Van Beuren cartoons are extremely variable, especially in the number of gags and whether the absurdist humour shines through enough (sometimes it does, other times it doesn't), but are strangely interesting. Although they are often poorly animated with barely existent stories and less than compelling lead characters, they are also often outstandingly scored, there can be some fun support characters and some are well-timed and amusing.
'Red Riding Hood' is among their best. It may not be a masterpiece or a cartoon classic, but it is so much more entertaining than most Aesop's Fables/Van Beuren cartoons and it is one of the few in the series to do almost everything right and not suffer from all, or most of, the usual flaws.
Starting with the very little that is wrong, the animation is far from great. Like a lot of Aesop's Fables/Van Beuren cartoons it's really quite bad actually, there is a lack of finesse in the drawing, an erratic sloppiness in movement and overdose of over-simplicity in the background art.
The last third also lags a bit in momentum, particularly in comparison to the delicious wildness of the previous two thirds.
However, 'Red Riding Hood' goes at a snappy pace and not only manages to be one of Van Beuren's strangest and absurdist, a good thing as that's their style of humour when they do it right, but also one of their overall funniest. There are a lot of gags, all of them well timed and funny, as well as wonderfully insane and almost nightmarish.
Don't expect it to make sense, it doesn't. The difference is that so much is executed so well it is much easier to forgive than with most of their efforts that don't excel anywhere near as much. Likewise with minding as to whether the story is flimsy (and it is as flimsy as one can get), you're just having too much fun to care. It is as wild and insane as one can get, 'Little Red Riding Red' has never had this kind of treatment and it's a riot, it's amazing at how much the cartoon (made pre-Production Code) gets away with.
The characters are among the easiest to remember and fun of any Aesop's Fables/Van Beuren cartoon, the Grandma especially.
Best of all is the music score, it is typically peppy and great fun to listen to. It is so beautifully and cleverly orchestrated and full of lively energy, doing so well with enhancing the action. Synchronisation is nicely done on the whole.
All in all, surprisingly well done and one of the better Aesop's Fables/Van Beuren cartoons. 8/10 Bethany Cox
'Red Riding Hood' is among their best. It may not be a masterpiece or a cartoon classic, but it is so much more entertaining than most Aesop's Fables/Van Beuren cartoons and it is one of the few in the series to do almost everything right and not suffer from all, or most of, the usual flaws.
Starting with the very little that is wrong, the animation is far from great. Like a lot of Aesop's Fables/Van Beuren cartoons it's really quite bad actually, there is a lack of finesse in the drawing, an erratic sloppiness in movement and overdose of over-simplicity in the background art.
The last third also lags a bit in momentum, particularly in comparison to the delicious wildness of the previous two thirds.
However, 'Red Riding Hood' goes at a snappy pace and not only manages to be one of Van Beuren's strangest and absurdist, a good thing as that's their style of humour when they do it right, but also one of their overall funniest. There are a lot of gags, all of them well timed and funny, as well as wonderfully insane and almost nightmarish.
Don't expect it to make sense, it doesn't. The difference is that so much is executed so well it is much easier to forgive than with most of their efforts that don't excel anywhere near as much. Likewise with minding as to whether the story is flimsy (and it is as flimsy as one can get), you're just having too much fun to care. It is as wild and insane as one can get, 'Little Red Riding Red' has never had this kind of treatment and it's a riot, it's amazing at how much the cartoon (made pre-Production Code) gets away with.
The characters are among the easiest to remember and fun of any Aesop's Fables/Van Beuren cartoon, the Grandma especially.
Best of all is the music score, it is typically peppy and great fun to listen to. It is so beautifully and cleverly orchestrated and full of lively energy, doing so well with enhancing the action. Synchronisation is nicely done on the whole.
All in all, surprisingly well done and one of the better Aesop's Fables/Van Beuren cartoons. 8/10 Bethany Cox