User Reviews

I'm wondering if every short film nominated for an Oscar in this year was just an animated propaganda film. Well, maybe they weren't but for sure this one is and it is little else. With the title pointing towards victory and the opening (and consistent) song about production (on Uncle Sam's instruction), this film opens in the woods to find innocent animals coming to the news that war has been declared. Before you can say "old Glory", the woods are cut down into cabins for production offices and all the creatures go about producing weapons, uniforms and food for our troops.

In terms of how it does this, the film is actually pretty clever in the use of creatures as both workers and the means of production. So for example we get a bee driving a bulldozer style vehicle but the tracks are a pair of caterpillars wrapped around each side, or a toucan cutting barrels from a length of piping and other such things as this. This side of it is quite nice as it is imaginative and done with color but for me the heavy propaganda aimed towards children was a little bit too much for me. I understand it has to be watched in context of the time and place, but it still was a bit much for me – in particular the song was the audio equivalent to painting yourself in stars and stripes before going to hit baseballs off an aircraft carrier into a sea full of guys on jet-skis, it was really American and flag waving. I do of course know that almost everyone does this when in a war, but as a piece of child- friendly "support our troops" thing, this was generally a bit too heavy- handed for me even if the ways the creatures are employed as equipment and workers was generally nicely done.

For me there were two reasons for watching the very hit and miss output of Terrytoons Studio. One was as a completest, watching as many of their available ones as possible. Also love animation and was interested in seeing old(er) ones made on a reasonably low budget. As has been said more than once, watching their cartoons has been a very interesting but very variable experience, most ranging between mediocre and decent, with the odd good one and some weak ones.

When it comes to Terrytoons' 1942 cartoons, 'All Out for V' is easily one of the best, even if its subject won't appeal to everyone with it not always easy making wartime cartoons funny and not making them preachy. As far as their output overall goes 'All Out for V' fares very favourably and actually found it surprisingly good. There is nothing overly cute about it, it has some of the best and funniest gags of any of their output and nothing comes over as recycled. There is far less of a sense that the studio was running out of ideas like they were showing frequently in cartoons around this time (and before and since).

Coming off particularly well in 'All Out for V' are two things. One is the ever incredible music (the jingle aside), which for me has never disappointed and stops their worst efforts from being unwatchable. Have always loved how beautifully and cleverly it's orchestrated and arranged, furthermore it is great fun to listen to with so much lively energy, doing so well with adding to the action. From when Terrytoons first started up to this point the animation had advanced so much and was the asset that over-time was the most improved, that's the other notable asset. The ambitious, elaborate detail in the backgrounds is still great to see, as is the comparatively improved fluidity of drawing and movement. The synchronisation in movement and sound is neat.

Found 'All Out for V' surprisingly one of the sharpest and funniest Terrytoons cartoons when it comes to the humour. It is genuinely funny and there is a cohesiveness and razor-sharp-edge-in-pace to them, a few by Terrytoons standards quite original. It is very absurdist in places, but this is a case of the absurdity actually being quite endearing. Really liked the animal characters and the interesting roles they play and jobs they are assigned. The charm is never forced and there is a good amount of charm, while the cartoon is seldom dull.

Do agree though that 'All Out for V' has too many heavy-handed spots, it does make its point but lays it on too thick and anybody who has seen a lot of war-oriented cartoons will be not be desperately surprised by what the cartoon is trying to say.

One does not expect a story that's meaty or with much originality with Terrytoons, story-wise it is very slight and with not much new to it. Am aware that the jingle was intended to be annoying but instead of being catchy it actually really grated on my nerves and was very repetitive.

In summary, surprisingly good for Terrytoons. 7/10 Bethany Cox

A bomb goes off in the forest. News spreads rapidly and soon all the animals of the forest and a nearby egg ranch are busy in the war effort in this well-deserved Academy Award nominee.

If you've read my reviews of other Terrytoons, you'll know I'm not a great fan of that company's cartoons. They reuse too many gags and stories and aim their work at small, well-behaved children and I'm more a Looney Tunes & Early Fleischer fan. However, this World War Two propaganda film shows what Paul Terry's staff was capable of. The pacing of the gags is rapid, and some are very sharp. Two of them are new to me and actually made me laugh out loud; one involves the moon and the other spraying some flowers.

Terry's studio was not the only cartoon studio that turned out offbeat and very funny cartoons to celebrate our involvement. Disney's DER FUEHRER'S FACE is unexpectedly rude and the Private Snafu cartoons involved the talents of almost every factory.

This cartoon never challenges its G rating, its simple chorale score nor the lush, candy-box illustrations that Terry's most expensive work in this period aspired to. Nonetheless, it is very funny.