The Arctic Giant

It was nice to revisit the 1942 animated short "Superman" story titled "The Arctic Giant" here in 2023. I have watched it before, back in my childhood somewhere in the early to mid 1980s.

The storyline, whilst running at only 9 minutes, was actually good. I am amazed how writers Bill Turner and Tedd Pierce could managed to concoct such a wholesome story in just 9 minutes to tell the tale. It worked and it definitely felt like a "Superman" story.

Now, it is said that it was a Tyrannosaurus that was unearthed and thawed, but truth be told it looked more like an ofspring from Godzilla than it did look like a Tyrannosaurus.

The art and animation style in "The Arctic Giant" was good.

If you enjoy "Superman" cartoons, then director Dave Fleischer's 1942 short animated movie "The Arctic Giant" is definitely well-worth sitting down to watch.

My rating of "The Arctic Giant" lands on a six out of ten stars.

In my humble opinion, these Fleischer cartoons represent not only the best of the Fleischers' extensive body of work, but for me, they're the only true Superman. When I hear that wonderful theme, trumpets blaring and blazing, I sink back into being a little kid, gazing up with wonder at Superman's next big adventure, fighting this, that, or the other baddie, and saving Lois Lane, while Clark Kent always conveniently disappeared! It's a wonder he never got fired from the Daily Planet, the way he always disappeared while Lois and Jimmy were getting the big scoop and getting saved by Superman! Anyhow, the dinosaur is actually really cool in this by any standard, and it's a gem for any fan of Superman or classic cartoons!

I love the Fleischer Superman cartoons. The animation is smooth and fluid with vivid colors. The distinct art-deco style, vintage science fiction imagery, and use of noirish shadows gave them a look unlike any other cartoons. The music and voicework is superb. They're fun, accessible, enduring animation classics.

The fourth in the Superman series begins with a Godzilla-like dinosaur being found frozen in Siberia and transported to a museum in Metropolis, where it is kept in a special refrigeration unit. Lois Lane is sent to do a story on the monster. While she's there, an incompetent guide causes an accident with the equipment. As the workers frantically try to fix the problem, the ice begins to thaw and the arctic giant begins to awaken. Of course the monster breaks free and wreaks havoc on the city. Which means our boy Superman has to stop the monster while also dealing with the damage it creates, such as when it destroys a dam or breaks a suspension bridge.

Another fantastic Superman cartoon from the Fleischer studio. Fun from beginning to end. A wild concept vividly realized with some great action and memorable eye candy. The equipment used to keep the dinosaur frozen is especially cool. I also love how Superman saved the collapsing bridge. It's a great short and one of the favorites in the series for many.

"The Arctic Giant," a 1942 Superman cartoon by the Fleischer brothers, is significant in its portrayal of a giant dinosaur on the rampage in a major city (New York--we see the "Museum of Natural Science," a dead ringer for the Museum of Natural History, and a baseball stadium that sure looks like Yankee Stadium). As such it looks forward to both THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953) and GODZILLA (1954). BEAST featured Ray Harryhausen's debut as a special effects director, as he animated a stop-motion dinosaur on the loose in Manhattan. Ishiro Honda's GODZILLA featured a giant dinosaur (created by an actor in a rubber dinosaur suit) looking very much like the one in this cartoon on the loose in Tokyo. As in the other Paramount Superman cartoons, the animation is absolutely breathtaking.

When an earlier poster commented that this cartoon exceeded Saturday morning cartoons, I had an immediate flashback of the old GODZILLA cartoon from NBC's Hanna Barbera connection...and in many ways, the tyrannosaurus found in this cartoon can be considered an ancestor to that cartoon--their composition color and total LACK of one standard size of the beast (I cringe when the beast changes size with EVERY scene!).

While the Fleischer SUPERMAN series is one of the most adventurous, ambitious and advanced statements in animation, this one ain't one of them. From its simplistic plot to Lois pausing to change her flashbulb while mere FEET from the tyrannosaur' jaws, it lacks the believability that was a vital part of the series. It's watchable, but not memorable.

Plus, my nine-year-old daughter (who is a SERIOUS dinosaur buff) is furious with the lack of realism with the dinosaur's design!