Was very fond of Woody Woodpecker and his cartoons as a child. Still get much enjoyment out of them now as a young adult, even if there are more interesting in personality cartoon characters and better overall cartoons.
That is in no way knocking Woody, because many of his cartoons are a lot of fun to watch and more and also still like him a lot as a character. He's fun and is a pest without being too obnoxious, but, like a lot of his later cartoons, compared to his original manic personality he is too toned down and subdued. This undermines the conflict, sad because despite the action being very over-familiar and repetitive Professor Strudel has his amusing and wonderfully nuts moments.
Paul J. Smith directs here and there are the same strengths and flaws of most of his output (let alone his Woody Woodpecker outings) here in 'How to Stuff a Woodpecker'. Starting with the strengths, the music is bouncy, energetic and very lushly orchestrated, not only synchronising and fitting with the action very well but enhancing it. There is some energy, the cartoon starts off well, a couple of parts are amusing (especially the ending) and occasionally there are some nice colours.
Voice acting is solid. Grace Stafford continues to prove why she was the best voice actor for the character and the one that understood him the most. Dal McKennon is every bit as impressive.
However, 'How to Stuff a Woodpecker' is let down by the lack of energy, the conflict not being strong enough, Woody being too subdued and also that it is not very funny. Plus the story is very over-familiar, very few surprises here apart from at the end. Likewise with Woody's antics, which are very typical and the professor's outwitting attempts are nothing new and done with a lack of energy.
Just as problematic is the animation quality. Time and budget constraints shows in a lot of the animation, which is very rushed looking in the drawing and detail wise it's on the simplistic and careless side like many of Woody's cartoons from this period continuing through to the 60s. 'How to Stuff a Woodpecker' only sporadically entertains (if more the surprise ending and the professor character) and for a "How to...", indicating a cartoon with some educational value, cartoon it fails to teach.
In summary, average Woody Woodpecker fare. 5/10 Bethany Cox
That is in no way knocking Woody, because many of his cartoons are a lot of fun to watch and more and also still like him a lot as a character. He's fun and is a pest without being too obnoxious, but, like a lot of his later cartoons, compared to his original manic personality he is too toned down and subdued. This undermines the conflict, sad because despite the action being very over-familiar and repetitive Professor Strudel has his amusing and wonderfully nuts moments.
Paul J. Smith directs here and there are the same strengths and flaws of most of his output (let alone his Woody Woodpecker outings) here in 'How to Stuff a Woodpecker'. Starting with the strengths, the music is bouncy, energetic and very lushly orchestrated, not only synchronising and fitting with the action very well but enhancing it. There is some energy, the cartoon starts off well, a couple of parts are amusing (especially the ending) and occasionally there are some nice colours.
Voice acting is solid. Grace Stafford continues to prove why she was the best voice actor for the character and the one that understood him the most. Dal McKennon is every bit as impressive.
However, 'How to Stuff a Woodpecker' is let down by the lack of energy, the conflict not being strong enough, Woody being too subdued and also that it is not very funny. Plus the story is very over-familiar, very few surprises here apart from at the end. Likewise with Woody's antics, which are very typical and the professor's outwitting attempts are nothing new and done with a lack of energy.
Just as problematic is the animation quality. Time and budget constraints shows in a lot of the animation, which is very rushed looking in the drawing and detail wise it's on the simplistic and careless side like many of Woody's cartoons from this period continuing through to the 60s. 'How to Stuff a Woodpecker' only sporadically entertains (if more the surprise ending and the professor character) and for a "How to...", indicating a cartoon with some educational value, cartoon it fails to teach.
In summary, average Woody Woodpecker fare. 5/10 Bethany Cox
