A good deal of the pre-Production Code Betty Boop cartoons are daring and creative, with content that makes one amazed at what's gotten away with. While the later Betty Boop cartoons made after the Code was enforced are still watchable and exceptionally well-made, they are so toned down that they feel bland.
Fleischer were responsible for some brilliant cartoons, some of them still among my favourites. Their visual style was often stunning and some of the most imaginative and ahead of its time in animation. The character of Betty Boop, one of their most famous and prolific characters, may not be for all tastes and sadly not as popular now, but her sex appeal was quite daring for the time and to me there is an adorable sensual charm about her. The good news is that she has not lost her charm, despite being significantly toned down, she is still cute and her comic timing is good.
Not all the late Betty Boop cartoons made after the Code was enforced are disappointing though, and most of them are still very much watchable. 'Not Now' generally is one of the later Betty Boop cartoons from this period. There is a vast preference for the Betty Boop cartoons that have a more surreal edge to the visuals and sharper and more risqué material. Although cute and entertaining, there is still a tame feel and slight blandness to 'Not Now's' material. The story is also slight and pretty predictable.
The animation, on the other hand, is extremely good. It's beautifully drawn and detailed, and more imaginative in scope than most Betty Boop cartoons from this period, and the music is infectious and dynamic with a tremendous lushness and energy.
Pudgy is adorable and the cat is a formidable enough "antagonist". 'Not Now' is a very cute cartoon, without going overboard, and there is some funny material too, more so than most later Betty Boop cartoons where many of the cartoons were hurt by the toning down. The voice acting is fine.
Overall, well above average and pretty good for late Betty Boop. 7/10 Bethany Cox