Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.
Porky Pig has always been an endearing character, if more in support playing it straight than a lead (always worth watching but has been known to be misused and overshadowed by the supporting characters). Norm McCabe was overshadowed by very stiff competition when he was active, ones with more distinctive and imaginative styles, but he was a very competent director who never made it bigger (some of his work even relatively obscure), due to mainly never making colour cartoons (though this does have a vastly inferior colour version) and being responsible for some with racial stereotyping but also .
'Confusions of a Nuzy Spy' is one of McCabe's better and more entertaining cartoons on the whole. It's far from perfect, with a slow and very corny start, with a few of the corniest jokes falling flat and Porky being underused and bland (being barely in it and being overshadowed by the bloodhound and the lynx). The story is very slight but have come to expect that by now.
McCabe does direct very capably though and the cartoon very quickly gains energy and contains some very funny, well-timed and clever gags and fast-paced action. The bloodhound is an amusing character, even livelier and more entertaining is the lynx.
As to be expected, Mel Blanc is outstanding as always. He always was the infinitely more preferable voice for Porky, Joe Dougherty never clicked with me, and he proves it here. Blanc shows an unequalled versatility and ability to bring an individual personality to every one of his multiple characters in a vast majority of his work, there is no wonder why he was in such high demand as a voice actor.
When it comes to the animation, 'Confusions of a Nutzy Spy' is very good. Much of it is fluid in movement, crisp in shading and very meticulous in detail. Ever the master, Carl Stalling's music is typically superb. It is as always lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, not only adding to the action but also enhancing it.
So summing up, nice and fun as long as a classic isn't expected. 7/10 Bethany Cox