It is a performances centric movie

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Disney have many classics under its belt, shorts and feature films, and Goofy- the funniest and most well developed of the popular re-occurring characters- has been in some of them. Aquamania is interesting for the use of Xeroroxing(the first use of it in a Disney short) and that it was Goofy's first short since 1953. However, while watchable it's not up there with the classics. The animation is not very appealing here, the Xeroroxing technique worked very well in the 1960s feature films but here it was such a departure from the usual Goofy animation style that if it weren't for Goofy being in it and the documentation format that the How to...series adopted you wouldn't be sure whether it was a Goofy short or not. Instead of bright, colourful and bouncy, it is rather flat, scratchy and not as careful. The story doesn't generate that much spark, it is rather routine and not as crisply paced and doesn't quite seem to sustain its 8 minutes(or so) length. And there does seem to be too much of a re-hash feel to it, yes. The music is lively and characterful with luscious orchestration and a great ability to be in sync with the gags and such. The documentary-like narration entertains and teaches, still delighting in how Goofy manages to do the opposite of what the narrator is saying, it's a very familiar format but one that works. The gags are at least amusing if not particularly exceptional, Goofy is still a likable and funny character and the vocals are done with enthusiasm at least though they've had more inspired material. In conclusion, disappointing for Goofy but as an overall short it is still watchable. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Yeah, Goofy is in a boat race and totally turns the whole thing into a disaster. The problem is that Goofy has covered the same ground before in an episode called HOW TO SWIM which was infinitely funnier. This feels more like a weak re-hash.It's far too long and relies almost entirely on an anthropomorphic octopus for comic relief. Also, the style of the early 60's with Disney with lots of really rough sketchy edges (like 101 DALMATIONS) does not fit Goofy at all. It feels a lot less fun and a bit sloppy and messy. I think this is his only cartoon from the period and certainly feels incongruous from his better (more hilarious) work from the 40's and 50's. Particularly, stick with HOW TO SWIM.

This is one of Disney's later animated short cartoons, featuring Goofy!!!!! "Aquamania" was released back in 1961 (Now that's late!), and it's a very good short. It's been a while since seeing it, but I do remember a part where Goofy was trying to get a boat into the water!!!!! Good stuff!!!!!I've seen this first on VHS back in the early 90s (it was green and had sports shorts on the tape) because they didn't have my usual red "Fun on the Job" tape. Then I've seen this on the Old Disney Channel as a short by itself and on "Walt Disney Presents" (the part where that scientific duck (Is it Prof. Von Drake?) puts a little water on a microscope slide and we see boats shooting across the slide was seen before the cartoon started)."Aquamania" - good short, good times!!!!!10/10

This cartoon, nominated for an Oscar, is one of the sports-oriented cartons Disney made featuring that graceful soul, Goofy. While this is a good cartoon and is well worth seeking out, there truly isn't anything exceptionally special about this cartoon. It is typical of the series-a narrator talks about the actions, and the consequences rising from those actions, of your "average man" (Goofy) while Goofy goes through sight gag after sight gag. This runs on The Ink and Paint Club periodically. Recommended.