Have always found Terrytoons Studios' output uneven. It started off pretty ropey (the worst cartoons being really quite bad, though not entirely irredeemable) with the only consistently good asset being the music. But they did steadily improve, and actually by the late 30s the animation quality had advanced enormously. Shame though that their story writing has always consistently been a weak link, even in their best efforts.
1944's batch, like all the other previous years, did vary but never really reached terrible territory. Neither did it ever become great, it was always in between and most were average or just above it. 'The Champion of Justice' is the second 1944 Mighty Mouse cartoon (after 'The Wreck of Hesperus'), and the second one where Mighty Mouse is known as Mighty Mouse. In all of his seven 1943 cartoons (all of which were among the best of that year's batch for the studio, neither perfect though) he was known as Super Mouse. Although it is not what one calls an original cartoon, it is one of the better 1944 Terrytoons cartoons in my opinion.
Do wish that Mighty Mouse, Terrytoons' most prolific character (more so than Gandy and Heckle and Jeckle), himself had more to do. His role is nice though not much different from his previous cartoons, but he does feel too much like a supporting character that appears too late. He was always an appealing enough character if fairly limited, which became more apparent the more repetitive his series got.
The story is very slight and predictable too and the outcome can be seen from miles away. The pace could have been better.
With all of that being said, 'The Champion of Justice' does do a lot right. The animation is very nicely done. Hardly surprising as the animation quality had come on enormously by this point with Terrytoons, as said this is the component that improved the most over the years. It is nicely detailed, lively and colourful without being garish. Again, the music, the thing that was the most, and actually only, consistently good thing from the very beginning with Terrytoons, is a big strength. It is beautifully and cleverly orchestrated and arranged, is terrific fun to listen to and the lively energy is present throughout, doing so well with adding to the action.
Much of 'The Champion of Justice' does engage and there are amusing, cute and charming moments without being saccharine. The mice aren't too cutesy and they and their plight are rootable. Villain Willy the Spender is the cartoon's most interesting character though.
Overall, pretty decent. 7/10
1944's batch, like all the other previous years, did vary but never really reached terrible territory. Neither did it ever become great, it was always in between and most were average or just above it. 'The Champion of Justice' is the second 1944 Mighty Mouse cartoon (after 'The Wreck of Hesperus'), and the second one where Mighty Mouse is known as Mighty Mouse. In all of his seven 1943 cartoons (all of which were among the best of that year's batch for the studio, neither perfect though) he was known as Super Mouse. Although it is not what one calls an original cartoon, it is one of the better 1944 Terrytoons cartoons in my opinion.
Do wish that Mighty Mouse, Terrytoons' most prolific character (more so than Gandy and Heckle and Jeckle), himself had more to do. His role is nice though not much different from his previous cartoons, but he does feel too much like a supporting character that appears too late. He was always an appealing enough character if fairly limited, which became more apparent the more repetitive his series got.
The story is very slight and predictable too and the outcome can be seen from miles away. The pace could have been better.
With all of that being said, 'The Champion of Justice' does do a lot right. The animation is very nicely done. Hardly surprising as the animation quality had come on enormously by this point with Terrytoons, as said this is the component that improved the most over the years. It is nicely detailed, lively and colourful without being garish. Again, the music, the thing that was the most, and actually only, consistently good thing from the very beginning with Terrytoons, is a big strength. It is beautifully and cleverly orchestrated and arranged, is terrific fun to listen to and the lively energy is present throughout, doing so well with adding to the action.
Much of 'The Champion of Justice' does engage and there are amusing, cute and charming moments without being saccharine. The mice aren't too cutesy and they and their plight are rootable. Villain Willy the Spender is the cartoon's most interesting character though.
Overall, pretty decent. 7/10
