Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes, Hanna Barbera and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons. Actually appreciate it more as a young adult, with a broader knowledge of individual directors, studios and animation styles and a broader taste with films from Studio Ghibli, Pixar and some of the dark animated films becoming favourites.
Also have much admiration for Tex Avery, an animation genius whose best cartoons are animated masterpieces and some of the best ever made by anybody. 'Crazy Cruise' is decent, but Avery has definitely done far better. It is always interesting to see an Avery cartoon before his prime period (all the cartoons he made before his 1942-1950s period at MGM are worth watching though few masterpieces), if more primarily for interest to see how Avery fared early on when he was still evolving and his distinctive style was not as strong or yet to be found.
Actually though, Bob Clampett also played a large hand, completing it when Avery left the studio during production. There are signs at the end of Clampett's distinctively wild style and it is the funniest, most imaginative and most inspired 'Crazy Cruise' gets.
'Crazy Cruise' (another example of Avery's travelogue spot gags cartoons), as said, is a decent interesting watch, but Avery has done far better than decent interesting cartoons. He has done funnier and more imaginative cartoons, and 'Crazy Cruise' was also made during a time where his cartoons by Avery standards were pretty tame. Oh and the story is best forgotten, all it is is a series of travelogue spot gags with variable execution.
Not much risk-taking or boundary-breaking here, let alone his typical wacky wildness, and for me that was a huge part of his appeal as well as his visual and humour uniqueness.
There are inconsistencies with the portrayal of the places visited, there was a sense in some of the the narration that 'Crazy Cruise' was trying hard not to offend but it came over clumsily, and some of it agreed did feel thrown together.
However, it is no surprise that, as with a vast majority of Avery's cartoons regardless of the period, the animation is excellent. Beautifully drawn, very detailed and the colours are vibrant.
Carl Stalling's music score is typically lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms, it's also beautifully synchronised with the action and gestures/expressions and even enhances the impact.
Some amusing moments, particularly at the end, and some educational ones. Some is well-timed, if not inventively so, the characters engage and the voice acting from the ever versatile Mel Blanc (bringing an unmatched ability to make multiple characters individual) and Robert C. Bruce, who does entertaining and educational narrations better than anyone, is reliably great.
Overall, decent but uneven. 6/10 Bethany Cox
