This has to be one of the best Mickey-Pluto cartoons. It is quite dark for a Disney Silly Symphony, with some parts scaring me as a kid(such as Pluto's heart being at his throat). As a young adult I still enjoy it while admiring its technical values. The story is simple, but still manages to be engaging with a lot of suspense. The animation is just fantastic, the black/dark and white/light shades are some of the best I've seen, helping at times to give some depth to Mickey's design as he enters the Mad Doctor's castle. I also loved the animation for the catacombs, recalling Egyptian Melodies, and the skeletons that Mickey has a constant battle with, imaginatively animated and very expressive even for skeletons. Mickey has more depth animation-wise than he has ever had before and is as likable as ever, Pluto is cute and energetic and the Mad Scientist immediately makes an impact by how frightening he is. The gags are clever, the creatures are suitably creepy and the cartoon goes at a terrific pace. Overall, while some MAY find themselves cheated by the "it's all a dream" ending, this cartoon is an absolute must see for Disney and animation fans. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Mickey is in bed when he hears some noise outside--a mad scientist has stolen Pluto! And, when you see this nut back in his lair, you see that he's abducted other animals on which to experiment! Obviously this is NOT your typical Mickey Mouse cartoon!! So, Mickey springs into action and runs to the castle--where he encounters skeletons and other ghastly creatures. However, by the end of the cartoon, all is right and poor 'ol Pluto is just fine! The print for this one is very poor--and in need of restoration. Perhaps the Disney folks haven't done this because it's such a dark and potentially disturbing cartoon. As for me, the more disturbing the better! After all, by the 1940s and 50s, Mickey was a wimp and I liked the darker and more morally ambiguous Mickey cartoons as they had a sharp edge--and none sharper than "The Mad Doctor"!

"The Mad Doctor" was considered by many to be very dark for a Disney short. The character of the Mad Doctor is quite creepy himself, and him trying to kill Mickey with a saw truly shows his evilness. But I'm not saying all of this is bad. This is actually part of why I love this short so much.Now I am a HUGE fan of golden-age cartoon shorts. And of course, some of the best of these classic cartoons come from Disney. I truly think "The Mad Doctor" is one of the best Mickey Mouse cartoons. It's dark, spooky and kind of eerie, but that just adds to how great this short really is. It's in black and white of course, since color wasn't very common in 1933, but the animation in this short is fantastic. Like other classic Mickey shorts, this one has a very rubbery feel to the animation, and that was really cool. The animation is just done so perfectly in this short, I can't find a single fault in it.The plot of this short is about Pluto being captured by an evil doctor who plans to attach Pluto's head to the body of a chicken. Mickey goes to the scary castle to rescue Pluto.Even the story of this short is kind of dark. Still, Ithis was a great cartoon. Sure it may frighten small children, but at least it has a happy ending."The Mad Doctor" is one of the best classic Mickey Mouse cartoons. It's dark, spooky, eerie, and kind of creepy, but it has great animation, an original, well-written story, and is very fun and enjoyable to watch.Rating: 9/10 "Excellent"

This cartoon has some pretty weird, spooky stuff - a dark side you would never see in later Mickey Mouse cartoons. Unless your four-year-old can handle a mad doctor threatening to cut Mickey's head off, steer him clear of this one. For adults, though, it's quite original.