Runaway Brain

Runaway Brain is an Academy Award nominated 7-minute animated short-subject produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation Paris, and starring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck. It was released on August 11, 1995 attached to the feature A Kid in King Arthur's Court and was re-released on July 16, 1997 in front of Disney's live-action remake of George of the Jungle. In international theaters, it was shown in front of A Goofy Movie.
==Plot==
In the cartoon, Mickey is hooked on a Mortal Kombat-style video game based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs when Minnie and Daisy comes home to find that Mickey forgot their dating anniversary. Mickey comes up with a last-minute idea to take her to a miniature golf course. Showing her a newspaper, Minnie and Daisy misinterprets and thinks Mickey is taking her to Hawaii, a trip that would cost $999.99. An excited Minnie and Daisy skips out the door before Mickey can set her straight, causing Mickey to worry about how to earn so much money. Pluto shows his master the "help wanted" ads, and Mickey finds an ad for work with a Dr. Frankenollie (an inside joke reference to Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston) for a day of "mindless work" that would instantly give him $999.99.
Mickey goes to the home of the simian Dr. Frankenollie (played by Kelsey Grammer of Frasier fame). When he knocks the door, Mickey gets sucked downward through a trap door into Frankenollie's laboratory, where Frankenollie plans to switch Mickey's brain with that of his monster, Julius (portrayed by perennial nemesis Black Pete). Although Dr. Frankenollie is killed in the experiment, the brain transfer is a success, with Mickey's mind ending up in Julius' giant body, and Julius finding himself in control of Mickey's body.
The dimwitted and insane Julius finds Mickey's wallet in his pocket and, finding a photo of Minnie, is instantly smitten with them. He escapes the laboratory on a hunt for Minnie and Daisy, whom he finds shopping for a bathing suit. When the real Mickey (in Julius' body) shows up to save his girlfriends, Minnie and Daisy screams for help and runs until Mickey convinces them of who he is. Julius continues to pursue Minnie and Daisy, leading to a battle between the two of them ("Go get em, Mickey," cheers Minnie and Daisy. "Rip his ears off!").
During the course of their battle, Julius and Mickey fall onto electric wires, which cause their minds to transfer back to their correct bodies. Although Julius is more of a threat than ever now that he is again in control of his own monstorous body, Mickey manages to subdue him and save Minnie and Daisy. The closing scene of the film finds Mickey, Minnie and Daisy on their way to Hawaii, with Julius providing the horsepower for their innertube.
==Afterlife==
After the theatrical runs of A Kid in King Arthur's Court, A Goofy Movie, and George of the Jungle, Disney kept Runaway Brain out of circulation, because of its use of an "evil Mickey" character and the darkly comedic death of the professor. The short was finally released on DVD in the Walt Disney Treasures collection Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Vol. 2, albeit with a slight audio sync problem.
==External links==
*
* Runaway Brain at The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts
Category:Disney animated shorts
Category:1995 films
Category:Mickey Mouse shorts