'The Tortoise Wins Again' is the first 1946 Terrytoons cartoon to not feature a recurring character, with most of the year being dominated by Mighty Mouse and Gandy/Sourpuss cartoons. Both theatrical series, especially that for Mighty Mouse, having varied success with both good and disappointing cartoons in both series. So in this particular respect it does stand out amongst Terrytoons' output for that year.
It also stands out for being one of the better 1946 Terrytoons cartoons. Another big interest point too being the premise, it is not everyday where one sees a fable and certainly 'The Tortoise and the Hare' (or at least a twist on it) on the ice. That is one of the last fables one would see done on ice, as it would be difficult to do so. But somehow it actually works and very well in one of the most interesting premises for any Terrytoons cartoon in a long time.
Did think that there was no doubt in how 'The Tortoise Wins Again' was going to end. People that know the original fable will already know, though this is not a straight up adaptation but its own spin on it, but the title to the cartoon alone is a good give-away.
More could have been done to make the rabbits interesting, they're cute but personality-wise they are vastly over-shadowed by the turtles and don't as many strong moments. They serve their purpose well, if they compelled more there would have been even more tension.
Can't fault the music however, the one consistently good asset of all of Terrytoons' output. It is full of energy, very sumptuously orchestrated and fits with everything beautifully (the best moments enhanced by it). The animation is another component that comes over very well. The attention to detail in the backgrounds particularly over-time became more ambitious, nothing about the character design unappeals really and the colours are suitably vibrant, so much better than the very simplistic and unrefined black and white seen in the early-mid-30s.
Regarding the gags, 'The Tortoise Wins Again' is well-engineered stuff. There's plenty and while there ain't quite any gems, there certainly aren't any failures. The pace is also lively, one of the livelier and better-paced 1946 Terrytoons cartoons, which makes up for any predictability. The chemistry between the characters is fun with some nice tension on the whole and the cartoon does absolutely nothing to waste the setting and actually makes the most of it. The turtles are strong characters and it was amusing seeing their different methods of cheating, not that one should be encouraged to try them though. The outcome does generally satisfy despite not being a surprising one and the moral isn't heavy-handedly done.
On the whole, nicely done. 7/10