Like to love a vast majority of the Fleischer Studios Popeye output, the late-30s cartoons being particularly good and where the high quality was the most consistent. 1940 saw Fleischer Studios starting to decline significantly, the cartoons were mostly well made and scored but they tended to not be very funny, too cute with un-compelling stories and characters. The Popeye cartoons though were among the better ones from this period, in its best theatrical series in the early 40s bar none.
'Nurse Mates' may not one of the best Popeye cartoons overall though or one of the best of the 1940 output. Considering that Fleischer Studios' pre-40s output was mostly decent to brilliant, it is a little disappointing. At the same time though, despite a couple of major problems there are a lot of well done things. 'Nurse Mates' actually compares favourably amongst the 40s Fleischer Studios output in general, when the studio was undergoing bar none its worst ever period (with 1940 being its worst year perhaps).
Yes it is nothing new in terms of story and material, which does take away from any freshness or surprises somewhat. There has been a little more energy in other Popeye cartoons before and even since, coming from someone who consider the earlier Popeye cartoons generally better than the later ones.
And sorry to say it again, but despite Jack Mercer as always being brilliant as Popeye (the only Popeye voice actor for me), Margie Hines and Pinto Colvig never really gelled as Olive, who has little to do here again, and Bluto. Of Bluto's voice actors especially, Colvig is easily the least sinister, robust or formidable and he didn't seem to have as much fun as the others, also couldn't get Goofy (Colvig being Goofy's original voice actor and he was still voicing him when also voicing Bluto) out of my head somehow.
However, the animation is neatly and expressively drawn (especially with Popeye) and still very much like the work that goes into the backgrounds. The music, appropriately like its own character, is as beautifully orchestrated and characterful as ever.
The gags are also a lot of fun despite the lack of originality, the fighting over the baby washing was very funny to watch and didn't get old. The story is not much new but still a lot of energy, with a wonderfully wild final third that is the case for most Popeye cartoons. All three major characters are handled very well (Olive is too underused to be in the same class), especially Popeye, Bluto is also a suitably formidable adversary and Swee'Pea is very cute.
In conclusion, good but falls short of being great. 7/10
