How's It Hold Up?

Yep, we've still got more Jungle Book! But this particular version came out the same year as the original Disney movie... or at least the first part of it did. That's right, this is actually a series of shorts that can be viewed together for a movie experience, and in some cases is actually edited together that way. This is a wildly different take on the world and characters than what we're used to, but ultimately, is it any good? Listen to find out!

The Happy Harmonies series is an oft-forgotten series of shorts that largely serve as a vehicle for the increasingly racist depictions of former Looney Tunes star Bosko, and also a bunch of cartoons that ape the sensibilities of Disney's Silly Symphonies series. Which is to say, it's oft-forgotten because there is not much there of quality to remember. That said, the series did, through this cartoon, harbor the directorial beginnings of a man who would go on to immeasurably affect the animation industry, and thus, we turn our eyes upon To Spring, and ask: were William Hanna's talents obvious, even from the beginning? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 22min 50sec)

Mamoru Hosoda is back, and this time, like his previous Digimon films, he's working on a previously existing series, rather than his own original work. One Piece is a long-running series with many, many movies under its belt, both before and after this, and a legacy stretching over 25 years. Its creator is of course the inimitable Eiichiro Oda, whose sense of whimsy, adventure and iconic art style has won hearts and minds the world over. Hosoda, meanwhile, has also built a reputation upon strong storytelling and an immediately recognizable visual style. When two titans meet, what is the result, and ultimately, is it any good?

Tex Avery is at it again over at Warner Bros, and this time Porky Pig isn't just a side character, but the star! This little pig just wants some soda, but also there's a serial bomber on the loose, and of course the two end up meeting. Does this reach the heights of Avery's last Looney Tune, and perhaps more importantly, does it avoid the racist lows? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 5min 6sec)

Can a pig and a spider be friends? And can a pig and a goose be brothers? Can a little girl understand what animals are saying when they talk to each other? All these questions and more have answers in this classic movie that all three of our hosts have great nostalgia for. But nostalgia can be dangerous... not everything holds up when you go back to it. Does this? Listen to find out!

Popeye starts off our look at cartoon shorts in the year 1936, with him, Bluto and Olive Oyl heading up to the snowy mountains for shenanigans! The Popeye shorts are increasingly becoming the Fleischer Brother's premier series, eclipsing the still-ongoing Betty Boop series by this point. Does this short show why the series gained such dominance, or does it make Popeye's success all the more baffling? Listen to find out!

We reach the end of our Disney Jungle Book journey, and who better to join us for that end, but the person who was there at the beginning? Marie is back! Unlike the 90s films, this one is part of the current slew of Disney 'live action' remakes, though like The Lion King's remake, this one is often more animated than not. The main live action performance to be had is Mowgli, while almost everything around him is CGI animation, made to look as realistic as possible. Does it work? Does the film itself work, both as an inheritor of the Disney Jungle Book legacy, and as a film in its own right? Listen to find out!

The Jungle Book train rolls on! This time we take a look at the two live-action 90's efforts, both of which seem to be largely forgotten nowadays. While one was released in theaters and with a big budget, not unlike the more recent 2016 remake, the other was a direct-to-video endeavor, closer to a Disney channel original movie in terms of money spent. The vibes of the two films could not be more different, and yet both languish in relative obscurity. Do they deserve it? Or should we remember some of Disney's earliest live-action remake efforts? Listen to find out!

Betty Boop's future boyfriend Bimbo has committed a crime: chicken theft. For this, a singing band of ghost and ghouls will force him to repent, or kill him trying. This is a wild cartoon from 1930 that was missed before, but felt worth going back to, in order to see the genesis of shorts like Minnie the Moocher. Is this ancient cartoon still any good, though? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 6min 2sec)

Oh, low-budget Disney animated sequels, we meet again! To say the Disney sequel craze of the mid-90s to mid-2000s was a mixed bag is... actually surprisingly controversial. Most people seem to just think they're all trash. But we here at "How's It Hold Up?" know better than that. Return of Jafar slaps. So with every single one of these sequels, there is always at least the potential for a decent or even good time. Does Jungle Book 2 manage to reach that potential? Listen to find out!

It's time for Mickey Mouse and all his friends to have some fun on the ice! Everyone's here: Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Goofy (and even Clarabelle and Horace, in a cameo), and almost all of them are up to their own thing. The short is somewhat divided up into multiple smaller parts, including Mickey teaching Minnie to skate, Goofy trying to fish and Donald harassing Pluto. While the short is known for the novelty of having all these characters in the same cartoon, that's not exactly a rare occurrence in the modern day. So does this short still hold up, all this time later? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 6min 2sec)

Our friend Marie joins us for a movie for which we've all got nostalgia! Featuring a jazzy soundtrack, xerox animation and a Kipling-penned story, this movie has all the makings of a classic. But do all these things come together to form a quality whole, or has our nostalgia let us down again? Listen to find out!

