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.
Chuck Jones deserved, and still does deserve, his status as one of animation's most legendary, greatest and most important directors/animators. He may have lacked the outrageousness and wild wackiness of Bob Clampett and Tex Avery, but the visual imagination, wit and what he did with some of the best-known and most iconic characters ever were just as special and he was responsible for some of the best cartoons ever made.
'The Bird Came C.O.D.' is not a particularly good representation of him, would even say it's one of his weaker cartoons from an on the most part solid period in his long career. It's watchable enough certainly, there's just little exceptional to it.
Starting with the positives, the animation is bright and colourful with fluid movement and beautifully detailed backgrounds. The music from the master Carl Stalling is even better, it's lushly and cleverly orchestrated, lively in energy and not only adds hugely to the action it even enhances it.
Found the bird to be a fun character, Mel Blanc's voice work to be as exuberant as ever and a few amusing moments.
However, it is not hard to see why Conrad was as short lived as he was, he is a very limited in personality character with little interesting or funny about him. As a result, the conflict doesn't properly come to life and Jones' usual wit and imagination are mostly lacking.
Story-wise, 'The Bird Came C.O.D' is paper thin and that there is not a lot of sharpness or energy makes that more noticeable and less forgivable. There are not enough laughs here, and very little wit, what there is is amusing at best but generally is stale and repetitive.
Overall, nothing special but far from a must avoid. Other Jones cartoons represent him better though. 5/10 Bethany Cox
