Review by Andrea Birgers

Many of Disney's animated movies have a timeless quality, but not Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros. Made with the purpose of bolstering relationships between the United States and her southern neighbors, these movies are very much a product of their time. Even though the propagandistic intent has been lost, Saludos and Caballeros are still entertaining as cartoons. An interesting behind-the-scenes feature could have been made about these movies, unfortunately this new DVD's bonus features are sparse.

At 42 minutes, Saludos Amigos (1942) is pretty thin as a feature film. The movie has four animated segments, framed by live-action footage of Disney and his employees sightseeing and meeting South American artists and musicians.

The Three Caballeros (1944), at 71 minutes, is also a series of shorts but works better as a cohesive film. Toward the end, Donald dances the Samba with some live dancers and by the end of the sequence, the whole city is moving in rhythm to the music.

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