DuckTales: The Movie - Treasure of the Lost Lamp

We have now come to the last month of the year. As I have been doing for the past eight years, this month will be “Disney Month 2022.” However, the difference for this year is that I will be adding in the miniseries and specials that are either part of the MCU or the Star Wars Universe. Let’s get things started with our very first review, “DucksTales: The Movie – Treasure of the Lost Lamp,” released in 1990.

Richard Harrington started his review by saying, “"DuckTales: The Movie -- Treasure of the Lost Lamp" is Saturday morning animation transported to your neighborhood theater, though happily absent the hard-sell kiddie commercials.” Based on the popular syndicated show, “DuckTales: The Movie” somehow masterfully extends a 20-minute episode into a 73-minute film that will impress anyone who grew up with the show.

As the story is told, amateur archaeologist and self-made “tight-waddle jillionaire” Scrooge McDuck, voiced by Alan Young (who also was the voice of Mr. Ed the horse), is in his Indiana Jones area looking for the long-lost treasure of Collie Baba. Despite their mission not being too troublesome, Scrooge, nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, niece Webby (all voiced by Russi Taylor), and pilot Launchpad McQuack (Terrence McGovern) manage to overcome different traps and survive many challenges before finding the treasure, only to lose it to the evil sorcerer Merlock (Christopher Lloyd) and his clumsy helper Dijon (Richard Libertini).

However, the ducks end up with a damaged and (inevitable) magic lamp that comes with a wise genie, voiced by Rip Taylor. Turns our Merlcok is really after the lamp, and the rest of the film has the usual predictable plot twists and reversals of riches for McDuck and Merlock.

Harrington noted, “"DuckTales: The Movie" is the first feature from the new Disney Movietoons division. The animation, from a new French Disney division, is better than standard television fare and far better than the recent "Jetsons: The Movie," though not as good as Disney's "Little Mermaid" or Don Bluth's "All Dogs Go to Heaven." The idea behind Movietoons is to revive the wackier style of Disney's animated shorts and comic books from the '30s and '40s, but those cartoons' zaniness derived from being directed, at least partly, at adults as well as children.” “DuckTales” is targeted at those born around the time this show was on air, and it plays accordingly.

As someone who never watched the show growing up, I have to say that this film is enjoyable. If you have not seen this yet, watch it on Disney+, whether you watched the original series or the reboot. You will get into this just fine and you will enjoy it from beginning to end.

Look out tomorrow to see what other excitement I have in store for “Disney Month 2022.”