Really like to love a good deal of Popeye cartoons, even if story-wise they tend to be on the formulaic side, and like the character of Popeye. Love Bluto even more and his chemistry with Popeye has always driven their cartoons whenever they are together. Will admit though to preferring the Popeye cartoons from the Dave Fleischer era, the cartoons tend to be funnier and there is more originality and more risk taking in some of them and they look better too.
'Child Sockology' is a late Popeye cartoon and made near Famous Studios' roughest and most variable period where budgets were much smaller in particularly the animation and deadlines and time constraints were shorter and tighter. All things considered, while there are infinitely better Popeye cartoons (especially during the Fleischer era) and there are signs of what made this period an inferior one for Famous Studios, 'Child Sockology' is not a bad late Popeye cartoon. Though also not a particularly great one at the same time.
It is a very standard cartoon story-wise, one knows what is going to happen and how it's going to end (which is not a surprise at all and too neat). Not to mention the premise is a very familiar one with little new done with it. The energy is not always there in the middle where it is particularly routine and predictable.
Not all the animation is great, more uneven but leaning more towards quite good on the whole. The colours are fine and there is smoothness and nice detail but there are many moments where the backgrounds are sparse and the drawing rough. Actually don't mind Swee'Pea usually, but here he is not given much to do and is very much second fiddle to Popeye and Bluto.
There is though one fantastic aspect in 'Child Sockology' and that is the music score, a consistent good thing in the Popeye cartoons. It's beautifully orchestrated, rhythmically it's full of energy and there is so much character and atmosphere, it's also brilliant at adding to the action and enhancing it. While the gags are not exactly creative or hilarious, 'Child Sockology' is not short on them and they are amusing and quite well timed.
While the pacing is not consistent, 'Child Sockology' does pick up in the last third which is wonderfully wild and carried beautifully by the conflict, one that is both entertaining and tense, between Popeye and Bluto. Popeye and Bluto are a joy here and all the voice acting is well done. Jack Mercer was the longest serving voice actor for Popeye for very good reason and Jackson Beck is as good as Gus Wickie.
Overall, not much amazing much other than the music but above average and definitely worth a one time watch at least. 6/10
'Child Sockology' is a late Popeye cartoon and made near Famous Studios' roughest and most variable period where budgets were much smaller in particularly the animation and deadlines and time constraints were shorter and tighter. All things considered, while there are infinitely better Popeye cartoons (especially during the Fleischer era) and there are signs of what made this period an inferior one for Famous Studios, 'Child Sockology' is not a bad late Popeye cartoon. Though also not a particularly great one at the same time.
It is a very standard cartoon story-wise, one knows what is going to happen and how it's going to end (which is not a surprise at all and too neat). Not to mention the premise is a very familiar one with little new done with it. The energy is not always there in the middle where it is particularly routine and predictable.
Not all the animation is great, more uneven but leaning more towards quite good on the whole. The colours are fine and there is smoothness and nice detail but there are many moments where the backgrounds are sparse and the drawing rough. Actually don't mind Swee'Pea usually, but here he is not given much to do and is very much second fiddle to Popeye and Bluto.
There is though one fantastic aspect in 'Child Sockology' and that is the music score, a consistent good thing in the Popeye cartoons. It's beautifully orchestrated, rhythmically it's full of energy and there is so much character and atmosphere, it's also brilliant at adding to the action and enhancing it. While the gags are not exactly creative or hilarious, 'Child Sockology' is not short on them and they are amusing and quite well timed.
While the pacing is not consistent, 'Child Sockology' does pick up in the last third which is wonderfully wild and carried beautifully by the conflict, one that is both entertaining and tense, between Popeye and Bluto. Popeye and Bluto are a joy here and all the voice acting is well done. Jack Mercer was the longest serving voice actor for Popeye for very good reason and Jackson Beck is as good as Gus Wickie.
Overall, not much amazing much other than the music but above average and definitely worth a one time watch at least. 6/10
