User Reviews

Do agree completely that Famous Studios' output is very uneven and the Noveltoons series epitomises this. Their output does tend to be formulaic, which was taken to extremes in the mid-late-50s where formulaic became repetitive. This was also when the overall quality of the studio and the series noticeably declined quite drastically. This predictability in the 1940s-early-50s cartoons though were more than compensated by the high quality of the animation, voice acting and especially music.

There are a number of good (and more) cartoons in the Noveltoons series and in Famous Studios' general output. Do agree again that 'Land of the Lost' is one of the better cartoons on both counts. Is it an animation masterpiece? No, not many Famous Studios cartoons are. Is 'Land of the Lost' worth watching? Absolutely, being one of the cartoons that was produced in by far the studio's best decade and generally the late-40s was one of their better periods.

'Land of the Lost's' story again is very familiar territory, especially once Dirty Dirk appears, and is also pretty thin on the ground. One kind of melodrama good versus evil that had been used many times well before and had already gotten somewhat old.

However, this premise is more imaginatively executed than most cartoons that have it. Really liked the first half, which was very charming and the Land of the Lost looks beautiful in the animation, some very imaginative drawing, very vibrant and atmospheric in colour and with very meticulously detailed backgrounds. The whole conflict with Dirty Dirk is generally well done even if predictable, with the ending being easily guessable well before it happens, done with amusement and tension.

It does help that Dirty Dirk is a memorable villain that steals the show when he appears. Villains often were the most interesting characters in the Noveltoons series and had more personality than the protagonists, which is the case with 'Land of the Lost'. That is not knocking the protagonists because, despite Princess Butterknife's role being underwritten, their personalities are likeable and did find them rootable.

As with all the cartoons in the 40s Noveltoons output, the animation is beautifully done for reasons already said. The cartoon is never dull and didn't feel bland, despite the story being nothing special. The voice acting, all from Famous Studios regulars, is very good, especially from Jackson Beck with the meatiest material. My favourite aspect though was the music, that was a consistently outstanding component even when the studio's quality declined and it is both lush and action-enhanced character.

On the whole, very nicely done. 8/10