We talk a lot about directors, when it comes to cartoon shorts. But they're far from the only important aspects that shape a cartoon. The studio, the budget, the time, the writers, the animators - all of it and more adds up to the finished product that we see on our screens. So what happens, then, if we take two shorts, both directed by the same man, but at different studios and with different creative teams? How wildly do the two shorts vary in quality, if they vary at all? Listen to find out!

Sequels to animated films have a generally bad reputation, which is probably mostly due to the wealth of cheap sequels made in the 90s and early 2000s, both for Disney and non-Disney properties. And while it's true that few if any of these sequels ever manage to surpass the original, certainly some of them prove to be worthwhile in their own right. Is this movie, made a decade-and-a-half after the original, by a completely different team and with almost none of the original voice cast, one of those worthwhile sequels? Listen to find out!

Sometimes a simple story with a fun execution is really all it takes to make something fun. That is, at least, what this short seems to be going for, with a standard Romeo/Juliet story of warring kingdoms and star-crossed lovers, but with an execution involving anthropomorphic instruments and artillery that shoots music notes. Does this all come together admirably, or does it end up falling apart? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 6min 44sec)

We start our movies this year with one directed by Isao Takahata! This one's a comedic slice-of-life involving a young girl and her weird life of fighting cats, yakuza, and separated parents. It's a weird one to be sure, but in the end, is it any good?

We're back for 2024, starting off strong with a cartoon that a certain co-host watched SO MUCH as a child. It's a Mickey Mouse cartoon where he goes on a pesticide-fueled drug trip and gets terrorized (along with Pluto) by bugs. So many parts of it are stuck forever in Danika's head, but does that make it good? Does this cartoon from her youth hold up so many years later? Listen to find out!

We end our 2024 Holliganza with another nostalgic classic - a 1980's claymation christmas special starring talking dinosaurs and The California Raisins. Due to the latter, one could uncharitably call the special a glorified commercial, but given the relatively small amount of screentime they receive, we would hesitate to agree. Also their version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is one of the best, so who can complain. But that song aside, how are the others, and how is the animation, and how are our hosts between the anthology segments? Listen to find out!

Sometimes when you dive into your nostalgic past, you find horrors lying in the deep. Media that you know you enjoyed and watched repeatedly, yet looking at it now you wonder how. Sometimes those piece of media are so bad that youtubers who make a career out of reviewing bad pieces of media cover it. Today, we watch The Christmas Tree.

It's time for Holliganza 2023! We're starting off strong... in that this is a movie that one of our cohosts has very strong feelings toward. Are they good feelings? Is this Adam Sandler comedy combined with a Hannukah holiday tale enjoyable? Listen to find out!

Popeye is back and he's leading his own band now! Unfortunately for him, so is Bluto... right in the neighboring room. This is another music-focused Popeye short, though it's not a musical like last time. Does it hold its own among the shorts we've watched from 1935? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 16min 34sec)

Sometimes there's a movie from your childhood that you really loved, but you're worried about rewatching, because you know the general consensus on the film is that it's no good. And then you watch the film, and you find that the critics aren't exactly wrong, but you still like the messy movie anyway. And then you have to really examine that, figure out if it's just nostalgia talking, or if there truly are positives within the film, despite its flaws. Join us as we go on that journey and ultimately figure out: does Rock-A-Doodle hold up?

One thing that hasn't been brought up much when we discuss old cartoon shorts is the music, especially by way of theme songs. They've existed, but we have yet to truly hear some of the most iconic, such as the Looney Tunes or Merrie Melodies themes. Well today marks the first time we get to hear one of them, though not serving as a theme song yet. Instead it's sung by characters in the short, and if you've ever watched classic Warner cartoons, hearing it will bring a smile to your face. But is the actual cartoon fun to watch, too? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 3min 30sec)

Here we have another movie by Nelvana, and also another movie based on a licensed property. Said property is perhaps a little less well known than the Care Bears, but it has a more storied legacy, too. Babar the Movie is actually part of the Babar animated series that aired in the late 80s, but fortunately knowledge of the series is mostly not required to understand the film. Did we have a good time with this one, or did it leave us as cold as the Care Bears? Listen to find out!

Disney cartoons generally stay within a certain range of tones, and 'dark comedy' does not fit within that range. And yet, this is what we are presented with in this cartoon - a dark comedy about a bird getting murdered and the farce of a trial that happens as a result. With celebrity bird caricatures, jokes about police brutality and maybe Disney's true First Gay Character, there's a lot going on in this cartoon... but is it actually any good? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 1min 38sec)

We've watched Ghoul School, but what about the movie that began this loose trilogy of Scooby, Scrappy and Shaggy traveling around an encountering real monsters? Are the titular Boo Brothers as much of a treat to be around as the girls from Ghoul School? Does the plot flow any better? It it any good at all? Listen to find out!

