Gift Wrapped

Friz Freleng's 'Gift Wrapped' is a decent entry in the lacklustre Tweety and Sylvester series. A Christmas cartoon set entirely in a house on Christmas morning, 'Gift Wrapped' adheres to some pretty standard and not terribly funny jokes involving dynamite and surprisingly effective toy guns. Such gags can be made fresh again with the right execution but in the Sylvester and Tweety cartoons Freleng always seemed content to just play them the way they'd already been played a million times before. The addition of Granny and a Bulldog to proceedings adds a little colour and Tweety is not excessively annoying this time round either but the main thing that saves 'Gift Wrapped' from being as weak as the worst Tweety and Sylvester shorts is the impeccably realised festive atmosphere which gives the cartoon a pleasingly cosy feel. I used to love seeing 'Gift Wrapped' at Christmas when I was young and that happy memory has not totally deserted me as I watch it again. But sentiment is not enough to make a great cartoon and 'Gift Wrapped' remains merely OK, a mildly enjoyable trip down memory lane which opens with its best moment ("You just ain't whistling Dixie") and then fails to live up to it.

Not their absolute best, Birds Anonymous is a contender for that, but it is one of their best and entertaining. As with almost all Sylvester/Tweety cartoons it is routine, but here it didn't matter because the gags certainly were not and, thanks to how impeccably depicted the holiday season is here(illustrated brilliantly by the very start of the cartoon with the house and the snow), there is a real sense of warm-hearted festive cheer. The animation is crisp and fluid with some of the most vibrant colours of any of the Sylvester/Tweety cartoons. The music is non-stop characterful and very lushly orchestrated, the most clever use being when Sylvester disguises himself as Geronimo. The use of arranged Christmas songs added to the festive mood. The dialogue is very razor sharp and witty, a lot of great lines here from Sylvester and Granny, Sylvester's interjection at the opening narration was priceless. The gags are standard chase and cat wants bird, dog wants cat but again like the story the clever timing and how they don't feel tired or recycled ensures that that doesn't matter in the slightest. The one with Sylvester and Tweety in their Geronimo and Hopalong Cassidy disguises was the most memorable, though Granny being hoisted up by Sylvester's crane accidentally was a funny sight as well. The characters and the chemistry between them also made Gift Wrapped enjoyable, especially Sylvester who does a great job providing the laughs by what he says, what he does but also his facial expressions play a large part. Tweety's not too cutesy but he does have a cute look and has shades of his anarchic personality that was given by him by Bob Clampett, this said Sylvester has always been the funnier and more interesting character. Granny at this time of Looney Tunes sure has a lot of spunk and she is just as funny as Sylvester, while the bulldog plays against Sylvester very well. Mel Blanc voices brilliantly in a way that very few other people could, though Daws Butler is a good narrator and you can't go wrong with Bea Benaderet as Granny(though I am more familiar with June Foray's voice-work for the character). To conclude, truly great stuff and among the best of the Sylvester/Tweety series. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Sylvester gets up on Christmas Day and is eager to unwrap his gifts. He is disappointed with his rubber mouse gift. There is Tweety Bird in a wrapped cage with a label for Granny. Sylvester switches the label and attempts to eat Tweety.

This is a solid Tweety and Sylvester and Granny short. On top of that, this is a solid Christmas short. On top on top of that, I absolutely love Granny smacking their butts like a ketchup bottle. That is always hilarious to me. This is a good short in many ways.

. . . Livingston is not given enough credit here in GIFT WRAPPED and by those pontificating on this lengthy animation. This Sylvester Cat and Tweeting Bird cartoon begins with a voiceover of Captain Livingston's most revered poem, commonly referred to by its opening words, "Twas the Night before Christmas." Space does not permit a full recap of how a senile Tory traitor was spoofed by devious "friends" and relatives into stealing credit for "A Visit from Saint Nick" after the rightful author had passed away. Nor is there room to expound upon the cartoon writers continual stereotypical demeaning of Native American luminaries Geronimo and Pocahontas. Suffice it to say that this film deserves an "R" rating for wallowing in questionable material.

This animated short can be seen on Disc 3 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2, it feature Sylvester cat who I like, Tweety bird who I'm not a fan of, and Granny whom I dislike worse then Tweety bird. Needless to say I really didn't care for this cartoon at all. It's nice that it's unedited for once. But couldn't they unedit the audio for "Bugs Bunny Rides Again" which was actually a good cartoon as well, or at least instead of?. Anyway in this short, it's Christmas time in the household and Granny, Tweety, Sylvester, and the Bulldog (for no reason whatsoever) are up to the usual stuff. Blah.

My Grade: D