I am actually very fond of this cartoon for what it is: an intentional tribute to the Mickey Mouse cartoon "The Worm Turns" of 1937. That this has been left out of every other post on this message board is utterly amazing! It also makes it slightly surprising that the cartoon itself was nominated for an Academy Award, although many other tributes and parodies have had the honors over the years.
The scene with the fly is a direct parody of the Mickey toon, in which a fly is the first to benefit from the newly concocted "Courage Builder" strength elixir. The sound effects, as well as much of the visual popping and sparkling in the mixture, are directly lifted from this cartoon.
The complex, and undeniably great result is a cartoon with a unique twist in the ending, which provides a much greater entertainment value for someone familiar with the earlier toon, who can appreciate the contrast and the blatant inter-textual references.
The scene with the fly is a direct parody of the Mickey toon, in which a fly is the first to benefit from the newly concocted "Courage Builder" strength elixir. The sound effects, as well as much of the visual popping and sparkling in the mixture, are directly lifted from this cartoon.
The complex, and undeniably great result is a cartoon with a unique twist in the ending, which provides a much greater entertainment value for someone familiar with the earlier toon, who can appreciate the contrast and the blatant inter-textual references.