Patriotic Popeye (1957) User Reviews

Not Much Of A 'Bang' In This One

[ccthemovieman-1 · 5/10 · 19 April 2007]

This was good in that it was a change of pace from the normal Popeye versus Bluto slug-fest, but it wasn't that funny, either.

Most of it shows two of Popeye's nephews who want to set off a bunch of fireworks for the Fourth of July. Popeye says that stuff is dangerous and won't allow it, so the little guys try to get Popeye away from the shed where he stored the fireworks, so they can break in and use them. These are somewhat wise-guy kids but, in the end, naturally who do they need to bail them out? You know who.

Overall, okay, but not one of Poepye's more entertaining 'toons of the period.

Rather Dull

[Hitchcoc · 5/10 · 27 January 2021]

Made much later than most of Popeye's canon, this one just sort of goes through the motions. Popeye is celebrating the Fourth of July. HIs nephews (two of them) start shooting off fireworks. Popeye tries to get them to stop, but they engage drastic measure to get Popeye out of the picture so they can continue to blow things up. The problem is that there is nothing new here and it just fizzles.

In the patriotic garden

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 30 October 2018]

Really like to love a good deal of Popeye cartoons and like the character of Popeye. Will admit though to preferring the Popeye cartoons from the Dave Fleischer era, the cartoons tend to be funnier, of higher quality and there is more originality and more risk taking in some of them.

'Patriotic Popeye' is one of the last Popeye cartoons, made in Famous Studios' roughest and most variable period where budgets were much smaller in particularly the animation and deadlines and time constraints were shorter and tighter. All things considered, while there are infinitely better Popeye cartoons (especially during the Fleischer era) and there are signs of what made this period an inferior one for Famous Studios, 'Patriotic Popeye' is not a bad late Popeye cartoon at all, actually really very enjoyable and one of the better overall cartoons in Famous Studios' late output.

As to be expected, the story is nothing special despite a relatively different conflict (with an appearance from his nephews) and not having the usual supporting characters (Olive Oyl and Bluto), two of the biggest interest points about 'Patriotic Popeye'. Occasionally for my tastes it was a little too preachy.

Similarly the animation quality is uneven, never terrible but never fantastic. The colours are fine and there is smoothness and nice detail but there are many moments where the backgrounds are sparse and the drawing rough.

What is fantastic about 'Patriotic Popeye' is the music score, the best thing for me. It's beautifully orchestrated, rhythmically it's full of energy and there is so much character and atmosphere, it's also brilliant at adding to the action and enhancing it. The gags, ranging from very amusing to hilarious, if not particularly imaginative, for late Famous Studios/Popeye, are executed very well. The interplay between Popeye and the nephews is lively and witty if in need of more variety at times and the pace is never dull.

Popeye is very likeable and amusing in 'Patriotic Popeye', while the nephews are not too irritating, being amusing despite being jerks. Jack Mercer does a great job as Popeye and the Popeye voice that has always in my mind the most.

Concluding, pretty good. Better than the low rating indicates. 7/10 Bethany Cox

I might have seen a shortened version of Patriotic Popeye

[tavm · 5/10 · 4 July 2007]

I saw this pretty amusing Popeye cartoon after Vengeance Valley, the Burt Lancaster western that aired on Family Theater on FamilyNet. Since a commercial was inserted in the middle of this cartoon, I don't know if I saw the whole thing since Popeye didn't have too much trouble handling his two nephews as they try to light fireworks for the 4th of July. Loved the scene of Popeye bumping into the bull while playing baseball with his nephews and then getting bumped back by him as the nephews try to unlock the shed that has the fireworks! Like I said, pretty amusing but that commercial interruption and possible limited time after the movie may have made it a shortened cartoon when I saw it. So with that in mind, I'm giving Patriotic Popeye a 5.

Those Nephews Are Brats

[Michael_Elliott · 31 March 2016]

Patriotic Popeye (1957)

*** (out of 4)

It's the Fourth of July and Popeye is wanting to have some fun with his nephews but they're more interested in their fireworks. Popeye fears for their safety so he takes the dangerous items away and plans to show them a safe time but the nephews just cause more destruction as they try to get to the fireworks.

