Superman: The Arctic Giant

"The Arctic Giant," a 1942 Superman cartoon by the Fleischer brothers, is significant in its portrayal of a giant dinosaur on the rampage in a major city (New York--we see the "Museum of Natural Science," a dead ringer for the Museum of Natural History, and a baseball stadium that sure looks like Yankee Stadium). As such it looks forward to both THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953) and GODZILLA (1954). BEAST featured Ray Harryhausen's debut as a special effects director, as he animated a stop-motion dinosaur on the loose in Manhattan. Ishiro Honda's GODZILLA featured a giant dinosaur (created by an actor in a rubber dinosaur suit) looking very much like the one in this cartoon on the loose in Tokyo. As in the other Paramount Superman cartoons, the animation is absolutely breathtaking.

When an earlier poster commented that this cartoon exceeded Saturday morning cartoons, I had an immediate flashback of the old GODZILLA cartoon from NBC's Hanna Barbera connection...and in many ways, the tyrannosaurus found in this cartoon can be considered an ancestor to that cartoon--their composition color and total LACK of one standard size of the beast (I cringe when the beast changes size with EVERY scene!).

While the Fleischer SUPERMAN series is one of the most adventurous, ambitious and advanced statements in animation, this one ain't one of them. From its simplistic plot to Lois pausing to change her flashbulb while mere FEET from the tyrannosaur' jaws, it lacks the believability that was a vital part of the series. It's watchable, but not memorable.

Plus, my nine-year-old daughter (who is a SERIOUS dinosaur buff) is furious with the lack of realism with the dinosaur's design!

I love the Fleischer Superman cartoons. The animation is smooth and fluid with vivid colors. The distinct art-deco style, vintage science fiction imagery, and use of noirish shadows gave them a look unlike any other cartoons. The music and voicework is superb. They're fun, accessible, enduring animation classics.

The fourth in the Superman series begins with a Godzilla-like dinosaur being found frozen in Siberia and transported to a museum in Metropolis, where it is kept in a special refrigeration unit. Lois Lane is sent to do a story on the monster. While she's there, an incompetent guide causes an accident with the equipment. As the workers frantically try to fix the problem, the ice begins to thaw and the arctic giant begins to awaken. Of course the monster breaks free and wreaks havoc on the city. Which means our boy Superman has to stop the monster while also dealing with the damage it creates, such as when it destroys a dam or breaks a suspension bridge.

Another fantastic Superman cartoon from the Fleischer studio. Fun from beginning to end. A wild concept vividly realized with some great action and memorable eye candy. The equipment used to keep the dinosaur frozen is especially cool. I also love how Superman saved the collapsing bridge. It's a great short and one of the favorites in the series for many.

A frozen tyrannosaurus is found frozen in the ice in the Arctic. It's brought back for display in Metropolis--it's kept frozen solid. But, one day, the machinery malfunctions, the ice starts to melt and the dinosaur comes to life! And guess what? Lois Lane just happens to be covering the story when it revives. Superman must save Metropolis (and Lois) from this.

One of the lesser Superman cartoons. It takes too long for the story to start up and the dinosaur looked REAL silly! The animation was still great but I found myself smirking whenever we got a good look at the dinosaur's face. Just OK.

A SUPERMAN Cartoon

A tremendous tyrannosaurus rex, discovered in Siberian snows, is put on display in Metropolis encased in a huge block of ice. A freak accident causes a thaw and the monster reawakens - with intrepid reporter Lois Lane nearby. Escaping, the dinosaur cuts a huge swath of destruction across town. With its unbelievable prehistoric strength, is even SUPERMAN any match for THE ARCTIC GIANT?

This was another in the series of excellent cartoons Max Fleischer produced for Paramount Studio. They feature great animation and taut, fast-moving plots. Meant to be shown in movie theaters, they are miles ahead of their Saturday Morning counterparts.