A charming cartoon; but you'd never know it if you'd seen the three sequels without seeing the original - as I had. Luckily I know better now. The animation is primitive - about as primitive as in "Shrek", although of course more expressive - but unlike "Shrek", the character designs promise less, not more, than the animators are capable of delivering. The sequels were made in EXACTLY the same style as the original, but what was state of the art in 1933 was no longer state of the art even in 1934, and you can tell this just from watching one of the sequels, even if you're unaware of the year of its release or the fact that it's a sequel.
Obviously, the cartoon struck a chord in 1933 (the popular theory that the Wolf symbolised the Great Depression may well be right) which it doesn't strike today. Good though it is, it's far from being the best of the Silly Symphonies, most of which are truly timeless. It is, perhaps, the one that ushered in Disney's "high" period.
Obviously, the cartoon struck a chord in 1933 (the popular theory that the Wolf symbolised the Great Depression may well be right) which it doesn't strike today. Good though it is, it's far from being the best of the Silly Symphonies, most of which are truly timeless. It is, perhaps, the one that ushered in Disney's "high" period.