Bob Clampett's cartoons often were high in energy and fun and displayed a uniquely wacky visual style that one can recognise immediately. At his best, he was responsible for some of the best and most unique cartoons around.
Porky Pig is always watchable and is a very likable character, even though there are funnier and more interesting Looney Tunes characters around and he can get outshone when partnered with a stronger personality (Daffy Duck being a primary example).
'Porky's Pooch' doesn't see either at their best, due to them having cartoons with more laughs and ones where the laughs are funnier and sharper, but even lesser efforts or cartoons that are around the middle of their output (the latter applies here) by both are still worth the look. 'Porky's Pooch' is one of those cartoons.
It is more amusing than it is hilarious, and the laughs could have been more frequent. Rover is an acquired taste, and admittedly there are times where he is a little annoying and even obnoxious though also a couple of the cartoon's best moments are with him, and the ending is rather abrupt and paced a bit too hastily.
However, the animation is deliciously wacky, eye-popping, rich in detail and high in imagination, with the black and white colours being beautifully shaded and crisp. Porky's reaction shots are very imaginative here and provide some of the cartoon's best moments. Carl Stalling still proves himself to be a compositional genius with his energetically high-voltage, luscious, rousing, dynamic and action-enhancing music score.
Witty and sometimes suitably wild scripting helps too, while there are some highly amusing moments, especially the reaction shots, Rover's mumbled praying and Rover's Carmen Miranda impression. There's nothing bland about Porky here, Rover does have his fun moments though he is a marmite character and for me he didn't always work and Sandy is a memorable if underused character. Mel Blanc's vocals once again shows an unparalleled ingenious talent, the Scottish accent for example is exaggerated but for comic effect and actually enhances the humour, though he shines in all his roles in what is essentially a one-man show.
All in all, good fun if not the best of Clampett or Porky. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Porky Pig is always watchable and is a very likable character, even though there are funnier and more interesting Looney Tunes characters around and he can get outshone when partnered with a stronger personality (Daffy Duck being a primary example).
'Porky's Pooch' doesn't see either at their best, due to them having cartoons with more laughs and ones where the laughs are funnier and sharper, but even lesser efforts or cartoons that are around the middle of their output (the latter applies here) by both are still worth the look. 'Porky's Pooch' is one of those cartoons.
It is more amusing than it is hilarious, and the laughs could have been more frequent. Rover is an acquired taste, and admittedly there are times where he is a little annoying and even obnoxious though also a couple of the cartoon's best moments are with him, and the ending is rather abrupt and paced a bit too hastily.
However, the animation is deliciously wacky, eye-popping, rich in detail and high in imagination, with the black and white colours being beautifully shaded and crisp. Porky's reaction shots are very imaginative here and provide some of the cartoon's best moments. Carl Stalling still proves himself to be a compositional genius with his energetically high-voltage, luscious, rousing, dynamic and action-enhancing music score.
Witty and sometimes suitably wild scripting helps too, while there are some highly amusing moments, especially the reaction shots, Rover's mumbled praying and Rover's Carmen Miranda impression. There's nothing bland about Porky here, Rover does have his fun moments though he is a marmite character and for me he didn't always work and Sandy is a memorable if underused character. Mel Blanc's vocals once again shows an unparalleled ingenious talent, the Scottish accent for example is exaggerated but for comic effect and actually enhances the humour, though he shines in all his roles in what is essentially a one-man show.
All in all, good fun if not the best of Clampett or Porky. 7/10 Bethany Cox
