'Dicky Moe (1962)' feels like two totally different cartoons slapped together: an odd 'Moby Dick' pastiche and a typical 'Tom and Jerry' caper. This bizarre combination doesn't make for a particularly good short. It does, however, make for an oddly compelling one; it's just so strange and, therefore, almost endearing. Like I said, though, it's not good. The animation is basic and the sound design is downright eerie, which are issues consistent across pretty much all of Gene Deitch's entries in the franchise. It might sound weird, but the whole thing just looks distinctly 'Czech', especially when it comes to the human characters. Several of these shorts were produced in the country, but this one is the most distinct in its similarity to other regional fare. Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing, just something I thought I'd note. The issue is that it doesn't feel like 'Tom and Jerry' - like, at all - even when the cat and mouse are on screen and doing what, ostensibly, they always have been. In the end, this is an odd yet oddly interesting short. It may objectively be one of the worst to ever star the long-running duo, but it's more enjoyable - even if only ironically - than most others of the 'Deitch era'. 5/10
Review of Dicky Moe
