In 1941 Tex Avery started a series of cartoons 'Speaking of Animals'. These cartoons may not be among the best cartoons there's ever been and those with Avery's involvement are not among the best he's ever done, but they are very interesting and entertaining on the most part with a unique visual style.
'Speaking of Animals in a Pet Shop' follows on from 'Speaking of Animals Down on the Farm'. It is not quite as good as that cartoon, suffering slightly from the lack of Avery's involvement (being directed by Jerry Fairbanks and Robert Carlisle, who still do a very good job), meaning it's not quite as inventive and wild. Once again, it is interesting from a visual and historical perspective and makes it easy to see why the series was important and popular at the time. Anybody looking for any kind of plot are best looking elsewhere. On a story level, the 'Speaking of Animals' cartoons on a story level are pretty slight. With that being said, it's not about the story. It's the visual style and the humour that the series is to be seen for and both are done brilliantly here.
Once again, like with 'Speaking of Animals Down on the Farm', 'Speaking of Animals in a Pet Shop' has ingenious use of Rotoscoping, with animation being re-shot and matted into the animal footage, and its combining of live action animals and animated mouths similarly looks incredible. It's this that is the cartoon's, and for the series in general, most striking and notable asset.
The puns, sight gags and slapstick jokes are very funny and there is a lot of energy throughout.
Gayne Whitman voices well, and as to be expected the animals are endearing and great fun to watch, especially the dog and the fish.
All in all, very well done. 8/10 Bethany Cox
