Terrytoons Studios' output is interesting to watch but most it ranges between lacklustre and decent, seldom great but major misfires tended to be in their very early years or in their later output. Although drastically uneven and all their different year batches are all very mixed bags, with sometimes a wide divide between the ratings given for the worst cartoons (3/10, and occasionally 2) and the best (8/10), generally their cartoons are watchable and are mainly worth seeing for completest sake. Or at least that has always been my main reason.
Of the theatrical series that dominated 1948's batch, that of Mighty Mouse alternated with that of Heckle and Jeckle (with only two non-recurring character cartoons). The Heckle and Jeckle cartoons from 1948, like the previous year, tended to be more consistent, but the Mighty Mouse ones from that year were also generally watchable. One of the best cartoons of the series from 1948 to me is 'Mighty Mouse and the Magician'. Not a great cartoon but pretty darn decent.
'Mighty Mouse and the Magician' isn't perfect. Contains few surprises and is pretty formulaic, which was not unexpected as Mighty Mouse's series is a very formulaic one that got increasingly so. If you have seen many cats versus mice cartoons you will have seen it all before here, likewise with Mighty Mouse's role here. Some of the dialogue veers on corny and over-explanatory.
Regarding Mighty Mouse himself, he hasn't lost his likeability and he is resourceful and amusing, but for a titular character he could have been featured more and appeared earlier. Am in two minds too as to whether his presence was particularly necessary considering that the cat versus mice battle was already engaging enough without him. Other cartoons however do worse though at this, and at feeling too much like two cartoons in one (including a few from the 1948 batch).
However, the music in 'Mighty Mouse and the Magician' is its usual lush and characterful self. Also excelling in enhancing everything going on between the cats and mice, even in little things like the mice tip-toeing. The animation is equally great in quality, especially the backgrounds and landscapes where the atmosphere evoked is to be admired greatly.
It is also one of the funnier Mighty Mouse cartoons to me, with the last minute or so being pretty much a riot. Gags are quite a lot and they are amusing. There is also a genuine sense of threat, without being too dark or too sinister. The story may be slight and predictable, but it engages and charms at least. While the mice are hardly devoid of personality and the magician is a likeable character, the most interesting characters by far are the both sinister and fun cats that genuinely pose a threat. Even when the outcome is not a surprise at all.
Summarising, worth tracking down. 7/10.
