Mickey Mouse 2

Mickey Mouse 2: Japan's Most Wanted is an American hand-drawn/computer animated action comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film is a sequel to the 2018 film Mickey Mouse, and was made to celebrate the title character's centennial anniversary.

In the film, Mickey and his friends head to Japan for Donald Duck's birthday, but Goofy becomes sidetracked when he joins a Ninja clan. The film is written and directed by Phineas and Ferb creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh and executive produced by Jennifer Lee, with original music by Michael Giacchino. Some of the crew returned, but Disney Veteran animator Burny Mattinson did not participate.

The film was released in the United States on November 10, 2028, and was presented in 3D and IMAX 3D, as well as the traditional two-dimensional format. The film was first announced in 2020, and is the 65th feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. The film was less as critically and financially successful as its predecessor, grossing only $778 million worldwide out of a $150 million budget.

Plot
Ninja leader Sasuke Takahashi sneaks into a jewelery store in Tokyo, Japan that houses the world's largest collection of hand-crafted diamonds in search of Peg Leg Pete, who had robbed the store earlier that day. After being discovered by Japanese police, he is forced to flee, and fakes his own death.

Mickey Mouse and his friends are setting up a trip to Tokyo just in time for Donald Duck's birthday. Goofy is excited about the trip as well, because his love interest, Clarabelle Cow, has been invited to come along with them. In a sequence on an airplane headed for Japan, Mickey and Minnie can be seen sitting together watching in-flight TV shows, among them are parodies of famous Japanese anime franchises such Doraemon and Sailor Moon along with that the city, they learn about the rich history of that country, and a culture that's different from theirs.

Meanwhile, without the knowledge of Mickey and the gang, Goofy takes up interest at becoming a ninja as a result of a thief named The Phantom Blot being up to no good after escaping from prison. He eventually tricks Goofy into becoming a ninja, and it's up to the gang to save him. Meanwhile, Mickey and Minnie go on a double date with Donald and Daisy at a sushi bar in the Akihabara district, which in real life is a well known spot for otaku - hardcore fans of anime and video games. Before they can have their food, Clarabelle comes and warns them that Goofy has been kidnapped.

The Blot tricks Goofy into robbing the same jewelry store that was broken into the other night. Goofy, thinking that his friends will not like him anymore, teams up with Sasuke instead in order to send the Phantom Blot back to American jail. Sasuke admits to Goofy that he thinks the Blot has been holding him back. The gang gets there just in time before Goofy and Sasuke try to sneak up on the Blot and catch him. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department shows up by Sasuke's request and tries to get the thief, but he escapes and steals a cop car, which leads to a chaotic car chase.

Mickey and the gang get caught right in the middle of it as well, causing Minnie to admit her feelings for him. They almost share a kiss, but their romantic moment gets interrupted by a slam on the breaks. Soon enough, they realize the terror is over, because the Phantom Blot has finally surrendered to Japanese authorities, and is willing to accept his fate. The Blot gets deported to America again, and the gang celebrates with a party. The movie ends with everybody going back to America on an airplane.

Voice cast
Much of the cast from the original Mickey Mouse returned for the sequel, and Clarabelle Cow, who originally made a cameo in the first film, had been written in as one of the main characters. However, Russi Taylor did not reprise her role due to her death in 2019.


 * Bret Iwan as Mickey Mouse, the main protagonist of the film.


 * Kaitlyn Robrock as Minnie Mouse, Mickey's love interest.


 * Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck, Mickey's best friend.


 * Bill Farmer as Goofy, Mickey's second best friend.
 * Farmer also voices Pluto, Mickey’s pet dog


 * Tress MacNeille as Daisy Duck, Minnie's best friend and Donald's love interest.


 * Reba McEntire as Clarabelle Cow, Goofy's girlfriend.


 * John O’Hurley as The Phantom Blot, the main antagonist.


