'Mother Goose on the Loose' (1942)

Opening thoughts: A vast majority of Walter Lantz's work ranges between well worth seeing and must watches, even if some theatrical series are better than others (not unexpected as that is true of pretty much every animation director). He was responsible for some misses, especially in his later work which saw lower budgets, tighter time constraints and old premises repeating themselves, but on the whole he hit more than he missed. With some of his best work being excellent.

1942's 'Mother Goose on the Loose' is to me up there with his best and his most fun. It is a lot more inventive than what can usually be seen with this premise and is a good deal less cutesy than it sounds. The Mother Goose and nursery rhymes being satirised premise is a familiar one and was already very popular well before 'Mother Goose on the Loose' was produced and released, but the premise is so colourfully and energetically done here that it didn't feel old.

Bad things: 'Mother Goose on the Loose' is admittedly a very slight cartoon plot wise and quite predictable, basically a series of gags and nursery rhyme characters strung along.

Good things: Luckily, the gags and characters are done really well so that criticism didn't feel that major. 'Mother Goose on the Loose' is beautifully animated, with lush vibrant colours and richly detailed backgrounds. Transitions in movements are also smooth and there is nothing wonky or static with the character designs, even in the more kinetic scenes. Even better is the lively and characterful music that is also beautifully and cleverly orchestrated.

While not creative, the gags are crisply timed and clever as well as very funny. The more satirical moments sharp and witty with nothing distasteful. Even if the story is not much, the cartoon is still filled to the brim with sunny energy and never feels dull. Was worried that it would be too cute considering the kind of story it was, but there was nothing too sugary or over-cutesy.

The characters are fun in personality, not used in a not too blink and you miss them way and spotting the different nursery rhyme characters was so much fun and very nostalgic. Mel Blanc, who to me is the greatest and most versatile voice actor to exist, voices exuberantly, as do Sara Berner and Grace Stafford. Really enjoyed the Frank Morgan influence to the narration as well, and the narration isn't used too much.

Concluding thoughts: Concluding, very well done.

8/10.

Animation is a form of visual storytelling that involves creating visual art and motion through the use of various techniques and technologies. In animation, images are manipulated to create the illusion of movement, bringing characters, objects, and environments to life. Animation can encompass a wide range of styles, themes, and intended audiences, making it a diverse and versatile form of storytelling.

Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Sight gags satirize famous Mother Goose stories.

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

See who dazzled on the red carpet and took home gold at the 78th Primetime Creative Emmy Awards.

Mother Goose on the Loose

Photos1

Top Cast4

User reviews3

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed