Check Out the Balls on Disney

What an awesome movie. Thanks to the Walt Disney Treasures DVD, this propaganda film is available for the first time in over half a century. Kudos to the usually spineless Disney for releasing this controversial(by Disney standards) gem.

The WWII-era film is a mix of live action and animation, and its purpose was to inform the unwashed masses of the benefits of a relatively newfangled idea--air power, or control of the skies. This film did its part to convince the American people that their tax money was well spent on planes and aircraft carriers, but its major point was that the wave of the future would be long range bombers; planes that could fly extreme distances without refueling or landing. This analysis has proven to be nothing short of prophetic.

After watching this film, I was amazed at how clearly complex ideas were expressed, all through the use of simple models and cartoon animation. It's not boring, either. It's actually more entertaining than any animated Disney film made in the last thirty years.

To me, this is classic Disney. It reminds me of those live action wildlife documentaries that used to air on the "Wonderful World of Disney". It's entertainment that actually enriches you, that rewards you with knowledge. It's sad to me that the days of classic Disney are gone. There was a time when Disney aspired to more than just scoring a few cool points with the "'Tweens". There was a time when Disney was smart, now it's complacent. There was a time when Disney aimed to teach a lesson, to take a side... the right side. While shows like "The Adventures of Davy Crockett" may not have been dead-on balls accurate historically, it made an earnest effort to teach the broad strokes of history in a fun and interesting way. Compare it to the politically correct crap like POCAHONTAS or BROTHER BEAR and it's not only more honest, but also more fun. All-American entertainment has been brought down to the lowest common denominator of non-offensive, non-threatening drivel. It's lost its edge, dulled down to nothing by the PC Police.

VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER is a breath of fresh air. It's propaganda, but it's well-made propaganda, smart and entertaining. Nowadays, Disney sells a different kind of propaganda, the kind of the PC variety, only nobody's buying.


GQ