome in any in any incarnation. No disrespect to my favorite Doctor, David Tennant, who voices Scrooge in the reboot, but Alan Young will always be the OG. I love that while Scrooge can be greedy, he still steps up when he needs to. There’s a scene where Scrooge and the Genie are being chased by a bear and Scrooge insists on standing his ground. Tougher than the toughies indeed. These are all timeless characters and it’s just cool to see them on the silver screen.

Villain:

While I would have preferred seeing one of the classic Ducktales Villains like Flintheart Glomgold or Magika DeSpell in the role of main villain, the one we ended up with is still a lot of fun. Voiced by Judge Doom himself, Christopher Lloyd, Merlock the Magician is fairly standard as far as evil sorcerers go. He was one of the Genie’s previous masters, having used his first wish to make himself live forever. He possesses a powerful magic talisman that not only allows him to transform any animal, but also, when combined with the lamp, lets him have unlimited wishes from the Genie. Merlock is a bad dude, implied to have forced the Genie to cause many devastating events of history such as the sinking of Atlantis and the destruction of Pompeii at his behest. With him at all times is his wormy little minion, Dijon. I mostly found Dijon to be annoying and possibly an offensive stereotype but by no means to the point where it ruined the movie for me. There’s not a ton of depth to the character of Merlock but his animal forms are pretty cool and Christopher Lloyd is great in the role. Is we one of the great Disney Villains, no, personally I wouldn’t even necessarily call him one of the best Ducktales villains, but he still serves his purpose in the films.

Side Characters:

I definitely want to give a shoutout to my main man Launchpad McQuack, voiced by the incomparable Terry McGovern. Launchpad isn’t given a lot to do in this movie, but his lovably oafish personality and comical ineptness when it comes to piloting remains intact.

Mrs. Beakley got under my skin a little. All she really seems to do in the movie is scream and feint. The incredibly badass and capable 2017 version of Mrs. Beakley would have beaten ten kinds of hell out of Merlock before he even had a chance to put his evil plan into motion. Like I said, I can’t really hold my preference of the 2017 reboot against this film, but let’s just say I’m glad that character changed for the better.

Then there’s Gene the Genie, voiced by Rip Taylor. He’s sufficiently zany and fun and I do appreciate that he genuinely seems to enjoy hanging out with the kids. It’s almost not fair that a version of this character who’s essentially better in every way would come along two years later but for what he is, the Genie was a lot of fun.

Songs:

The only song played in the movie is the DuckTales theme song, and anyone who's heard it already knows its awesome. I can't really add anything to one of the undisputed classic cartoon theme songs so you know what, screw it, EVERYBODY SING ALONG!!!

Life is like a hurricane, Here in Duckburg

Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes, It's a duck-blur!

Might solve a mystery Or rewrite history!

DuckTales! Whoo-oo

Everyday they're out there making

DuckTales! Whoo-oo!

Tales of daring do bad and good

LuckTales! Whoo-oo

D-d-d-danger lurks behind you!

There's a stranger out to find you

What to do, just grab onto some

DuckTales! Whoo-oo

Everyday they're out there making

DuckTales! Whoo-oo

Tales of daring do bad and good

LuckTales! Whoo-oo

Not Ponytails or Cotton Tails No,

DUCKTALES! WHOO-OO!!

Yeah, that's the Good stuff

Memorable Scenes:

There is one especially fun scene towards the end of the film. At this point, Dijon has turned on Merlock and used the lamp to wish for Scrooge’s fortune to become his own. As such, the kids have to break into the money bin and steal back the lamp, all while dodging traps, lasers and all other manner of obstacles that Scrooge put in the way of would-be-thieves. The whole thing actually makes for a fun little heist scene. I especially like how Merlock is following along in the form of a cockroach and is constantly getting fried by the laser traps.

Story:

While it’s not the most complex of morals, there definitely appears to be a theme of “Be Careful What You Wish For” at work here. One would think that with a Genie involved that would be obvious, and it is, but it actually does it in a pretty clever way. It’s not just that your own wishes can backfire, but it also states that the more outlandish wishes you make, the more attention you attract and before you know it there are wars being fought over the lamp. I also like that the more complex the wish made, the more it seems to hurt the Genie. It’s a unique take on a moral that had been done to death long before this film came about.

The Dark Disney Factor:

This is another film that’s light on the Dark Disney Factor, but there is still one scene worth discussing. Shortly after the Money Bin heist, Merlock finally gets his hands on the lamp and orders The Genie to transform Scrooge’s vault into his fortress of evil. Seeing one of the most iconic locations in the series twisted into the nightmarish lair of an evil sorcerer, while our heroes were still inside it, was more than a little disturbing.

Final Thoughts:

This film isn't exactly some groundbreaking epic of cinema, and it's clearly not trying to be. All it's trying to be is a longer, more cinematic episode of DuckTales that's fun and entertaining for the whole family. With that goal in mind, I would say mission accomplished. While we will get to Beauty & The Beast eventually, next time Deep Dive Disney will be skipping way ahead in the timeline for a special look at Disney's latest animated feature, Raya & The Last Dragon. See you next time!