By 1935 even Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoons transitioned away from black and white and into full color - but one of the last few black and white cartoons was fundamental in building a dynamic that is explored over the course of both of these shorts, and many more in the future. Specifically, the dynamic between the three pals known and Mickey, Donald and Goofy.

(Spoiler Section Length - 6min 29sec)

Some movies attain near mythological status, whether because of their quality or because of the effect they had on people who saw them at a young age. This particular movie is often touted as being one of the best that animation has to offer, while also being held up as a 'that movie scarred me as a child' type of film by adults who vaguely remember it. Does it deserve that sort of hype? Is it good, regardless? Listen to find out!

For the year of 1935, this podcast has put a lot of focus on Disney cartoons, but what about its competitors? What about the Fleischers, in particular? They've got two cartoon stars in this era - Betty Boop and Popeye. But one of those two characters was hit particularly hard by the Hays Code. How's that affecting the focus of Boop cartoons by 1935? This short is a prime example. Is it a good cartoon, though? Let's find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 4min 23sec)

There are lots of franchises that are synonymous with the 1980s era of toy-commercial-turned-show-or-movie. Transformers, GI Joe, My Little Pony, to name a few. But what about Hallmark's attempt: the Care Bears? Though they're less often remembered, they were actually the first ones to get in on the movie craze for these merchandise machines, and their success paved the way for later films like Transformers the Movie. But though they were successful then, does that success actually translate to a good film, especially so many years later? Listen to find out!

Long ago we met Warner Bros first cartoon star, Bosko. But his star faded fast, and has aged particularly poorly, resulting in him being hardly remembered nowadays. Today we meet the first lasting Looney Tunes star, who still appears in media to this very day: Porky Pig. That's right, Looney Tunes as we know it today didn't start with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck or even Egghead (the proto-Elmer Fudd)! No, it started in 1935, with a stuttering pig named Porky, only one of several new characters being thrown at the proverbial wall in this cartoon, and the only one of the group that ultimately stuck, even if it took a few more cartoons for that to happen. But how does this very first outing hold up almost a century later? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 9min 35sec)

Sometimes the story behind the making of a movie is more interesting than the movie itself. this particular film's production story involves many famous names, from the likes of Hayao Miyazaki all the way to George Lucas. Yet the film itself has also managed to garner a cult following in the years since its release, and a fuzzy spot in the memory of many a millennial who watched it as a child. Is this film only worth remembering for how it was made, or does it soar through they sky on a magic bed of its own? Listen to find out!

The classic fable, retold by Disney! This short ended up serving as inspiration to a great many people in the animation industry, and was successful enough to eventually get a sequel. But it's also a tale that's been told many a time before and since. Does this near-century old version hold up? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 6min 6sec)

A lot of animated movies copy Disney and Pixar. Those two studios have had a massive influence on the animation medium and in particular what commercial films released in the US look and feel like. But every now and then you get a movie that tries something new, tries to break the mold in interesting ways, and sometimes, as in the case of Into the Spider-Verse, that experimentation results in both critical and financial success. Other times, like with this film, it does not. Cats Don't Dance swings hard with stylistic influence ranging from classic hollywood, Looney Tunes and even Gene Kelly, but it was ultimately a flop in theatres. That said, does it hold up as an entertaining film anyway? Listen to find out!

A new year, but the same mouse! But he's in color this time! There's also a certain duck and a concert with cameos from a certain dog, a certain cow and a certain horse. Considered by some to be one of the best cartoons ever made, this band concert was a smash hit back in the day, but is it still a fun listen (and watch) today? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 6min 54sec)

Time for another patented Disney remake! Except, does it really count as that if the setting is completely different, the tone is completely different, the story is completely different, and all the characters are completely different? Does it really count as a remake if the only similar thing between it and the original is an orphan boy named Pete and an animated dragon named Elliot? And perhaps more importantly, do these changes help or hinder the movie? Is it able to stand as an interesting film in its own right? Listen to find out!

Our final short of 1934, and the last hurrah for the classic Mickey & Minnie vs. Pete cartoons that began with the likes of The Gallopin' Gaucho all the way back in 1928. Unlike those previous shorts, in this one, Minnie has a gun. It's a fun Western romp, but like most Westerns, it's not without its negative racial stereotypes. Does this short manage to overall stay enjoyable despite that, or does it crumble under the weight of bad genre conventions? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 15min 2sec)

We take a trip down memory lane today, with a movie some of our hosts vaguely remember from childhood, and a certain one of our hosts literally cried watching. It's a movie from back when colorful live-action musicals were still at least a little in vogue, and a from back when Don Bluth still worked for Disney. It's a movie about a boy and his cartoon dragon friend who is NOT an imaginary friend. It's a lot of things, but in the end... is it good?

