The Terrytoons are oddly interesting, mainly for anybody wanting to see (generally) older cartoons made by lesser known and lower-budget studios. They are a mixed bag in quality, with some better than others, often with outstanding music and with some mild amusement and charm and variable in animation, characterisation and content.
1941, like all the other years for Terrytoons, saw a hit and miss batch, though slightly more consistent than previous years. Of which 'Horsefly Opera' is one of the average-middle ones ranking it in correlation with the rest of the Terrytoons and one of the middling 1941 cartoons. It is an unexceptional, nothing exactly special cartoon, being generally average, and has the same amount of problems as it has the amount of strengths. 'Horsefly Opera' is watchable but unexceptional, completest sake is the main reason to see it.
Best asset is the music, which predictably is incredible. It is so beautifully and cleverly orchestrated and arranged, is great fun to listen to and full of lively energy, doing so well with enhancing the action. The ambitious, elaborate detail in the backgrounds is still great to see, as is the comparatively improved fluidity of drawing and movement, and some synchronisation in movement and sound is neat.
There is some zest and natural charm and a few amusing moments, and parts of it and the basic set up are nicely done. The spider antagonist, have started to notice that the villain is always the most, and often only, interesting characters in the numerous Terrytoons bug melodrama cartoons, comes off best of the characters.
A few transitions are not always polished however. Likewise, the story is paper thin and formulaic with not an awful lot to it (like the cartoon in general) and doing little with a premise that's hardly new. All it is another bug melodrama, already done to death by Terrytoons years before, with no real variation on the story and characters.
Gags aren't enough, and what little there is is only sporadically amusing, are rather disorganised and some of the material even is recycled. There is definitely a sense of the studio having run out of ideas and just re-treading old premises and material. A lot of it is pretty predictable. Some choppiness too and the cartoon feels very old fashioned and basic. The characters are bland, apart from the spider, basically typical archetypes not much different from other characters in the same kind of role.
Summing up, worth a one-time watch but not much special. 5/10 Bethany Cox
1941, like all the other years for Terrytoons, saw a hit and miss batch, though slightly more consistent than previous years. Of which 'Horsefly Opera' is one of the average-middle ones ranking it in correlation with the rest of the Terrytoons and one of the middling 1941 cartoons. It is an unexceptional, nothing exactly special cartoon, being generally average, and has the same amount of problems as it has the amount of strengths. 'Horsefly Opera' is watchable but unexceptional, completest sake is the main reason to see it.
Best asset is the music, which predictably is incredible. It is so beautifully and cleverly orchestrated and arranged, is great fun to listen to and full of lively energy, doing so well with enhancing the action. The ambitious, elaborate detail in the backgrounds is still great to see, as is the comparatively improved fluidity of drawing and movement, and some synchronisation in movement and sound is neat.
There is some zest and natural charm and a few amusing moments, and parts of it and the basic set up are nicely done. The spider antagonist, have started to notice that the villain is always the most, and often only, interesting characters in the numerous Terrytoons bug melodrama cartoons, comes off best of the characters.
A few transitions are not always polished however. Likewise, the story is paper thin and formulaic with not an awful lot to it (like the cartoon in general) and doing little with a premise that's hardly new. All it is another bug melodrama, already done to death by Terrytoons years before, with no real variation on the story and characters.
Gags aren't enough, and what little there is is only sporadically amusing, are rather disorganised and some of the material even is recycled. There is definitely a sense of the studio having run out of ideas and just re-treading old premises and material. A lot of it is pretty predictable. Some choppiness too and the cartoon feels very old fashioned and basic. The characters are bland, apart from the spider, basically typical archetypes not much different from other characters in the same kind of role.
Summing up, worth a one-time watch but not much special. 5/10 Bethany Cox
