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.
Have a good deal of respect and appreciation for Bob Clampett, more often that than not, and while not quite one of my favourite Looney Tunes characters (prefer those with consistently stronger, funnier and interesting personalities) Porky has always been very easy to like. 'Porky's Picnic' is another example of being a good representation of them both, if not among the best efforts of either.
Petunia is somewhat bland and doesn't help an awful lot to do and some of the violence is a little much. Porky is likeable and not too underused, though he doesn't have the strongest of material, while one feels sorry for the animals. Pinkie steals the show though when it comes to the characters, he is a brat and one of the most brutal ones in Looney Tunes history (perhaps even animation) but he is also hilarious and not a hard character to forget.
By Clampett standards, 'Porky's Picnic' is one of his most anarchic and wackiest late 1930s cartoons. This is meant in a good way, this was his style which didn't always come through enough in his early pre-peak cartoons but 'Porky's Picnic' showed that he had it in him early on.
Mel Blanc is outstanding as always. He always was the infinitely more preferable voice for Porky, Joe Dougherty never clicked with me, and he proves it here. Blanc shows an unequalled versatility and ability to bring an individual personality to every one of his multiple characters in a vast majority of his work, there is no wonder why he was in such high demand as a voice actor. Bernice Hansen is also excellent with even more to do than Blanc.
Animation is excellent, it's fluid in movement, crisp in shading and very meticulous in detail, plus it is very imaginative. 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.
Even though violent and brutal as heck, 'Porky's Picnic' is lightning-speed energetic that one completely forgets the slightness of the story, and is also incredibly inventively timed and hilarious. The funniest and most interesting material comes from Pinkie by far.
In conclusion, brutal but incredibly well made and so much fun. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Have a good deal of respect and appreciation for Bob Clampett, more often that than not, and while not quite one of my favourite Looney Tunes characters (prefer those with consistently stronger, funnier and interesting personalities) Porky has always been very easy to like. 'Porky's Picnic' is another example of being a good representation of them both, if not among the best efforts of either.
Petunia is somewhat bland and doesn't help an awful lot to do and some of the violence is a little much. Porky is likeable and not too underused, though he doesn't have the strongest of material, while one feels sorry for the animals. Pinkie steals the show though when it comes to the characters, he is a brat and one of the most brutal ones in Looney Tunes history (perhaps even animation) but he is also hilarious and not a hard character to forget.
By Clampett standards, 'Porky's Picnic' is one of his most anarchic and wackiest late 1930s cartoons. This is meant in a good way, this was his style which didn't always come through enough in his early pre-peak cartoons but 'Porky's Picnic' showed that he had it in him early on.
Mel Blanc is outstanding as always. He always was the infinitely more preferable voice for Porky, Joe Dougherty never clicked with me, and he proves it here. Blanc shows an unequalled versatility and ability to bring an individual personality to every one of his multiple characters in a vast majority of his work, there is no wonder why he was in such high demand as a voice actor. Bernice Hansen is also excellent with even more to do than Blanc.
Animation is excellent, it's fluid in movement, crisp in shading and very meticulous in detail, plus it is very imaginative. 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.
Even though violent and brutal as heck, 'Porky's Picnic' is lightning-speed energetic that one completely forgets the slightness of the story, and is also incredibly inventively timed and hilarious. The funniest and most interesting material comes from Pinkie by far.
In conclusion, brutal but incredibly well made and so much fun. 8/10 Bethany Cox