'The Cold Blooded Penguin' isn't quite among my favourites of the numerous Disney shorts (and only really because there are so many gems, most of which that resonated and were more familiar to me since childhood, whereas 'The Cold Blooded Penguin' was a relatively recent discovery).
However, it is undeservedly underseen and is very easy to love. The animation is beautifully done, the colours are bright and sumptuous, the backgrounds are full of detail (Antarctica having a lot of atmosphere and other parts quite exotic) with every frame showing no choppiness or lack of fluidity and the character design shows a lot of care and love, the standout being the cute without being too cutesy one for the main character Pablo.
Also present is a lushly but also cleverly orchestrated and characterful music score, that is also dynamic and perfectly synced with what's happening in the action and animation. Sterling Holloway's narration is another plus, narration can either drive the story forward and say a lot without giving too much away or it can be over-explanatory and distracting where more show less tell is more welcome. The narration luckily is an example of the former, and Holloway delivers it with zest and empathy.
While the story is slight, it is sweet and never dull with its fair share of amusing (like Pablo's methods of travelling like with the bathroom tub and the shower) and emotional moments. Pablo (no bias intended, considering my lifelong adoration for penguins, ever since growing up with 'Pingu' as a child) is simply adorable and is - as well as his situation- very easy to feel sympathy for, without it being shoved down our throats, being manipulative or too sentimental.
Overall, while not among the best of the Disney shorts 'The Cold Blooded Penguin' does deserve to be seen much more than it is. It is practically obscure outside of its inclusion in 'The Three Caballeros' and it does deserve much better than that. 10/10 Bethany Cox
