Erntefest der Tiere

I'm not really sure that most farms have, in addition to the traditional assortment of cows and chickens and such, kangaroos and elephants. But if they did, I suppose they would be as happy and silly as this farm, where each animal's unique characteristics give it a special place in the farmyard. There isn't really any plot or point--Farm Foolery is just an excuse to show animals acting cute, and the second half of the cartoon is filled up by an unmemorable sing along.

It is very understandable as to why anybody wouldn't be too enamoured by the premise for 'Farm Foolery', being somebody who before my first watch wasn't that enthusiastic about a cartoon with a very familiar setting in animation often done with not much variation to each other. Also as someone who has found Famous Studios' Screen Songs series interesting but very up and down in quality. So mixed expectations before my first watch.

'Farm Foolery' on first watch struck me as one of the watchable but average mixed feelings entries. On rewatch years later, my feelings are very much the same except with a little bit more to appreciate. Ranking it along with the rest of the series, 'Farm Foolery' perhaps is towards low middling and quite close to being in the mediocre category. Thankfully the animation and the orchestral music save what is generally a very average and routine cartoon, as do a couple of fun gags.

As said, the best things (and that is true for pretty much the whole of the series) are the animation and much of the music. The animation in 'Farm Foolery' is good on the most part. Especially the vibrant colours and equally loved the background detail where a lot of care went into it, the setting looks handsome yet has grit too. The incidental music is even better, very lushly orchestrated and full of character rhythmically.

A couple of the gags are amusing early on, especially the beginning with the scarecrow and the mouse with the cider. The story is nothing exceptional at all, but there is some nice energy thankfully, with the first half not feeling tired here and certainly not suffering from stereotypes or distaste. The characters may be thin but are nicely done.

Much of the story however, when there is any which is only vaguely present in the first half, is bland and does nothing new with over-familiar territory. Other jokes are very corny and the predictability is blatant.

While the first half is fun, the singalong portion feels like a different cartoon and not in a particularly good way. It is dull, veers on childish, very formulaic and too cute, and while the song featured is okay it is generally very forgettable and sloppily staged where transitions are a little on the careless side.

Overall, watchable but very average. 5/10.