Despite Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and his cartoons being popular and well received at the time, they have been vastly overshadowed over time by succeeding animation characters. It is a shame as, while not cartoon masterpieces, they are fascinating for anybody wanting to see what very old animation looked like.
Having not been impressed by the previous two 1931 Walter Lantz Oswald cartoons 'China' and 'College', there is the admission that expectations were that 'The Farmer' was going to be another mediocre nothing special Oswald cartoon. It actually turned out to be a good one, the first good one of the 1931 batch. Not a cartoon classic but low expectations were significantly bettered watching 'The Farmer'.
Sure, the story is thin with a couple of routine moments and occasionally lags momentum. It's basically an excuse to string along musical interludes and gags. Occasionally there is a little crudeness and the sound could have done with more resonance.
On the other hand, loved the chemistry between Oswald and Pete, who entertainingly try to outsmart one another in cruelty. Kitty is charming. Oswald is endearing and Pete is a great foil.
Synchronisation is good and never sloppy. Most of the animation fares just fine, with evidence of smoothness and detail. Oswald's movements, expressions and gestures are well done, even if there are Oswald cartoons that look more elaborate and consistently refined. The music is very energetic and the musical scenes don't slow the cartoon down like they could easily have done.
Gags are often very funny and inventive.
Overall, good stuff, anybody who was disappointed in the first two 1931 Oswald cartoons are likely to find themselves pleasantly surprised. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Having not been impressed by the previous two 1931 Walter Lantz Oswald cartoons 'China' and 'College', there is the admission that expectations were that 'The Farmer' was going to be another mediocre nothing special Oswald cartoon. It actually turned out to be a good one, the first good one of the 1931 batch. Not a cartoon classic but low expectations were significantly bettered watching 'The Farmer'.
Sure, the story is thin with a couple of routine moments and occasionally lags momentum. It's basically an excuse to string along musical interludes and gags. Occasionally there is a little crudeness and the sound could have done with more resonance.
On the other hand, loved the chemistry between Oswald and Pete, who entertainingly try to outsmart one another in cruelty. Kitty is charming. Oswald is endearing and Pete is a great foil.
Synchronisation is good and never sloppy. Most of the animation fares just fine, with evidence of smoothness and detail. Oswald's movements, expressions and gestures are well done, even if there are Oswald cartoons that look more elaborate and consistently refined. The music is very energetic and the musical scenes don't slow the cartoon down like they could easily have done.
Gags are often very funny and inventive.
Overall, good stuff, anybody who was disappointed in the first two 1931 Oswald cartoons are likely to find themselves pleasantly surprised. 7/10 Bethany Cox
