Tweet Dreams

Sylvester has a nervous breakdown over his repeated failures to catch Tweety. So he goes to see a psychiatrist who specializes in animals. This provides for a lot of clips from previous cartoons to be used as flashbacks to show Sylvester's failures. Avid fans might be put off by this 'clip show.' But the clips shown are all good ones. Some of these include "Gift Wrapped," "Tweety's Circus," and "A Street Car Named Sylvester." The new material with the psychiatrist is amusing. Loved the crazy ending. Didn't see that coming. Sylvester & Tweety fans might find this a nice refresher. At any rate, it's a pleasant way to pass the time.

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes, Hanna Barbera and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons. As said many times, actually appreciate it even more now with my knowledge of animation styles and individual studios and directors being wider and broader.

'Tweet Dreams' is not one of Friz Freleng's best overall, though it's hardly a misfire, and there are better Sylvester cartoons. To me though, it is still very entertaining and above average that captures the spirit of classic Looney Tunes very well, though the Sylvester and Tweety clips in the flashbacks are much stronger in animation quality and humour than the new footage. It is a middling Sylvester cartoon, around low middle as far as his outings with Tweety goes, and the same goes for Freleng.

Is 'Tweet Dreams' a perfect cartoon? No. The story is pretty simplistic and predictable, most of it is flashbacks shown in clip form strung together (so if anybody considers the cartoon a "cheater" it is understandable), and budget limitations and time constraints is sometimes evident in some roughness here and there in the new footage, it's great in the clips though.

There is a lot to enjoy though. The plot is fairly standard but has tremendous energy and enough freshness and amusement to keep one interested. The cartoons featured in the flashbacks in clips are terrific and not treated cheaply surprisingly, it helps that a few of them (especially 'Gift Wrapped' and 'Tweety's Circus') are some of the best of Sylvester and Tweety.

While not quite hilarious in the new footage (the cartoons referenced in the flashbacks are hilarious when the material is especially great), the gags are at least fun and amusing, with lively timing, while the dialogue has a good amount of sharpness and wit. Liked Sylvester and the psychiatrist together, they are a funny pair and there is also heart to their relationship. Likewise with the classic pairing of Sylvester and Tweety, regardless of what people's perception of Tweety is (like him personally)

Tweety in the cartoons referenced is amusing and avoids being too cutesy, though Sylvester has a stronger personality. The most interesting and funniest character is Sylvester, he takes the laughs to very funny effect and is suitably cunning but one roots for him too. The psychiatrist is also fun and the ending is wonderfully crazy.

Generally, the animation could have been so much worse considering the period. It is very colourful and there is lots of fluidity and detail here.

Am more of a Carl Stalling person myself, but Milt Franklyn's music is full of energy and lush and clever orchestration, while not quite enhancing the action that Stalling did so consistently brilliantly Franklyn's music always added a lot.

Mel Blanc very rarely put a foot wrong, he was an unequalled master at giving individuality to more than one (often multiple) character, always sounded like he was having fun and never phoned it in when his material was weak. As ever he is outstanding and clearly was enjoying himself a lot, helped by that his dialogue allowed him to do so.

Overall, above average. 6/10 Bethany Cox