User Reviews

A stray dog finds a position as a watch dog. However, his idyllic life is soon shattered when rabbits invade the garden he must guard in this solid Terrytoon.

Puddy Pup has gotten another makeover in this cartoon: same black-ear-and-eye look he has sported since he was a supporting character for Farmer Al Falfa in 1933, Now, however, he is grown up with a Pluto Pup body type and amble. Look at this as a Pluto cartoon and it's a decent affair. Although Paul Terry's studio was less interested in a psychologically realistic canine character, they had the same tinge of sentimentality and a good sense of how to place and time the gags. Too bad for them that genre of cartoons was already filled.

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.

1939, like all the other years for Terrytoons, saw a hit and miss batch. Of which 'The Watchdog' is one of the high middle ones ranking it in correlation with the rest of the Terrytoons and one of the better 1939 cartoons. It is an unexceptional, nothing exactly special cartoon and has the same amount of problems as it has the amount of strengths. 'The Watchdog' is also worth the look, completest sake is the main reason to see it but it's not the only reason.

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. Colour is vibrant.

A number of well timed and amusing moments, some imaginative and there is some zest and natural charm, and parts of it and the basic set up are nicely done. The characters are fun generally with a rootable protagonist.

Outside of the backgrounds and more fluidity than seen previously however, a few of the transitions are not always polished.

Likewise, the story is paper thin and formulaic with not an awful lot to it (like the cartoon in general). In terms of gags, a few lack freshness and wit to work properly. The cartoon tends to veer towards being too cute, with the bunny characters, and a lot of it is pretty predictable from being a familiar premise for Terrytoons. Some choppiness too and the cartoon feels very old fashioned and at times routine.

Summing up, above average and not bad at all, though also not great. 6/10 Bethany Cox