The premise may be standard and nothing innovative, but it was a good one that is in good taste and plays to Popeye and Bluto's strengths as individual characters and as a partnership. The Popeye theatrical series is not a consistent one, with the Fleischer cartoons generally being a good deal better than Famous Studios' (well the 30s ones at least), but it never went below watchable in quality and the best cartoons were great. Actually like it on the whole and it was certainly the series that stopped the 40s Fleischer output from being completely unwatchable when it declined.
'Hot Air Aces' is not one of the overall best of the Popeye series. We're not just talking it not being one of the best of the Fleischer cartoons or not being one of the best of Famous Studios', this is overall we're talking about. 'Hot Air Aces' is pretty good still and worth watching if you like Popeye and Bluto together and think the scenario is interesting. Also consider it one of the better 1949 Popeye cartoons, at this early stage of that year's Popeye output the year was already better than the mostly unimpressive standard of the previous year.
Sure the story is very formulaic, if you have seen a handful already of Popeye and Bluto cartoons very little here is going to surprise you with the basic formula being the same pretty much.
Another thing the late 40s Popeye cartoons often had in common was the way Olive was written, with her tending to be an underused plot device. Sadly she is pretty much that here. The cartoon didn't completely grab me straight away too.
On the other hand, there is so much that 'Hot Air Aces' does so well. The animation is great. Love the attention to detail in the backgrounds and Popeye's character animation, and compared to the series in its early years to me the animation quality advanced quite a bit for Fleischer regarding the late-30s onwards Popeye cartoons. Some of it, even in the busier moments in the air action, were quite inventive. The music is another high-point, that was something that was consistently never less than excellent throughout the entire Popeye series (for both Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios). Very lush and characterful, adding a lot to the action.
Which comes thick and fast, as does the energy, capped off by a wonderfully wild final third. Despite the formulaic story, it seldom felt dull once it got going. It also is never less than amusing, the gags are numerous and although they are not novel they are still clever and didn't feel too stale. The climax is funny, even if the outcome is not a surprise. Both Popeye and Bluto are compelling characters, Bluto having funnier material, with good comic timing and strong personalities. Jack Mercer as always nails it as Popeye, those asides and mumblings are priceless. Jackson Beck voices robustly.
In summation, not quite great but still entertaining. 7/10.
'Hot Air Aces' is not one of the overall best of the Popeye series. We're not just talking it not being one of the best of the Fleischer cartoons or not being one of the best of Famous Studios', this is overall we're talking about. 'Hot Air Aces' is pretty good still and worth watching if you like Popeye and Bluto together and think the scenario is interesting. Also consider it one of the better 1949 Popeye cartoons, at this early stage of that year's Popeye output the year was already better than the mostly unimpressive standard of the previous year.
Sure the story is very formulaic, if you have seen a handful already of Popeye and Bluto cartoons very little here is going to surprise you with the basic formula being the same pretty much.
Another thing the late 40s Popeye cartoons often had in common was the way Olive was written, with her tending to be an underused plot device. Sadly she is pretty much that here. The cartoon didn't completely grab me straight away too.
On the other hand, there is so much that 'Hot Air Aces' does so well. The animation is great. Love the attention to detail in the backgrounds and Popeye's character animation, and compared to the series in its early years to me the animation quality advanced quite a bit for Fleischer regarding the late-30s onwards Popeye cartoons. Some of it, even in the busier moments in the air action, were quite inventive. The music is another high-point, that was something that was consistently never less than excellent throughout the entire Popeye series (for both Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios). Very lush and characterful, adding a lot to the action.
Which comes thick and fast, as does the energy, capped off by a wonderfully wild final third. Despite the formulaic story, it seldom felt dull once it got going. It also is never less than amusing, the gags are numerous and although they are not novel they are still clever and didn't feel too stale. The climax is funny, even if the outcome is not a surprise. Both Popeye and Bluto are compelling characters, Bluto having funnier material, with good comic timing and strong personalities. Jack Mercer as always nails it as Popeye, those asides and mumblings are priceless. Jackson Beck voices robustly.
In summation, not quite great but still entertaining. 7/10.
