Really like to love a good deal of Popeye cartoons and like the character of Popeye. Will admit though to preferring the Popeye cartoons from the Dave Fleischer era, the cartoons tend to be funnier and there is more originality and more risk taking in some of them.
'Shuteye Popeye' is a late Popeye cartoon and made in Famous Studios' roughest and most variable period where budgets were much smaller in particularly the animation and deadlines and time constraints were shorter and tighter. All things considered, while there are infinitely better Popeye cartoons (especially during the Fleischer era) and there are signs of what made this period an inferior one for Famous Studios, 'Shuteye Popeye' is not a bad late Popeye cartoon at all, actually really very enjoyable and one of the better cartoons in Famous Studios' late output. It is up there with one of the more interesting, if not quite one of the best, funny animal Popeye cartoons because the "funny animal" in question is far from potentially irritating comic relief and is actually amusing and identifiable.
As to be expected, the story is nothing special despite a different conflict and not having the usual supporting characters, two of the biggest interest points about 'Shuteye Popeye'. Will agree too that the humour and premise are more like what you see in a Tom and Jerry cartoon, which is both intriguing and slightly perplexing.
Similarly the animation quality is uneven, never terrible but never fantastic. The colours are fine and there is smoothness and nice detail but there are many moments where the backgrounds are sparse and the drawing rough.
What is fantastic about 'Shuteye Popeye' is the music score, the best thing for me. It's beautifully orchestrated, rhythmically it's full of energy and there is so much character and atmosphere, it's also brilliant at adding to the action and enhancing it. The gags, ranging from very amusing to hilarious and creative for late Famous Studios/Popeye, are executed very well, the interplay between Popeye and the mouse is lively and witty if in need of more variety at times and the pace is never dull. The whole role reversal with the spinach is very cleverly done.
Popeye is very likeable and amusing as the only human in 'Shuteye Popeye', while the mouse in a change of pace to Popeye's usual adversaries (namely Bluto) is fun and one can relate if they have ever had difficulty sleeping due to noise. Jack Mercer does a great job as Popeye and the Popeye voice that has always in my mind the most.
Concluding, pretty good. 7/10 Bethany Cox
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