PATRIOTIC POPEYE was one of the last Popeye cartoons to ever be made and it's a winner. What I liked most about the nephews and their use throughout the series is how big of jerks they actually are. They never listen and they always treat Popeye like he's an idiot yet he never loses his cool and instead just loves them and does what is right. Popeye gets put through quite a bit of abuse here and this leads to quite a few good laughs. The animation is of high quality as you'd expect and there are some creative ways the sailor gets abused.

fine

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 25 February 2023]

Popeye is cheerfully preparing for the 4th of July holiday. His nephews try to set off a firework. Popeye stops them just in time and confiscates all their fireworks. The boys intend to take back their explosive fun.

This is a fine late Famous Studios Popeye. The production looks a bit cheap. There are only three characters. The place feels empty. It's fine. One assumes that they're out in remote countryside. The other thing that I don't like is the Atomic Sky Rocket. Everything was atomic back in the day. I get that, but I don't like the rocket look and I don't like the figures from the explosion. It looks like ants crawling all over them. Why not make some atomic symbols? All in all, this is fine for late Famous Studios Popeye.

Did They Murder The Third Nephew?

[boblipton · 4/10 · 26 February 2023]

It's the Fourth of July, and Popeye's two remaining nephews want to set off fireworks, while Popeye wants them to do duller things. Guess who wins.

I definitely recall there being three nephews, but for their last few appearances in the Famous Studios series, there were only two. This was undoubtedly an economy measure, like cartoon characters only having three fingers and a thumb on each hand.

I am annoyed at the dull insistence on safety while the gags continue to be just as improbably destructive as ever. On the plus side, there's neither hide nor hair of either Bluto or Olive Oyl. Is the implication that they are unpatriotic?

It is so dangerous to 'play' with fireworks . . .

[pixrox1 · 6/10 · 23 October 2021]

. . . that Fourth of July, New Year's and Arbor Day celebrations probably should be banned, suggests PATRIOTIC POPEYE. The aroma of gun powder puts boys into a state of total anarchy, as two of Popeye's nephews demonstrate here. One whiff of this evil black dust is likely to prompt them to lie, cheat and steal so that they can take their own shot at independent mayhem, preaches this picture. This pair of juvenile delinquents nearly manage to blow up their house, their uncle and themselves under the irresistible lure of paper explosives.

Fair but a bit too responsible for my taste!

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 19 October 2013]

This is a very late Popeye cartoon--done long after the Fleischer era at Paramount was gone. Because of that, the cartoon is different in two main ways--it is in color but, being from the late 50s, it features extremely simple backgrounds--something all the studios began to do to save money and because UPA was so successful after they pioneered the use of crappy animation. While this certainly is not a pretty Popeye cartoon, it is better quality animation than the average short cartoon of the day.

The story begins with two of Popeye's nephews* trying to play with dangerous fireworks for the 4th of July. However, Popeye isn't about to let them and spends much of the cartoon nearly getting killed by these little juvenile delinquents. However, after nearly killing themselves, the film ends with the two kids now enjoying very safe (albeit very LAME) fun without the fireworks.

This cartoon, to me, seemed a bit preachy and very socially responsible. Hence, I hated it.

*By the way, in earlier cartoons, Popeye had FOUR nephews (Peepeye, Pipeye, Poopeye and Pupeye) but there are inexplicably only two here. My guess is that the others had already blown themselves up with the fireworks or, more likely, the studio eliminated two in order to make the cartoon simpler to animate and thus save a few bucks.

Popeye and the Fire-Works

[theatrum-1 · 8/10 · 27 January 2007]

"Patriotic Poepye" is a short cartoon from the late fifties in which legendary sailor Popeye tries to care about his small nephews. These boys are fretful and unbreakable. It's the Fourth of July and all people want to celebrate the anniversary. Popeye cultivates his flower-writing but the boys prepare great fire-works. Popeye doesn't agree and tries to get them of the dangerous games in a variety of ways. The small rascals had won and started to play with petards. In one moment the game overgrows and Popeye (with the help of spinach) must help him. The point is a wonderful compromise! The animation, music and the plot-stylization is perfect again. It's another catchy funny short movie which can't be a failure.

july 4

[Kirpianuscus · 20 April 2021]

Popeye and the interests of his nephews for rockets. Adventures, explosions, hornets, a bull, fire works and balloons as reasonable solution. Short, as usual, nice.