 * Colliin Farrell as Seamus O'Hara


 * Ken Watanabe as Sasuke Takahashi, a Japanese ninja clan leader.


 * Akihiro Kahuma as Takeshi Edogawa, a fellow Japanese ninja, new to field work.


 * Steve Blum as Eddie Haruna, the Phantom Blot's Japanese-American partner.


 * Jeff Bennett and Maurice LaMarche as the Beagle Boys, the Phantom Blot's henchmen.

Release
During the Summer of 2025, Jennifer Lee announced that Mickey Mouse 2 would be released in the fall of 2028, one year earlier than its original 2029 date. The US release date was later confirmed to be November 10, 2028, with a UK release date set for November 17, 2028. The world premiere of the film took place at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood on November 18, 2023 in celebration of the Mickey Mouse character's centennial anniversary. Mickey Mouse 2 was released in 4,115 theaters in the USA and Canada setting a record-high for a G-rated film and for Disney. The latter surpassed Frozen (4,009 theaters).

Short film
The film was preceded by a short film by Pixar titled Return of the Space Ranger, directed by Pete Docter and starring the characters of the Toy Story franchise

Home media
The film was released on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, and movie download on April 18, 2024.

The Movie Download version included four bonus features, the 2013 made-for-TV Mickey Mouse short Tokyo Go, the Toy Story Toon Return of the Space Ranger, and Bringing the World's Most Beloved Cartoon Character to Japan. The Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D versions included Tokyo Go, Return of the Space Ranger, and Directors Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh Commentary.

Mickey Mouse 2 sold 1,893,334 Blu-ray units during its opening week, generating $21.34 million and claiming first place.

Reception
Mickey Mouse 2' received generally mixed reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes having 40% and 7.6/10 of the critics gave a positive response on metacritic it have a score of 71/100 indicating "Generally favorable reviews" despite the G rating. Audience response however, was more positive with the audience rating being 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and 89/100 on Metacritic indicating "universal acclaim" due to the film's improvement.

Box office

Mickey Mouse 2 grossed much less than its predecessor, earning $287,302,545 in the USA and Canada, and $491,420,345 in other territories for a worldwide total of $778,722,890. Worldwide on its opening weekend, it grossed more than $109 million, marking the largest opening weekend for a 2028 animated title. However, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures chairman Alan Horn said these numbers were "so bad, so good", seeing how the film was made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Mickey Mouse's creation.

The film had its biggest success in Japan, where it is set, and is now the highest-grossing foreign-animated film in that country.

Accolades
Mickey Mouse 2 marks one of the few Disney Animated films not to receive a few prestigious awards.

Video games
A video game based on the movie was developed by Sonic Team and was published by Disney Interactive Studios and SEGA.

An app based on the film was released on iTunes for a dollar on November 1, 2028. The Lite version was released for free that same day. The object of the game is to complete each Ninja Challenge, unlock new levels, and earn a high score. As of November 28, 2023, the app has hit #1 on the App Store.

Television spinoff and MM-Z
On September 10, 2031, a third Mickey Mouse film was confirmed. On the topic of the film, Mickey Mouse voice actor Bret Iwan said, "I don't know if a full-length adventure with Mickey works three times, so we'll see." On August 7, 2032, it was revealed that Paul Rudish would serve along with Jennifer Lee as executive producer. A first draft of the film's script has been completed. On December 10, 2033, it was revealed that Disney was planning a crossover between Mickey Mouse and Zootopia. The title of the crossover was later revealed to be MM-Z, and the crossover would replace a third Mickey Mouse film.

A television series spinoff titled Sasuke's Ninja Chronicles, created by Paul Rudish and produced by Disney Television Animation, premiered on Disney XD, premiered on March 12, 2029, and marks the first series featuring Disney's established characters since the 2001 ABC series, House of Mouse''. ''The series was made as a result of Disney desperately attempting to re-brand the Mickey Mouse franchise after the film underperformed at the box-office.