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terrigunmor
Reviews
Rocky and Bullwinkle (2014)
Two Characters That Aged Badly
Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Bullwinkle the Moose were great stars when those two characters made their first-ever appearance in an animated TV series in the early 1960s. Although the series lasted only a handful of years, the two characters were pretty much TV classics. Yes, they were classics until their catastrophic entry to the big screen. And when their big screen attempt made such underwhelming numbers, they pretty much disappeared from people's minds. With these outings, Rocky and Bullwinkle are indeed characters that aged badly.
And then came this animated short subject. This was to be released in cinemas as a preview to featuring two other characters who appeared in segments of their classic TV series. But for some reason, it was not included, and therefore became direct-to-video instead. I don't know how viewers received the short movie, although it didn't seem to help Rocky and Bullwinkle regain some lost popularity.
Perhaps if a young boy were selected to be in Rocky's speaking role, then that might have pave the road to redemption for the flying squirrel and the moose.
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)
Why Are Film Adaptations Of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show Commercial Duds?
Mr. Peabody and Sherman are two characters from the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. The show was a modest hit, and lasted from 1959 to 1964. So many years after the show's cancellation, people went on to make films based on the series. These are Boris and Natasha (1992), Dudley Do- Right (1999), The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000), and then Mr. Peabody and Sherman (2014). Sadly, none of these films were successful in the box office. And although Mr. Peabody and Sherman made more money than its budget, the film still created losses for the filmmakers. It's kinda hard to believe how a TV series can become successful but its film adaptations don't do so well in theaters. Perhaps ever since the show got cancelled in 1964, things about it pretty much disappeared from people's minds. And perhaps reception of the show would have a been a lot better had the studio people picked a boy to be that flying grey critter.
Goldie and Bear (2015)
Almost Good
After famous fairy tales are written and adapted into many books, someone who likes those stories would combine them into one. That is the case of Goldie and Bear as it features characters from many well-known stories.
When I saw ads for this show as well as seeing a few episodes, I was initially entertained. The graphics are quite colorful, and the way the characters are drawn are similar to what I see in children's story books.
I do adore the characters in the show, especially Goldie. I like her trademarked hair, her blue dress, and best of all her cute pink mary janes. All the other characters are perfect, although the boy bear in a beige shirt with green sleeves could use a child actor to do his dialog.
Radio Rhythm (1931)
Popular Music: A Common Additive In Vintage Cartoons
If you think some Merrie Melodies short featuring a Mickey-looking dog was the first cartoon to used the song One More Time, think again. But before we go there, let's look what we find first.
In this cartoon, we see Oswald running a radio station. The three singers at the beginning are shown singing And If You See Our Darling Nellie. After they do so well, the next one to take center stage is some prickly back creature who didn't perform his cello very well, and is therefore kicked out. Finally, Oswald then turns to a band which performs One More Time. I had no idea that song was used in this film. Anyway, using popular songs at the time was a common way to spice up cartoons. As for the gags and entertaining stuff here, it's adequate.
Weary Willies (1929)
For Once The Rabbit Is White
Sources indicate that this film was meant to use sound. For some reason, the soundtrack didn't survive. I've been seeing the film for months online which uses substitute music. Some of which are jazz tunes from trumpeter Red Nichols.
In the story we have Oswald and a bear who are both penniless, thus they're willing to do anything to fill their stomachs. Perhaps the most interesting scene is when the bunny tries to take a roast turkey from a window sill, only to get chased by a dog. The dog got its jaws on Oswald and removes the pelt off of him. And voilà, we have a white rabbit. For a long time, I thought the bunny is only white in 1935 but this film probably shows the first time he turned into that colour.
This is perhaps one of Oswald's most entertaining shorts.
The Navy (1930)
Fancy Footwear
For the past two years prior to this short, Oswald's only outfit was his shorts. But in this cartoon, he's wearing shoes for the first time. Therefore, this marks the beginning where he becomes more decent overtime as the stories go.
In the film, Oswald says goodbye to his boss at the pier, and goes on to have a date with someone in some large house. Unfortunate for him, that someone he wants to date happens to be owned by his boss. Therefore, he has to go back working on the ship.
The animation and the gags here are as good as any quality cartoon of its time. Surrealism is also a good element added.