Good Will to Men

A remake of 'Peace on Earth', a parable of mice, men, and the futility of war, 'Good Will To Men' starts with a mouse choir singing for Christmas. The word 'men' appears in the carol, and the mice start asking questions about what men were.

Slowly we realise that men destroyed themselves and all their towns and cities by wars, bombs, and guns. We see footage of men crawling across trenches and fields, setting off machine guns, dropping mushroom bombs on cities.

Finally the cartoon returns to the mice, frightened but wise in their ruined church, with the wise old owl poring over the Bible, a 'good book of rules'.

Well-drawn and tightly-plotted, this cartoon was a worthy Oscar nominee and is still effective after all these years.

Good Will to Men (1955)

*** (out of 4)

Oscar-nominated cartoon is a remake of the Oscar-nominated 1939 short Peace on Earth. The film has a preacher mouse telling the younger mice how men destroyed the world due to war and violence. This is a pretty good cartoon, although I prefer the original version. The animation is very good as are the characters and I always like seeing cartoons in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. It's funny to think that an innocent short like this couldn't be made today due to the religious aspects of the story.

Hanna and Barbera would strike out there own making decent, but cheap cartoons-mostly for children. This one is an unnecessary remake of the far superior "Peace on Earth," which was released just before World War 2. This remake is a bit updated, with nuclear weapons as the big bad of humankind. Some reviewers have complained that this shows all humans as evil-ever think from an animals point of view-we are? Look at the wanton, thoughtless destruction we've laid upon the earth. Still, the original is far superior.

I watched this cartoon when I was 10 years old. I would rate this film as one of the greatest short cartoons ever made. It was the only animated short ever nominated for the Nobel Peace prize.

Originally it was titled "Good Will to Men". Probably one of the most effective pieces of cartoon ever made. Since it was created in 1939, it is a nice contrast to the Pro-War propaganda films of the same era.

I would rate this "short" as being on par with such classics as "one froggy evening" for its historical significance.

This newer version was released in 1955 and was nominated for the Best Short Subjects Oscar.

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.

Hanna-Barbera are better known to me for their more comic-anarchic violence-oriented shows and cartoons, many of them good to classic so there is no complaining here. Like what was said with describing in my review for 1939's 'Peace on Earth' (mentioned by many reviewers, being a cartoon with a similar story and also a message cartoon that is pretty much the same message and subject) that Hugh Harman grows up with one of his most serious and darker efforts, 1955's 'Good Will to Men' sees Hanna-Barbera turning serious and providing one of their most mature and serious works. Again like 'Peace on Earth' this different approach comes off in a good, no great, way.

Of the two, it's hard to say which is preferred of the two. They are both powerful cartoons with a daring subject, weighty themes and an important message that actually is not too irrelevant. For me 'Peace on Earth' packs slightly more of an emotional punch, while 'Good Will to Men' handles its message a touch more subtly while still making its point very forcefully. In terms of quality overall, the two are about equal.

Regardless, 'Good Will to Men' makes a big emotional impact. It packs a very poignant punch and really makes one think about what it's trying to say. The beginning and end scenes are cute but not too sentimental, while the darker content in between provokes thought and moves. Story-wise, it's simple in terms of structure and plot development while still having a good deal going on but this is a good thing, making the cartoon easier to understand and resonate with.

The characters carry the cartoon beautifully, they look adorable in appearance but show stronger personalities than one would expect. Daws Butler shows that he can do much more than comedy and he does a great job at it.

Animation is rich in detail for design and backgrounds, vibrant in colour and crisp. Composer for the prime-era 'Tom and Jerry' cartoons and regular Tex Avery composer Scott Bradley provides a lush and atmospheric music score.

In conclusion, great. 9/10 Bethany Cox