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.
Like with the Terrytoons from 1930 and 1931, the 1932 batch has been very mixed, the best being above average if not mind-blowing and the worst being weak. 'Hollywood Diet' is among the better ones. Not great, but definitely above average and actually decent despite some big drawbacks.
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. Some of the backgrounds are detailed and ambitious enough and it's a little more elaborate looking than the previous 1932 cartoons. Synchronisation is pretty neat.
There is, like the best Terrytoons, a natural and never unforced natural charm, its theme is still very much relevant by today's standards and it was interesting to see it done here in a mostly amusing and sometimes inventive fashion. The gags have outcomes that can be smelt from a mile away, but raise a fair share of chuckles and are timed pretty well. Pacing is lively enough.
However, the animation is still, outside of the backgrounds, primitive at best with a fair bit of crudeness, over-simplicity and choppiness. Not to mention some rather irritating and cheap-looking cheating.
Story is not much of time at all and doesn't really go anywhere with a lot of predictability. It at least doesn't feel as disjointed or choppy as some previous and proceeding Terrytoons, and it doesn't feel too short this time. The characters are not particularly memorable.
In summation, above average and pretty decent. 6/10 Bethany Cox
Like with the Terrytoons from 1930 and 1931, the 1932 batch has been very mixed, the best being above average if not mind-blowing and the worst being weak. 'Hollywood Diet' is among the better ones. Not great, but definitely above average and actually decent despite some big drawbacks.
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. Some of the backgrounds are detailed and ambitious enough and it's a little more elaborate looking than the previous 1932 cartoons. Synchronisation is pretty neat.
There is, like the best Terrytoons, a natural and never unforced natural charm, its theme is still very much relevant by today's standards and it was interesting to see it done here in a mostly amusing and sometimes inventive fashion. The gags have outcomes that can be smelt from a mile away, but raise a fair share of chuckles and are timed pretty well. Pacing is lively enough.
However, the animation is still, outside of the backgrounds, primitive at best with a fair bit of crudeness, over-simplicity and choppiness. Not to mention some rather irritating and cheap-looking cheating.
Story is not much of time at all and doesn't really go anywhere with a lot of predictability. It at least doesn't feel as disjointed or choppy as some previous and proceeding Terrytoons, and it doesn't feel too short this time. The characters are not particularly memorable.
In summation, above average and pretty decent. 6/10 Bethany Cox
