We're on Our Way to Rio

Of all the Popeye cartoons made for Famous Artists from 1942-1957, this ranks as my favorite. It's a delight from start to finish.

This is just one of many attempts to incorporate FDR's Good Neighbor Policy into the cartoon industry. In fact, in the waning days of the Fleischer Studio, there had been one earlier attempt "Kicking the Conga 'Round" which is certainly a good cartoon.

"We're on Our Way to Rio" is even better. As Popeye and Bluto enter Rio (beautifully drawn) on burro singing the wonderful title song, one can't help but be reminded of Hope and Crosby on camel-back singing "The Road to Morocco".

Olive Oyl is playing an obviously Carmen Miranda-inspired nightclub singer. The laughs come quickly and the music as memorable as in the sadly departed Fleischer days.

Famous Studios would never again make a Popeye cartoon as memorable as this. Before much longer they seemed to give up even trying.

Popeye and Bluto are riding a donkey to Rio. They are both taken with nightclub performer Olive Oyl. It's a cartoon short in color. The drawings look good. The main characters are bright and sharp although the background is deliberately kept a little blurry. One does have to get used to a Latina Olive Oyl. She definitely doesn't sound like herself. This is a relatively low stakes classic Popeye story as the two friends battle over Olive. It's a good standard Popeye.

There were two main elements of "We're On our Way to Rio", which really struck me as wonderful. First, here was yet another lighter side of World War II, when Popeye ate his spinach from can marked SPINACH 17 POINTS. This must have been owing to the rationing; canned foods may have come under point system. (Another of the wartime Popeyes also had the seaman eating spinach from can with 17 POINTS printed on it.) The second thing that I remember oh so well was the music, the "We're On Our Way to Rio" theme sung by Popeye and Bluto (and later played instrumentally), the samba song that Olive sang as she danced (and played instrumentally as they both danced), and other melodies played only instrumentally. Winston Sharples did a stellar job, as with all the Popeyes and other cartoons for which he composed music; together, the melodies for this Popeye cartoon would make a ginger-peachy band arrangement! Such music, if arranged for band, could be titled "Brazilian Sojourn". All in all, a very wonderful Popeye cartoon.

Popeye and Bluto are heading for Rio to see the clubs and the girls. They go to a nightclub and who should be the singer/dancer--you guessed it, Olive Oyl. Of course, the two of them immediately are stricken and battle over the affections of the skinny object of their lust. It's a very well done cartoon with brilliant color and come neat direction.

Like to love a vast majority of the Popeye cartoons. Also like Popeye himself. A likeable character whose chemistry and animosity with Bluto one that drives the cartoons with such fun and energy, always a highlight. Do have a preference for the Fleischer era cartoons, that are generally funnier, more imaginative and of higher quality, though many of the later Famous Studio offerings entertain, just inferior in quality.

A relatively early Famous Studios effort, as far as the Popeye cartoons go that is, 'We're on Our Way to Rio' is not quite one of my favourite Popeye cartoons overall, but it is close. It has everything that was so great about the best of the Fleischer output while not being quite as imaginative in the formula and humour. That is not saying at all that 'We're on Our Way to Rio' is unimaginative (the contrary), the setting for Popeye is a unique one and the way it's used is different and clever. By Famous Studios standards, 'We're on Our Way to Rio' is pretty inventive and liked that it focused both on the rivalry over Olive and the less than amicable chemistry between Popeye and Bluto, rather than one or the other, doing it in a way incorporating singing and dancing that stands out among other Popeye cartoons and certainly during this particular period of the series. It is a great cartoon and feel that it is one of the best Popeye cartoons from this period of the series and also one of Famous Studios' better Popeye cartoons overall.

One doesn't care so much that the story is on the thin and somewhat formulaic side, the outcome is never in question. Namely because there is enough creativity and variety to stop 'We're on Our Way to Rio' from being repetitive or predictable and the energy is constant and so infectious. It contains some of the cleverest and most interesting use of Olive of the series.

Many other fine things in 'We're on Our Way to Rio'. The animation cannot be faulted, the backgrounds have lost none of the meticulous attention to detail, it's fluid, Popeye still looks good and is recognisable in design and the colours are wonderfully vibrant, which really does make the setting come alive. Even better, and a contender for the thing that makes the cartoon (practically in a way it feels like it is the cartoon), is the highly characterful and toe-tapping music score, that not only fits seamlessly and enhances the action but it is like its own character.

Popeye is amusing and likeable still and Jack Mercer doesn't disappoint with the voice acting. Bluto is even funnier and the chemistry between the two sparkles and carries 'We're on Our Way to Rio' brilliantly.

'We're on Our Way to Rio' boasts lots of gags, namely revolving around Bluto's sabotage attempts, that are timed beautifully and are never less than very funny, Popeye's asides and mumblings are something of a hilarious art-form of its own, and the energy never wavers. The ending made my eyes water from laughing. The action is imaginative visually (dancing has seldom been synchronised and animated so well in a Popeye cartoon), crisply timed and non-stop without being exhausting. Dave Barry provides Bluto's voice beautifully.

In conclusion, great. 9/10