The Sylvester and Hippety Hopper (with and without Sylvester Jnr.) cartoons are mostly well-made and entertaining, the series did get a little repetitive in the mid-50s but it was mostly solid stuff. Pop 'Im Pop is one of their earlier cartoons- the first one to feature Sylvester Jnr- and also one of the better ones.
It is rather formulaic, as is the case with all the cartoons in the series (though it is a long way from the worst case), it's well-paced and maintains interest but it basically follows the same basic story and structure as the previous cartoons and with not an awful lot original.
Pop 'Im Pop is on the other hand very well animated, with bright colourful backgrounds, rich colours, all the characters being smoothly drawn and all the gestures and expressions being expressive and adding much to the humour. The animation not only looks good here but it also shows off McKimson's personality and comedic talents. Carl Stalling's music score is as always wonderful, putting so much energy and soul into the cartoon (and every single cartoon he scored for in fact). It is also fabulously and cleverly composed music in its own right, with lush orchestration, lively style, energetic rhythms and how it matches so well with everything and helps enhance gestures, expression and the action.
No matter how predictable and formulaic the Sylvester and Hippety Hopper cartoons were, they didn't forget to entertain, and Pop 'Im Pop is one of the series' funniest and even if the basic scenario is sort of familiar the dialogue and gags actually feel fresh. There is some very witty dialogue here, all of it from Sylvester, and the gags are often hilarious with sparkling interplay between the three characters. Sylvester Jnr is cute and amusing, and Hippety Hopper's physical comedy is well-animated and doesn't become tiresome, but the funniest and most interesting character consistently is Sylvester, a character that you do feel amusement and empathy for. Mel Blanc's voice work is spot-on, as can be expected.
Overall, great fun, well-made and one of the best cartoons to feature all three characters. 9/10 Bethany Cox
