'Recruiting Daze' (1940)
Opening thoughts: Walter Lantz's work as director and associate producer varied a lot as well, but when he was on form the cartoons had a lot of good things. When he was not, which was primarily in his later career where tighter deadlines and lower budgets affected the quality, the cartoons in question were average or less. 1940's 'Recruiting Daze', which is notable for short lived character Punchy's second of five appearances, is not one of his worst. It is also nowhere near one of his best as well. When it comes to the cartune special cartoons, 'Recruiting Daze' is not one of the best or one of the worst of them. It is one of the average middling ones in my view, a cartoon that did start off very well but ran out of gas and could have done with being funnier and having more subtlety (difficult to do considering the type of cartoon it is but still).
Good things: Music, which is characterful, full of lively energy and beautifully orchestrated. Not just adding to the action, but enhancing it. The animation is fine too, nice vibrant colours and meticulously detailes background art.
The first half did have some suitably wacky energy and intrigue and there were a couple of gags that were mildly amusing, like with the powder magazines. The voice acting is done with a lot of spirit and enthusiasm.
Bad things: On the other hand, a lot could have been a good deal better. It did start losing energy, the wackiness went and had a running out of ideas feeling towards the end of the middle act. That the story was slight was absolutely expected, but was not expecting it to feel like a different cartoon that felt rather predictable and phoned in.
Did feel that the gags were too far and between and the ones later on went too far on the awkwardness, am aware that the humour is meant to be awkward here but it felt forced and too childish. It was inevitable, considering the type of cartoon 'Recruiting Daze' is, that there was going to be some heavy-handed-ness, and that is obvious here most of the time. The characters are not very distinct and come over as bland.
Concluding thoughts: In summary, starts off very well but runs out of gas. A very mixed bag.
5/10.
Opening thoughts: Walter Lantz's work as director and associate producer varied a lot as well, but when he was on form the cartoons had a lot of good things. When he was not, which was primarily in his later career where tighter deadlines and lower budgets affected the quality, the cartoons in question were average or less. 1940's 'Recruiting Daze', which is notable for short lived character Punchy's second of five appearances, is not one of his worst. It is also nowhere near one of his best as well. When it comes to the cartune special cartoons, 'Recruiting Daze' is not one of the best or one of the worst of them. It is one of the average middling ones in my view, a cartoon that did start off very well but ran out of gas and could have done with being funnier and having more subtlety (difficult to do considering the type of cartoon it is but still).
Good things: Music, which is characterful, full of lively energy and beautifully orchestrated. Not just adding to the action, but enhancing it. The animation is fine too, nice vibrant colours and meticulously detailes background art.
The first half did have some suitably wacky energy and intrigue and there were a couple of gags that were mildly amusing, like with the powder magazines. The voice acting is done with a lot of spirit and enthusiasm.
Bad things: On the other hand, a lot could have been a good deal better. It did start losing energy, the wackiness went and had a running out of ideas feeling towards the end of the middle act. That the story was slight was absolutely expected, but was not expecting it to feel like a different cartoon that felt rather predictable and phoned in.
Did feel that the gags were too far and between and the ones later on went too far on the awkwardness, am aware that the humour is meant to be awkward here but it felt forced and too childish. It was inevitable, considering the type of cartoon 'Recruiting Daze' is, that there was going to be some heavy-handed-ness, and that is obvious here most of the time. The characters are not very distinct and come over as bland.
Concluding thoughts: In summary, starts off very well but runs out of gas. A very mixed bag.
5/10.