What happens to old cartoon stars once they leave the studio that they became famous at? Mostly they become forgotten, shadows of their former selves. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit faded into obscurity once he left Disney's hands, and Warner Bros' old star Bosko didn't do much better. Over at a new studio producing cartoons for MGM, Bosko starred in this short, which rather than doing much new, mostly looks back at Bosko's glory days. Is the reminiscing fun, or a waste of time? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 4min 19sec)

This is one of those ephemeral 'oh yeah i think i might've rented that from blockbuster once' movies, the kind that vaguely sticks in your mind but that you never actively recall until it is specifically brought up. It's a movie that released in a decade of animated excellence that does not exhibit the animated quality of its contemporaries (even excluding Disney from the equation), and that exhibits storytelling inspired by centuries-old tales, but without a modern storytelling spin. In many ways it is a movie out of time and out of place... but that isn't necessarily bad, just very different. Does it all work, or is this movie best left forgotten? Listen to find out!

Two cartoons with some threadbare connections, featuring a playful pup and a vocal villain. One's in black and white and the other in color, and yet both are important. For what reason? And perhaps more importantly, are they actually enjoyable to watch? Listen to find out!

(Spoiler Section Length - 2min 47sec)

It's time for another 80s animated movie made for the purpose of selling a brand of toy. Yes, just like Transformers the Movie, Rainbow Brite is made to sell, well, Rainbow Brite toys! And also like Transformers, this movie involves a large cast, is mostly set in space, and has lots of fighting and monsters. But this time battles are fought with rainbows! Also there's a character named Twink and that's important to note. Is this movie as good as its toy-selling brethren, or maybe better? Hopefully not worse? Let's find out!

Today's Betty Boop is the first Boop in color (and the last, at least by the Fleischers), and is also technically not a Betty Boop but the start of the Color Classics series. It sees Betty in a retelling of Cinderella, complete with musical numbers, pretty dresses, a prince, and a fairy godmother. This short is also another example of the sorts of color cartoons that studios other than Disney were putting out during the period where Disney had sole claim to the 3-Strip Technicolor process, and an early example of the Fleischer technique of 3D-sculpted backgrounds. With all that going on in this short... is it actually any good? Listen to find out!

Back to the 80s we go, with a movie based on a franchise that got its start in the 50s. That's right, it's Alvin and the Chipmunks (and importantly: the Chipettes), off on a hot-air balloon adventure around the world. There's diamond smugglers, bad guys with gold teeth, and baby penguins to be found on this adventure, but does this globe-trotting adventure featuring different cultures as written by white people still hold up? Listen to find out!

Today we take a jaunt over to Walter Lantz and the "cartunes" he's was churning out for Universal. This is one of his earliest color shorts, and is a retelling of "The Elves and the Shoemaker." Does it look good? Does it sound good? Is it any fun to watch? Listen to find out!

Which pets are blessed with the fairest forms and faces? Which pets know best all the gentle social graces? Which pets live on cream and loving pats? Naturellement! The Aristocats! This 1971 classic was on constant repeat on the VHS players of many a kid in the 90s and early 2000s, and is fondly remembered by everyone on this episode of the podcast. But it's also been quite a while since any of us have seen it. Watching it anew in 2023, do we still end up enjoying ourselves? Listen to find out!

It's time: Donald Duck is here! Over the course of two cartoons, we chart the famous duck's debut and different facets of the character that are introduced in each short. What made Donald such a hit among audiences? And does whatever magic worked back then still work today? Listen to find out!

After over a decade of searching, an ebay purchase, and the borrowing of a VHS player, we can finally watch this obscure movie from Danika's childhood, involving woodland critters and aliens and a hawk named Gracko. This is a sequel to a film we haven't watched, and the English dub rather than original language version. Was this movie worth the effort, or did it deserve to be forgotten? Listen to find out!

It's time for another Popeye cartoon - and one that's part of his actual series, instead of technically a Betty Boop cartoon! This one's a bit of a musical, set to the song of the same name as the short, and features a much more expressive version of Popeye, along with an Olive Oyl who sounds more like what she's known for. Do we end up enjoying it? Listen to find out!

Now we're getting really obscure, with a movie that one of our lovely hosts watched on Sci Fi channel late at night many years ago. She only really remembered the end, and what an end it is. The rest of the movie is certainly a trip, too. For the right reasons? The wrong reasons? The answer lies within.