The Redwood Sap

. . . whether great or small cooperate for the Common Good. Ants, for instance, love lugging around heavy loads many time their body weight. If you were to see a convoy of 400 ants leaving your refrigerator with an ear of corn on the cob hoisted up on their shoulders, you'd probably start squishing the vegetable thieves one by one till you'd notched at least 300 or 350 kills. In the Animal Kingdom, on the other hand, a woodpecker will heat up the moving corn with a blowtorch, gobbling down the kernels as they pop. Living underwater, beavers specialize in fixing submarine sandwiches. However, when Woody's chow-time wristwatch alarm goes off, he's content to eat all the fixings, leaving the paddle-tails stuck with empty slices of bread. Squirrels, of course, are partial to nuts, which serve to bulk up Woody's protein levels so he can hibernate all winter inside an ice cube. THE REDWOOD SAP illustrates how it takes all kinds--stock pile specialists and eaters--to keep things in balance.

Was very fond of Woody Woodpecker and his cartoons as a child. Still get much enjoyment out of them now as a young adult, even if there are more interesting in personality cartoon characters and better overall cartoons.

That is in no way knocking Woody, because many of his cartoons are a lot of fun to watch and more and also still like him a lot as a character. 'The Redwood Sap' is a very well done Woody Woodpecker take on the story of 'The Ant and the Grasshopper'. It may not be one of Woody's best (hardly among his worst either), it is very easy all the time to see where the cartoon is heading story-wise.

While there are more interesting characters, Woody is an amusing character and never too obnoxious, one feels sorry for him somewhat actually. The other characters bring a lot of charm to 'The Redwood Sap' as well.

As ever, the animation is great. The characters are well drawn, but even better are the rich colours, meticulously detailed backgrounds and smooth backgrounds.

Music is another strength here. It's characterful, lushly orchestrated and is not only dynamic with the action it even enhances it. The writing is amusing and heartfelt and it's a famous story charmingly and amusingly if slightly unimaginatively told.

In conclusion, very well done. 8/10 Bethany Cox