The Terrytoons are oddly interesting, mainly for anybody wanting to see (generally) older cartoons made by lesser known and lower-budget studios. They are a mixed bag in quality, with some better than others, often with outstanding music and with some mild amusement and charm and variable in animation, characterisation and content.
1934, like all the other years for Terrytoons, saw a hit and miss batch. 'Rip Van Winkle' is neither one of the best or worst 1934 cartoons or among either extreme of Terrytoons in general. It's watchable and fairly interesting, but it's a fairly odd cartoon at the same time. Completest sake is the main reason to see it but it's not the only reason.
Best asset is the music, which predictably is incredible. It is so beautifully and cleverly orchestrated and arranged, is great fun to listen to and full of lively energy, doing so well with enhancing the action. The ambitious, elaborate detail in the backgrounds is still good to see, a few visuals have some imagination and some synchronisation is neat.
The lead character is appealing enough. Some of the pacing is lively.
Most of the animation, especially the character designs, is pretty crude however.
'Rip Van Winkle's' story has a few elements of the Washington Irving short story, like the 20 years thing, but with the typical Terrytoons treatment. Except odder somewhat than usual, because some of it is fairly random and disjointed and would have benefitted from a minute longer. While credit is due for not being too cutesy or following a formulaic melodramatic approach (not the right story for it) there is a lack of charm, the rest of the characters are too fleeting and forgettable, it's not very imaginative and the material is too thin with uneven timing. Was not expecting a lot of humour, it's not that type of story but the charm and imagination would have compensated and there was for my tastes not enough of either here.
Overall, watchable but weird. 5/10 Bethany Cox
