The Arctic Giant

A frozen tyrannosaurus is found frozen in the ice in the Arctic. It's brought back for display in Metropolis--it's kept frozen solid. But, one day, the machinery malfunctions, the ice starts to melt and the dinosaur comes to life! And guess what? Lois Lane just happens to be covering the story when it revives. Superman must save Metropolis (and Lois) from this.

One of the lesser Superman cartoons. It takes too long for the story to start up and the dinosaur looked REAL silly! The animation was still great but I found myself smirking whenever we got a good look at the dinosaur's face. Just OK.

A SUPERMAN Cartoon

A tremendous tyrannosaurus rex, discovered in Siberian snows, is put on display in Metropolis encased in a huge block of ice. A freak accident causes a thaw and the monster reawakens - with intrepid reporter Lois Lane nearby. Escaping, the dinosaur cuts a huge swath of destruction across town. With its unbelievable prehistoric strength, is even SUPERMAN any match for THE ARCTIC GIANT?

This was another in the series of excellent cartoons Max Fleischer produced for Paramount Studio. They feature great animation and taut, fast-moving plots. Meant to be shown in movie theaters, they are miles ahead of their Saturday Morning counterparts.

Even with its short runtime, The Arctic Giant is, for me, the second-best short in the Fleischer series so far. In it, Superman takes on a thawed-out ice monster that terrorizes the city and threatens Lois. Despite the rushed pace that hurts it a little, the film is incredibly fun and charming.

The monster itself is a highlight, reminding me of the iconic "Godzilla," which suggests a fascinating influence on Japanese cinema. The action scenes, while short, are very effective. The animation is still exceptional, with an excellent monster design. The soundtrack is engaging, but it's the dialogue that really shines. The moments between Lois and Clark Kent are especially enjoyable, particularly the way he teases her about his identity. And, of course, the running gag at the end of each short remains genius.

The Arctic Giant is a memorable short-it's fun, beautifully animated, and remarkably well-executed in terms of dialogue and humor, even with its short length.

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!

Arctic Giant, The (1942)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Fourth film in the original Paramount series borrows from THE LOST WORLD and KING KONG to create a mildly entertaining short. A Tyrannosaurus is found in the Arctic, brought back the New York City where it accidentally thaws out and goes on a rampage. Lois gets caught in the middle of the action but thankfully Superman is there to save the day. I somewhat enjoyed this short just because of how campy various items are. It goes without saying but plot points isn't a high mark for this series, at least not yet, but I found myself laughing and having a good time here. The dinosaur somehow thaws out in the matter of seconds and no reason is given for him still being alive but that just adds to the entertainment. I thought Superman destroyed him too easily but it was fun seeing the large monster tear through a dam and bridge.