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.
1933, like all the other years for Terrytoons, saw a hit and miss batch. Of which 'In Venice' is one of the low middle ones ranking it in correlation with the rest of the Terrytoons. It is an unexceptional, nothing exactly special cartoon and has the same amount of problems as it has the amount of strengths. 'In Venice' is also watchable, 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 and some synchronisation is neat.
A couple of gags are amusing and sharp. There is a natural charm and the octopus is a fun character and a suitable antagonistic threat.
Outside of the backgrounds however, the animation is primitive at best with a fair bit of crudeness, over-simplicity and choppiness.
Likewise, the story is paper thin and formulaic with a big air of over-familiarity due to doing very little new with a premise that was feeling old well before this was made. Also far too sugary sweet and trying too hard to be cute. Of the characters, only the octopus is memorable, the leads are bland and typical Terrytoons protagonist archetypes.
Too many of the too few gags don't quite have the lustre and cleverness as others, due to too much of the material being stale from being used before, and the cartoon sometimes feels choppy and generally rushed, and would have been solved by the cartoon being two minutes longer.
Overall, lacklustre but watchable. 4/10 Bethany Cox
1933, like all the other years for Terrytoons, saw a hit and miss batch. Of which 'In Venice' is one of the low middle ones ranking it in correlation with the rest of the Terrytoons. It is an unexceptional, nothing exactly special cartoon and has the same amount of problems as it has the amount of strengths. 'In Venice' is also watchable, 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 and some synchronisation is neat.
A couple of gags are amusing and sharp. There is a natural charm and the octopus is a fun character and a suitable antagonistic threat.
Outside of the backgrounds however, the animation is primitive at best with a fair bit of crudeness, over-simplicity and choppiness.
Likewise, the story is paper thin and formulaic with a big air of over-familiarity due to doing very little new with a premise that was feeling old well before this was made. Also far too sugary sweet and trying too hard to be cute. Of the characters, only the octopus is memorable, the leads are bland and typical Terrytoons protagonist archetypes.
Too many of the too few gags don't quite have the lustre and cleverness as others, due to too much of the material being stale from being used before, and the cartoon sometimes feels choppy and generally rushed, and would have been solved by the cartoon being two minutes longer.
Overall, lacklustre but watchable. 4/10 Bethany Cox
