Boom Boom

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.

'Boom Boom' shows that, as to be expected, that Porky is a likable character and he is and also amusing, cute and interesting, though to me he works better in support against a stronger in personality character, where he plays it straight, than a lead. Beans is equally fun and easy to like, it's a shame that he didn't make it bigger because while he didn't have the most multi-layered or interesting of personalities he certainly had one and it wasn't a bland or annoying one.

As far as the story goes it is pretty slight and, although this is personal preference and something not everyone will share, Joe Dougherty's voice for Porky has never really done it for me. It's not just because Mel Blanc's more famous interpretation is more appealing to me and fits better but Dougherty doesn't sound anywhere near as natural or endearing, have always found that he overdid the stutter and that's true here too.

On the other hand, the animation is characteristically great, especially in the first half, crisp, detailed and fluid throughout.

The music is not Carl Stalling or Scott Bradley and does lack variety at times, but it is still lush and characterful and adds a good deal to the action if not quite enhancing it. Billy Bletcher is very good as Beans.

While not hilarious, the gags are numerous and they are never less than amusing, not making the mistake of taking things too seriously or preaching. Yet 'Boom Boom' also reminds us quite pertinently that World War I was not an easy or pleasant time and that's an understatement.

Concluding, decent cartoon. 7/10 Bethany Cox

There's a primitive look to BOOM BOOM which is well titled because the soundtrack is full of exploding shells, all of which have a habit of aiming for their target with such accuracy that they actually follow Porky and his doughboy pals as they run across the front lines of battle. The plot is a simple one involving Porky's decision to help rescue a prisoner from "the bad guys" by using his wits to outsmart the enemy.

It's a bit disconcerting to watch these cartoons in B&W when we're all used to seeing our cartoon favorites in vivid color these days and the animation is definitely a bit tacky by today's standards--or maybe "crude" is a better word.

Manages to hold the interest for its brief running time, but it's definitely not likely to get much of a rise from today's Porky the Pig fans used to more streamlined animation. It appears as a short subject on the Errol Flynn Signature Collection for CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE.

Boom Boom (1936)

*** (out of 4)

Boom boom is right in this WWI short that has Beans and Porky Pig having to go into enemy territory when their commanding officer is captured.

BOOM BOOM is a pretty good short as long as you don't take it too serious. I'm sure some might not enjoy a comedy dealing with war but I personally don't take it too serious and especially when this was well before WWII. With that said, the animation is certainly the stand out here as the drawings were terrific and the details on the battle field were quite impressive. As far as the mission goes, it too was rather fun as Beans and Porky made for a good team and there were some nice smaller characters as well. This certainly isn't a masterpiece but it's a nice little short.

An early Porky war cartoon, with Porky as a doughboy in World War I. This one also has Beans, an early character who was in a few shorts, but didn't pan out as well as they probably wanted him to at Termite Terrace. Decent cartoon, moves fairly fast with very good animation. Worth looking for. Recommended.

There is something a bit unsavory about this old Warner Brothers cartoon. While I have seen and enjoyed quite a few wartime cartoons, this one is different. Instead of focusing on life in boot camp, this one is set on the front lines during WWI. And, most importantly, it sure looks like a lot of fun. Who cares that 11,000,000 people lost their lives—it's all a giant laugh here! Perhaps I'm being overly sensitive, but I just cannot see trench warfare as a funny thing—crazy as that must sound.

So is this cartoon complete crap? No. While I hated the way the film made war look so gosh-darn fun, the animation was exceptional. Warner (Looney Tunes) was still using black & white stock when this was made in 1936 but the quality of the drawings and backgrounds is top-notch. And, while this incarnation of Porky Pig is the morbidly obese one with a strange voice, it is a quality cartoon. Bad in many ways, but still quality cartoon.