Dave Fleischer was responsible for many gems. Ones that were amusing and charming, though over-cuteness did come through in some efforts and the stories were always pretty thin, with appealing characters, outstanding music and visuals that were inventive and with innovative animation techniques.
'The House Builder-Upper' is not quite classic Popeye the Sailor. It is still very well done and never less than very funny if not quite hilarious. Have always enjoyed many of the Popeye cartoons a good deal and like Popeye very much, Fleischer's efforts were always well animated and scored with lots of entertainment value and great chemistry between Popeye, Olive Oyl and Wimpy. 'The House Builder-Upper' has much of makes the Popeye series so appealing in its prime era and does nothing to waste the three main characters or make them less interesting.
The story is an interesting and beautifully paced one, never being dull, if slightly formulaic (not uncommon with the Popeye cartoons). The humour and gags make it even more entertaining and there is a lot of good nature and charm here. A lot of the content is more creative than usual.
All three characters are great, though Olive Oyl's material is not quite as great as Popeye and Wimpy's. The three are spot on and their chemistry drives 'The House Builder-Upper' and has so much energy. Popeye is always amusing and likeable enough but for me Wimpy is here the funnier and more interesting character.
Furthermore, the animation is beautifully drawn and with enough visual detail to not make it cluttered or static and lively and smooth movement. The music is also outstanding, lots of merry energy and lush orchestration, adding a lot to the action and making the impact even better without being too cartoonish. Fleischer's direction is always accomplished and his style is all over it.
Voice acting is dynamic and of very good quality on the whole, Mae Questel is a good fit for Olive Oyl, the voice that most sticks in my mind for the character and who voiced her the best. Jack Mercer is the Popeye most familiar to me and he fits the character perfectly.
All in all, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox