China Jones (1959) User Reviews

Full of Chinese stereotypes but so what!?

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 15 June 2007]

I know I'll ruffle many feathers for saying this, but this banned video shouldn't be banned for being politically incorrect or insensitive. First, I am loathe to ever pull things from the market because they might offend. Second, while the Chinese stereotypes abound, the Asians in this cartoon are not shown as being stupid, sub-human or bad--just stereotypical. For example, Porky Pig plays a Charlie Chan-style character (named "Charlie Chan") and yet he isn't stupid, evil or bad--so what harm exactly is being done by this cartoon? Plus anyone with half a brain should be able to figure out that these are only silly stereotypes and should be able to handle it.

Now if you can manage to ignore all the Chinese images, what are you left with in this cartoon? Well, the quality of the animation is pretty poor for Warner Brothers because it was made in 1959--when the studio began cost-cutting by using inferior production values. Plus, it isn't really that funny or memorable. THIS should be the reason people don't watch this--not because of heightened sensibilities.

Many critics are denigrating this innocent 1950s cartoon . . .

[oscaralbert · 6/10 · 12 May 2018]

. . . for its use of diverse accents. Several of the speaking parts, including that of the title character ("CHINA JONES") rattle along in almost incomprehensible dialects derived from the British Isles. With its Irish brogues and Cockney inflections requiring steak knives to cut through, viewers complain that the Looney Tunes producers are making it too hard to enjoy a piece of entertainment lasting less than seven minutes. However, such criticism ignores the Lessons of Ellis Island. Whether Early American immigrants hailed from Wales, London, Scotland, Ireland, or even the Isle of Man, all were welcomed with open arms as potential key ingredients in the melting pot of American diversity. Therefore, animation aficionados complaining about needing to perk up their ears to understand CHINA JONES or "Limey Louie" during this brief cartoon need to get a life.

McKimson and Daffy have done better, but of their later efforts China Jones is one of their better ones

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 20 October 2012]

Looney Tunes was a huge part of my childhood, and even now their cartoons have endless replay value and never feel old. Is China Jones one of the best? No, the story is rather thin-on-the-ground and I agree it does get predictable eventually, though the Limey Louie reveal was a real surprise. The alligator gag is very amusing and the alligators themselves are menacing, but I couldn't help thinking it was very like, almost identical to, the one in Stork Naked. However, most of the gags are funny, the one with the dragon lady was the one that made me laugh the most, while the dialogue like the line about the Chinese laundry and Limey Louie's this little piggy went to market were inspired too. The animation has been more fluid before, but is still colourful with that unmistakable McKimson look, while the music has its usual jauntiness as well as some lovely oriental flavour. Daffy is fun to watch, he takes the verbal jokes and visual gags wonderfully as usual, though he has been more manic and crafty as well as funnier. Porky impresses in a fun cameo spoofing Charlie Chan, the ending was especially good. True it is somewhat of a stereotypical role, but I saw nothing really offensive about it. The Dragon Lady's appearance is brief but one of the highlights, but it was Limey Louie that was the real revelation, visually intimidating but every bit as good as Daffy in the humour department. Mel Blanc's voice work is superb as always. All in all, one of the better later Looney Tunes cartoons if not quite good enough to be one of their best. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The reference falls flat and there's very little else to be had

[bob the moo · 29 February 2004]

China Jones is an adventurer and drifter in Hong Kong. When he opens a fortune cookie, he finds a message about a kidnap victim being held in a bakery. To get more information, he goes to Limey Louie's but finds that the whole thing is a set up by Louie to take revenge on Jones for putting him away

I'm not sure what is being spoofed by Daffy's Irish private detective act, but the cartoon does suffer a little bit from some of the references not being accessible, resulting in the material feeling like it is out of place. The plot itself sees Daffy being sent on wild duck chases several times before Louie reveals himself - that's all there really is to this cartoon and sadly most of it isn't very funny. A manic, Chinese speaking Daffy at the end is a highlight but only because I like the manic side of Daffy! Aside from this there are few laughs and the film just seems to be hoping that the Chinese aspect will make it feel different enough to carry itself.

Without knowing where the Daffy character actually comes from, he just comes across as being a misjudged accent and no recognisable character. An amusing and recognisable cameo from Porky pig helps the cartoon and gives it it's ending, but the other characters here are broad and pretty useless when it comes to laughs.

Overall this is a different cartoon that wears it's different setting on it's sleeve. The references are mostly lost on me apart from the Charlie Chan spoof meaning that some of the touches are lost on me. Basically this is an unfunny cartoon that was probably based on the main reference being enough to carry it but, years after that reference is lost, the remaining cartoon is unfunny and bland.

Pretty good - love the Irish Daffy.

[Mightyzebra · 8/10 · 10 January 2010]

The main reason I loved this Looney Tunes cartoon is because throughout Daffy Duck has an Irish accent. I realize this may not seem particularly spectacular, but personally I thought it lighted the cartoon tremendously. The plot was a little wafer-thin and pretty predictable, but Porky and Daffy were definitely worth watching in this episode.

In "China Jones" (is Daffy a spoof on Indiana Jones, possibly?), we see Daffy Duck, playing China Jones, in a Chinese café opening a fortune cookie. The message inside presumably is a call for help from a kidnapped person in a bakery and he offers a large award for his rescue. Partly because of the cash and partly because it is his job as a private eye, Daffy Duck begins his search for the bakery where the person is kidnapped. On the way, China Jones meets his acquaintance Charlie Chung (who is played by Porky Pig). China Jones does not have much time to speak to his acquaintance, as he has to go off. What part will Charlie play later in the cartoon..? I recommend this cartoon to people who are a bit bored of the modern, greedy Daffy Duck and to people who like Irish accents. Enjoy "China Jones"! :-) P.S I noticed from a review that this cartoon was banned because of "stereotypical references" of Chinese people. This cartoon does not insult the Chinese in any way and this cartoon should not have been banned (just to let people know who are against racism).

8 and a half out of ten.