Most of the Disney How to...shorts with Goofy are classics and among the best they've done. African Diary is not among their best and I couldn't help feeling a pang of disappointment, but it is decent enough. The story is a little thin and routine, the ending is too abrupt and while there are legitimately funny moments that level is not consistent throughout African Diary. But when the short is funny, particularly with Goofy's very fast-dressing scene, it is very funny. The part with the rhino at the end was also a good touch, though could have been more rounded off. The animation is bright and colourful and flows well from one frame to the next with no awkwardness. The touch with the safari rolling by and then stopping was also nicely done. The music has a lot of character and the orchestration is beautiful. African Diary also has an interesting twist on the usual narration format of the How to...series, with Goofy taking on the narrator role, with his words coming out of his diary, as well as the other multiple characters in the short. It does work, it shows Goofy's versatility as he shows he can do lots of roles and still be him too, doing it this way also avoids the risk of political incorrectness. Goofy is as appealing and energetic as ever, and the narration is thoughtful with some witty quips, though the interaction between it and Goofy has been stronger in other shorts and it also doesn't teach quite as much. All in all, decent but not great, worth a look but not a must see. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Review of African Diary
