Daredevil Droopy

This time we are at the circus, where they are advertising for "Dare Devil Dog Wanted: Must Be Fearless!"

Two guys applying for the job are our normal adversaries, Droopy and Spike. The boss says he will put it "on a competitive basis and the one who gives me the best performance in strength and daring gets the job!"

So, here we go again with a contest between the two and we get the same thing: great humor, tremendous sight gags and just a ton of laughs as these two compete in everything from a strongman contests to feats of courage, like driving autos into a brick wall, with Spike cheating in almost every event but coming out the worst for it. I loved Droopy on the flying trapeze.

This is yet one more strong entry from The "Tex Avery's Droopy - The Complete Theatrical Collection" DVD.

This short is an excellent example of Tex Avery's handling of Droopy: Droopy is very quiet, passive and sedate (almost sedated, actually) as Spike tries to win a job competition through ways nefarious that never work out as intended. Droopy is just there to provide something to set up the sight gags. You still can't help but like him (I can't, anyway) because he's Everyman (or should that be Everydog?) and he generally comes out on top. Good to see it's in print. Well worth seeing. Recommended.

This Droopy cartoon is similar to another one titled, Chump Champ. It's another funny one, where Droopy and Spike compete in a host of acrobatic activities in order to earn a spot as as performer in the circus. One ends up being a cheater - easy to figure out who it was.

Plenty of slapstick comedy and laughable moments. Droopy definitely gives Spike a run for his money!

Grade A-

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.

Also have much admiration for Tex Avery, an animation genius whose best cartoons are animated masterpieces and some of the best he ever did. Generally like the Droopy cartoons and the character himself a lot, his best cartoons are classics and among Avery's best. 'Daredevil Droopy' may not be Avery's very best, but it's among Droopy and Spike's best and funniest pairings and is so inventive, so funny and impeccably timed, circus acrobatics in cartoons have rarely been more colourful or fun, that predictability is not an issue at all.

Droopy, as usual, is so well established in personality and is high on the humour and charisma scale, he isn't exactly a lead character here but has the presence of one. Spike is even funnier and more interesting, his scheming and tricks are violent but imaginative and hilarious when everything he does goes badly wrong. The circus setting is evoked brilliantly and the goings on giving it so much fun and colour that makes one nostalgic.

Typically, Avery does a wonderful job directing, with his unique, unlike-any-other visual and characteristic and incredibly distinctive wacky humour style all over it as can be expected.

Once again there is nothing sadistic or repetitious about 'Daredevil Droopy', it's hilarious, imaginative content that has enough variety to stop it from being too predictable. Whether with the central conflict it is easy to figure out who gets the upper hand and who gets the worst of it doesn't matter here.

It is no surprise either that the animation is superb. The character designs are unique, Avery always did have creative character designs, and suitably fluid. The music, courtesy of Scott Bradley, is lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms and fits very well indeed.

Can never fault the voice acting in the Droopy cartoons, in no way does 'Daredevil Droopy' disappoint in that department.

Summing up, wonderful. For fans of Droopy and Spike together this is a must watch. 10/10 Bethany Cox