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. She has not lost her charm and is fun to watch, even when toned down.
Even though not as risqué, daring or surreal as the pre-Code cartoons and even when light somewhat in story, 'Service With a Smile' for a post-Production Code Betty Boop cartoon doesn't fare badly at all, elevated especially by the presence of show-stealing Grampy.
The animation is beautifully drawn and detailed and the music infectious, toe-tapping and dynamic. Adorable and hilarious Grampy once again steals the show, a riot of a character with imaginative and enormously fun inventions and easily one of the best Betty Boop supporting characters. The voice acting is well done.
While not always hilarious, 'Service With a Smile' is never less than amusing and often is more than that. So it's far from lacking in the laughs (or imagination for that matter) department.
All in all, fun later Betty Boop cartoon enlivened especially by Grampy. 8/10 Bethany Cox
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. She has not lost her charm and is fun to watch, even when toned down.
Even though not as risqué, daring or surreal as the pre-Code cartoons and even when light somewhat in story, 'Service With a Smile' for a post-Production Code Betty Boop cartoon doesn't fare badly at all, elevated especially by the presence of show-stealing Grampy.
The animation is beautifully drawn and detailed and the music infectious, toe-tapping and dynamic. Adorable and hilarious Grampy once again steals the show, a riot of a character with imaginative and enormously fun inventions and easily one of the best Betty Boop supporting characters. The voice acting is well done.
While not always hilarious, 'Service With a Smile' is never less than amusing and often is more than that. So it's far from lacking in the laughs (or imagination for that matter) department.
All in all, fun later Betty Boop cartoon enlivened especially by Grampy. 8/10 Bethany Cox
