That is not meant as a bad thing just to say, just in case anybody gets confused. It is just me trying to think of a review summary that is somewhat catchy and doesn't resort to just one word or being a summary/title that is used in review titles constantly. That's that out of the way. Have made it clear frequently what my stance on animation is and like to love quite a lot of Fleischer Studios' work, though their 40s output generally wasn't my cup of tea.
A late-30s effort from the "Color Classics" series, 'The Playful Polar Bears' has enough of what makes me like Fleischer. It is not one of their best and it is not one of the best "Color Classics" cartoons. It is also not one of the worst in either regard, much better than the rating here suggests in my view and better than some of the higher rated ones in the series. If anybody wants non-stop laughter or gags every 20 seconds or so and less of the more sweet and charm with emotional impact approach may find themselves disappointed. 'The Playful Polar Bears' is not a humour-filled cartoon and is more the latter, but it is very pleasant and well made and one of the better-faring "cute" "Color Classics" cartoons. That it isn't high on gags is more forgivable than other cartoons in the series as it was clear early on it was not that kind of cartoon.
Sure, the story is thin as ice (sorry) and takes a little too long to get going, but in fairness the story never was a strength in Fleischer Studios' output (very much evident in all the "Color Classics") even in their better work.
Did think that more could have been done with the hatred of ice-cold water, established but not explored enough. And that the hunters' defeat was too easy and rushed.
However, 'The Playful Polar Bears' is beautifully animated. Especially the backgrounds, the best of which scenic wonders with the Arctic being rendered remarkably vividly. The music has the right amount of lushness, energy, atmosphere and pathos without having too much of either, not sounding too jaunty or too sentimental. The story may not be exceptional, but it is still very heartfelt and charming, not resorting to preaching while not sugar-coating things. The crueller aspects, like with the hunters, are suitably harsh without being too dark or heavy-handed.
From the title, one may think that 'The Playful Polar Bears' is playful and potentially too cute. That's not the case, it is the complete opposite of playful and it just about avoids over-cutesiness. The ending is poignant, without being pat, and the polar bears are adorable contrasted well with the formidable adversity of the hunters. Did feel sympathy for the protagonist, something that was not always the case for the "Color Classics" cartoons, and the portrayal of maternal instinct was genuinely poignant and sets it apart in a way from some of the other cartoons in the series.
On the whole, a pleasant watch. 7/10
A late-30s effort from the "Color Classics" series, 'The Playful Polar Bears' has enough of what makes me like Fleischer. It is not one of their best and it is not one of the best "Color Classics" cartoons. It is also not one of the worst in either regard, much better than the rating here suggests in my view and better than some of the higher rated ones in the series. If anybody wants non-stop laughter or gags every 20 seconds or so and less of the more sweet and charm with emotional impact approach may find themselves disappointed. 'The Playful Polar Bears' is not a humour-filled cartoon and is more the latter, but it is very pleasant and well made and one of the better-faring "cute" "Color Classics" cartoons. That it isn't high on gags is more forgivable than other cartoons in the series as it was clear early on it was not that kind of cartoon.
Sure, the story is thin as ice (sorry) and takes a little too long to get going, but in fairness the story never was a strength in Fleischer Studios' output (very much evident in all the "Color Classics") even in their better work.
Did think that more could have been done with the hatred of ice-cold water, established but not explored enough. And that the hunters' defeat was too easy and rushed.
However, 'The Playful Polar Bears' is beautifully animated. Especially the backgrounds, the best of which scenic wonders with the Arctic being rendered remarkably vividly. The music has the right amount of lushness, energy, atmosphere and pathos without having too much of either, not sounding too jaunty or too sentimental. The story may not be exceptional, but it is still very heartfelt and charming, not resorting to preaching while not sugar-coating things. The crueller aspects, like with the hunters, are suitably harsh without being too dark or heavy-handed.
From the title, one may think that 'The Playful Polar Bears' is playful and potentially too cute. That's not the case, it is the complete opposite of playful and it just about avoids over-cutesiness. The ending is poignant, without being pat, and the polar bears are adorable contrasted well with the formidable adversity of the hunters. Did feel sympathy for the protagonist, something that was not always the case for the "Color Classics" cartoons, and the portrayal of maternal instinct was genuinely poignant and sets it apart in a way from some of the other cartoons in the series.
On the whole, a pleasant watch. 7/10