A Goofy Movie is more-traditional Disney than Priest, but the plot is no less perennial. It's about being estranged from, and embarrassed by, your parents. Or, in this case, parent--Goofy is a single father here, and the film is a road comedy in which he tries to reconnect with his appalled preteen son, Max.
No one could have been more surprised than I was to find myself enjoying A Goofy Movie. I've never been much of a Disney fan--I always favored the Warner Bros. cartoons. Since the Goof (who debuted, under the name Dippy Dawg, back in 1932, but had never before starred in a full-length feature) has long been the village idiot of the Disney kennel, even diehard Disney heads might be hesitant at the prospect of 76 minutes in his company.
But it's not too bad. It's basically kid stuff, but it's not a snooze for a grown-up to sit through.
Director Kevin Lima and a team of mostly French animators keep the action fluid, and pack in plenty of throwaway jokes. The songs are pleasant enough, and the visual quality is up to Disney scratch without being oppressive or fussy. The kids in the audience will sympathize with Max's mortification as he's dragged off on a fishing trip to Idaho just as he's finally won a date with his dream girl, while the adults may think that Goofy should give this ungrateful little snot a kick in the rear.--M. V. Moorhead
