Really like to love a good deal of Popeye cartoons and like the character of Popeye. Love Bluto more and his chemistry with Popeye has always driven their cartoons. Will admit though to preferring the Popeye cartoons from the Dave Fleischer era, the cartoons tend to be funnier and there is more originality and more risk taking in some of them.
'Spree Lunch' is a late Popeye cartoon and 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, 'Spree Lunch' is not a bad late Popeye cartoon at all, actually really very enjoyable and one of the better cartoons in Famous Studios' late output.
As to be expected, the story is standard and formulaic, if one has seen the cartoons with Popeye and Bluto fighting in the diner with Wimpy also featuring it's almost the same story as those minus Olive Oyl, in one of not particularly many cases of her not appearing.
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 'Spree Lunch' 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 and creative for late Famous Studios/Popeye, are executed very well, especially that deliciously wild food fight, the interplay between the characters is lively and witty if in need of more variety at times and the pace is never dull.
The three main characters do a great job carrying the cartoon, Wimpy being the funniest and most interesting. The entertaining interplay between Popeye and Bluto really sparkles but Wimpy steals the show. Jack Mercer and Jackson Beck give great vocal characterisations, Beck in particular.
Concluding, very enjoyable. 8/10 Bethany Cox
