One of the most popular Disney movies from the 1990s is “A Goofy Movie”, which is a continuation of the popular afternoon animated series, “Goof Troop”, which tells the story of Goofy’s Max, who makes a promise to his girlfriend but fails to keep his word because he must accompany his father on a trip across the country.

While the film wasn’t a box office success in cinemas, it quickly became a cult classic on home video and has continued to hold a place in the hearts of many Disney fans over the past few decades.

“Not Just A Goof” is a documentary that explores the untold story of “A Goofy Movie.” It follows a young creative team tackling their first Disney feature, its initial disappointment, and its surprising resurgence decades later. The movie features key interviews with those who created the film, and it features lots of rare footage that gives a window into how the movie was created. This documentary also leans into how the films had such an impact on the audience and why it remains a beloved classic for many generation.

If you’re a fan of “A Goofy Movie” and want to know more about how they created the film, this is going to be a must-watch. It’s full of little nuggets of information and unique footage that gives a fantastic look into the creation of this movie.

Personally, I also found it very interesting to see how the team was creating this film on a very tight budget, which resulted in the team coming up with unique ways to save money, such as outsourcing the animation to Disney’s studios in France, Canada and Australia. We get to see how the creative team had many more restrictions that the larger Walt Disney Animation Studios didn’t have to deal with, highlighting how this movie was lucky to actually happen.

Some lovely new animation is used throughout the documentary, giving us a funny take on some of the stories being told. This allows the audience to get a gist of how some of these meetings with executives went.

I hadn’t seen “A Goofy Movie” until recently since the movie wasn’t released in cinemas in the UK, and I was in my late teens when it was initially released, I don’t have any nostalgia for this film, which obviously does change how I look at this documentary.  However, personally, I found this documentary to be fascinating, as it allowed me to learn more about the internal world of Disney and to get a glimpse into the inner workings at Disney in the 90s.

It’s incredible to hear how this film was put together on a shoestring budget, and it almost feels like history has recently been repeated with the shift to streaming.  There are many different stories about how “A Goofy Movie” could have fallen apart and been canned throughout its development, as it just wasn’t deemed a priority, especially as it wasn’t being made by the main Walt Disney Animation Studios, which was churning out hit after hit during this period such as “The Lion King”, “The Little Mermaid”, “Beauty And The Beast” and “Aladdin”. 

One of the great things about this documentary is that it feels authentic. It doesn’t feel like your typical positive-making documentary, which is usually just a glorified commercial, as “Not Just A Goof” leans in more on the negative aspects of making the film, highlighting how Disney didn’t have faith in the movie, resulting in a toned down promotional release like other theatrical movies from the bigger animated studios.  It also highlights how the critics hated the film and the impact that had on the team behind the movie.

However, as time went on, the story shifted into a more positive outlook as the movie went on to become a cult classic when audiences were able to watch the movie at home on the Disney Channel and VHS.   It’s a tale that’s been told many times before, just because a movie doesn’t perform well at the box office, doesn’t mean it’s a complete flop and can be written off, “A Goofy Movie” is a prime example of a film that found an audience, who loved it. There is also an emotional element to the film, with how the father and son storyline connected with the audience, that wouldn’t be revealed for years to come.    Now, 30 years later, Disney celebrates it, and even the creators of the movie didn’t realise how popular it had become until decades later.  

Overall:  “Not Just A Goof” is a fascinating look into the creation of a much-loved animated classic that defied the odds and became a popular movie with an audience in a different way.  It’s a lovely behind the scenes look at the making of “A Goofy Movie”, its got all the juicy bits that you’d want to know about, while also showcasing the love that this film has from its creators, who were given the chance to make something different and took full advantage of the opportunity.  If you want to know more about “A Goofy Movie” or just making movies in Hollywood, this is a must watch

Rating : 4 Out Of 5

“Not Just A Goof” will arrive on Disney+ on Monday, 7th April 2025, just in time for the movie’s 30th anniversary.

Are you looking forward to watching “Not Just A Goof”?  Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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