Many fine cartoons were seen with Dave Fleischer. Ones that were amusing and charming, though over-cuteness did come through in some efforts and the stories were always pretty thin, with appealing characters, outstanding music and visuals that were inventive and with innovative animation techniques.
He and the studio did much better than 'I'm in the Army Now', which is a disappointment for them and for the Popeye cartoons. Like the character very much and enjoy to love a vast majority of his cartoons. 'I'm in the Army Now' is sadly not one of them. As far as the Fleischer era Popeye cartoons go, it's a strong contender for the weakest, and for me it's one of the lesser Popeye cartoons overall. Not because it's unwatchable, it's a long way from that, but it is one of the few Popeye cartoons where the point of it being made is questioned (rare for this particular period). Which is not a good position to be in watching a Popeye cartoon. Due to recycling, and not particularly well, four previous Popeye cartoons, and then having a not very interesting story to feature them in.
Of course there are good things, even the lesser Popeye cartoons have at least three or four good things. is very good as always from this period. It's beautifully drawn and with immaculate visual detail, that doesn't ever feel cluttered or static, and lively and smooth movement. The music likewise, lots of merry energy and lush orchestration, adding a lot to the action and making the impact even better without being too cartoonish.
There are amusing moments, while Popeye and Bluto are typically fun characters. The chemistry between the two drives 'I'm in the Army Now', not unexpected as that was the case with all of their cartoons, and it is fun to watch and boasts some clever visuals. The voice acting is typically adept, with Jack Mercer's mumblings and asides coming over most memorably.
It is a shame however that 'I'm in the Army Now' doesn't have a particularly interesting story, with energy that comes and goes, and that it's very predictable. Olive Oyl has very little to do, and what she has is nothing special.
As said, 'I'm in the Army Now' is one of the few Popeye cartoons that came over as pointless. It has the feel of a "cheater", with clips of four previous cartoons ('Blow Me Down', 'Shoein Hosses', 'Choose Your Weppins' and 'King of the Mardi Gras') recycled. All four very enjoyable indeed, but there are better Popeye cartoons to me and funnier sequences than the ones selected. The treatment of them is also a problem, they don't fit in seamlessly and they are far too short, do completely agree that it is better seeing the cartoons in full.
Not a cartoon to dismiss completely by any stretch, but the main reason to see 'I'm in the Army Now' in the first place is if you want to see all Popeye's filmography. 6/10
