Famous Studios' cartoons are not for all tastes, but this viewer is of the opinion that their early stuff and some of the early 50s output are good (such as the Popeye cartoons), while they were very formulaic they were always well animated and voiced with some funny parts, some poignancy and decent characters and their regular composer Winston Sharples could always be relied on to write a great and often outstanding score.
Admittedly though, by the mid-50s through to the late-60s Famous Studios' cartoons did get repetitive. While Sharples' music still shone and the voice actors did their best the animation suffered due to lower budgets and tighter deadlines, the humour became more tired and slow in timing than sharp and funny, the stories became increasingly predictable and rehashed and some characters started losing their initial spark, this is particularly true of most of the later Herman and Katnip cartoons.
The Deep Boo Sea is not one of my favourites and it's not one of the best Casper cartoons (which are nice enough on the most), but it's certainly nowhere near among the worst of Famous Studios' output, being closer to the quality of their early cartoons while showing a couple of signs of what would happen later. Structurally, in terms of story and dialogue, there is nothing new so there is a more of the same feel (as ever though did appreciate the swift but gentle tone of the story), and the dialogue is a little twee and forgettable. While the friendship between Casper and Billy is very sweet and charming with a touch of emotion too, the cartoon did feel rushed so not quite enough time was spent on it.
On the other hand, the animation in The Deep Boo Sea is beautifully done, thankfully being closer to the very fluid and detailed animation style of the early output rather than the sparser and flatter style of the studio's later cartoons. The colours are vibrant and atmospheric, with the spooky opening and the colourful sea setting being a great contrast, everything looks smooth and the backgrounds are meticulous in their detail. Winston Sharples' music score here is typically merry and whimsical, it's beautifully orchestrated, energetic and adds so much to the mood, his music has always been one of the best assets of the Famous Studios cartoons and it is true for The Deep Boo Sea too.
While not one of the funniest Casper cartoons, like Once Upon a Rhyme and Boo Hoo Baby, the humour is amusing and gentle, the reactions towards Casper nice and varied (had a good chuckle at the inventive one for the turtle). It does avoid being too sentimentalised, and it never gets too disturbing at the climax (the only time where the series has become close to that, but it was still heart-breakingly effective, was There's Good Boos Tonight), even with the whale that is like a little less menacing version of Monstro. The characters are endearing without being too cloying, and the voice acting is very good.
In conclusion, a nice Casper cartoon as long as you don't demand too much. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Admittedly though, by the mid-50s through to the late-60s Famous Studios' cartoons did get repetitive. While Sharples' music still shone and the voice actors did their best the animation suffered due to lower budgets and tighter deadlines, the humour became more tired and slow in timing than sharp and funny, the stories became increasingly predictable and rehashed and some characters started losing their initial spark, this is particularly true of most of the later Herman and Katnip cartoons.
The Deep Boo Sea is not one of my favourites and it's not one of the best Casper cartoons (which are nice enough on the most), but it's certainly nowhere near among the worst of Famous Studios' output, being closer to the quality of their early cartoons while showing a couple of signs of what would happen later. Structurally, in terms of story and dialogue, there is nothing new so there is a more of the same feel (as ever though did appreciate the swift but gentle tone of the story), and the dialogue is a little twee and forgettable. While the friendship between Casper and Billy is very sweet and charming with a touch of emotion too, the cartoon did feel rushed so not quite enough time was spent on it.
On the other hand, the animation in The Deep Boo Sea is beautifully done, thankfully being closer to the very fluid and detailed animation style of the early output rather than the sparser and flatter style of the studio's later cartoons. The colours are vibrant and atmospheric, with the spooky opening and the colourful sea setting being a great contrast, everything looks smooth and the backgrounds are meticulous in their detail. Winston Sharples' music score here is typically merry and whimsical, it's beautifully orchestrated, energetic and adds so much to the mood, his music has always been one of the best assets of the Famous Studios cartoons and it is true for The Deep Boo Sea too.
While not one of the funniest Casper cartoons, like Once Upon a Rhyme and Boo Hoo Baby, the humour is amusing and gentle, the reactions towards Casper nice and varied (had a good chuckle at the inventive one for the turtle). It does avoid being too sentimentalised, and it never gets too disturbing at the climax (the only time where the series has become close to that, but it was still heart-breakingly effective, was There's Good Boos Tonight), even with the whale that is like a little less menacing version of Monstro. The characters are endearing without being too cloying, and the voice acting is very good.
In conclusion, a nice Casper cartoon as long as you don't demand too much. 7/10 Bethany Cox
