Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.
A relatively early cartoon from Friz Freleng, 'Porky's Bear Facts' seems to be a loose take featuring Porky Pig on the fable 'The Grasshopper and the Ants'. 'Porky's Bear Facts' may not be one of Freleng's best cartoons (his best period being the 50s, which saw a fair share of classics) or see him on the most top of forms, but it is not one of the finding-his-feet quality of his earlier cartoons, even if his style was stronger and more refined later. It's very nicely done, with amusing and well timed, if never hilarious, moments and also messaging that resonates still today.
Porky is amusing and likeable but rather underused for a titular character. His foil is more interesting and funnier, but admittedly they do work well together.
While a good one, the story is slight and occasionally lacks momentum.
Mel Blanc's voice acting as ever shows how amazing and multi-talented a voice actor he was, showing a knack for bringing an individuality and different personalities to every character he voiced (a vast majority of the time being multiple characters in the same cartoon.
Animation is excellent, it's fluid in movement, crisp in shading and very meticulous in detail. Freleng directs solidly.
Ever the master, Carl Stalling's music is typically superb. It is as always lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, not only adding to the action but also enhancing it.
Overall, very well done though falling short of greatness. 8/10 Bethany Cox