Lucky Lulu

Lulu needs a change in luck. Despite everything she has been trying, she has been spanked every day this week. With Friday the 13th coming up, she decides to get a lucky horseshoe. However, sometimes you just can't fight fate...

Lulu was making a transition from Madge's one-panel comic series to a Famous Studios series; without the Fleischer brothers to wrangle and watch the work, a bit more star power was needed. Although Lulu would be phased out in favor of the home-grown "Little Audrey" series, there was a lot of charm in Lulu's immobile, quizzical expression that allowed the audience to gauge their own reactions.

This is a good entry in the series. My only advice is that if you watch it on Youtube, as I did, you use a laptop or a tablet. I used my 20-inch IMac and it had been uploaded perpendicular!

The 26 Little Lulu cartoons made during 1944-1948 (and the two made in the early 60s) were uneven (individually and the series as a general overview) but watchable.

'Eggs Don't Bounce' was a decent debut for Little Lulu if with a "still finding its feet" feel. The second cartoon 'Hullaba-Lulu' was much improved and very well done and enjoyable. 'Lulu Gets the Birdie' was very disappointing, an overlong and thin in content cartoon that is most marred by having a one-joke concept that peters out far too early. 'Lulu in Hollywood' could have done more with its concept but was intriguing enough.

'Lucky Lulu' is a pleasant watch and of the five Little Lulu cartoons made and aired up to 'Lucky Lulu' it's perhaps bang in the middle. It is very light on plot, and with the fairly long length for a cartoon it feels a bit too long and over-stretched.

Mandy still doesn't work for me as a character. She is, as in 'Eggs Don't Bounce' and 'Lulu Gets the Birdie', a bland and annoying racial stereotype, that may cause some offence, and once again really didn't care for the very stereotypical and ugly character design for her, which reminds one uncomfortably of the character designs in the "Censored 11" cartoons with those ugly and somewhat offensive exaggerated features.

Replacing Sammy Timberg, the ever great Winston Sharples' music, however, once again is terrific with a real lushness and energy, complete with the infectious theme song that isn't easy to forget. Definitely one of the best assets of 'Lucky Lulu'. There are some charming and amusing moments, especially the diary entries (some of which are pretty funny), while Little Lulu is an engaging enough and expressive protagonist.

Voice acting is solid, and the animation is becoming more refined than the previous cartoons with more smoothness and colour. The character design of Mandy is the one misjudgement.

In conclusion, decent if unexceptional Little Lulu cartoon. 6/10 Bethany Cox