User Reviews

A good deal of the pre-Production Code Betty Boop cartoons are daring and creative, with content that makes one amazed at what's gotten away with. While the later Betty Boop cartoons made after the Code was enforced are still watchable and exceptionally well-made, they are so toned down that they feel bland.

Fleischer were responsible for some brilliant cartoons, some of them still among my favourites. Their visual style was often stunning and some of the most imaginative and ahead of its time in animation. The character of Betty Boop, one of their most famous and prolific characters, may not be for all tastes and sadly not as popular now, but her sex appeal was quite daring for the time and to me there is an adorable sensual charm about her. The good news is that she has not lost her charm, despite being significantly toned down, she is still cute and her comic timing is good.

Adorable Pudgy steals the show though, and the pigeons are a nice addition. The voice acting is solid.

The best thing about 'Training Pigeons' is the animation, which is fantastic, especially in the backgrounds and in the wondrous 3D effects in the opening (the highlight scene of the cartoon). It's very rich in detail, crisp and beautifully drawn. The music is infectious, lush and dynamic. There are some amusing moments and it is cute without being too saccharine.

However, there is a vast preference for the Betty Boop cartoons that have a more surreal edge to the visuals and sharper and more risqué material. Although cute and entertaining, there is still a tame feel and slight blandness. The story is also slight and predictable.

On the whole, nice cartoon though not great. 7/10 Bethany Cox

In the 1930s, the Fleischer Brothers Studio created an amazing 3-D technique--one that STILL amazes today. However, they used this very sparingly and you will only see it in a few Betty Boop and Popeye cartoons. No, it's NOT the sort of thing you need to watch with special glasses--it's a process that isn't quite the jump out of the screen look but it still is very impressive and it's used only in the opening scene. But, because it's so beautiful, I recommend you give it a look even if the rest of the cartoon is only fair to average.

While Betty Boop is in the cartoon, the real star is her dog, Pudgy. When one of Betty's trained pigeons refuses to come into the cage on her rooftop, Pudgy is determined to capture the bird--which turns out to be a lot more dangerous and exhausting than he'd expected.

Overall, a decent Betty Boop and Pudgy cartoon made great by one scene. The rest is okay but lacks the edge I prefer in many later cartoons. Though, thankfully, there is no cutesy song in this one!