There’s the stereotype out there that Disney movies (or even animated movies in general, for that matter) are just “kids movies.” While I won’t deny that many Disney movies have been aimed at younger demographics, I found this to be a simplification of something that simply isn’t true. No example of this is truer than Victory Through Air Power, a long-forgotten Disney movie from a bygone era.

Unless you’ve already heard of this movie before reading this review, you probably won’t believe me when I tell you what Victory Through Air Power actually is, because it’s baffling that this movie actually exists. The movie is an animated documentary made by Disney during the height of World War II. It gives a brief history lesson into the invention of planes, and their progress into what they’ve become. After this, the movie gives a detailed plan on how using planes, or more specifically aerial bombing, could help to defeat the Nazis and win World War II.

There was a point during watching Victory Through Air Power where I thought about the “Disney movies are for kids” stereotype and just started laughing. I was just trying to imagine a child watching an animated documentary about using planes to win World War II, and it’s just too funny to picture. This is proof positive that Disney movies aren’t always for kids. This would be the movie that your grandpa buys you when he hears that you like Disney movies.

Anyway, though, how is the movie? Well, much like some of Disney’s other movies at the time, such as Saludos Amigos, your enjoyment of it is partially going to depend on your interest in the subject matter. If you have virtually no interest in planes or World War II, then of course you’re not going to get as much out of this as people that do. I don’t have much interest in either of these things myself, so I can recognize that I’m not really the right demographic for this movie.

While I wasn’t crazy about the movie, though, I do have to give it the credit it deserves. It really does present its information in an interesting way, and so it makes it a bearable viewing experience, even for the least interested crowd. The animators do a really great job of portraying the information in a way that’s interesting to watch, and so it definitely heightened my enjoyment of the movie. In fact, there are parts of the movie where it switches to a guy just talking to the screen, and these parts are extremely boring. However, seeing this gave a nice contrast, to the point where I was able to appreciate what the animation was actually doing for the film.

Even though Victory Through Air Power isn’t that bad of a movie, I do have a hard time recommending it to many people. This is such a niche product that it doesn’t really have much mainstream appeal. The biggest audiences I’d recommend it to are the most diehard fans of either Disney, World War II, or planes. If you’re not passionate about any of these three things, though, then don’t bother. I mainly enjoyed watching it for the novelty of it all, because it’s such a bizarre thing to exist in the first place. For those of you who may have been unaware that Disney once made an animated documentary rallying for the use of aerial bombing in World War II…well, now you know. Use that information how you will.

3/5