Pantry Panic

This short, also available on a great many public domain tapes under the alternate title of Pantry Panic, is proof that the difference between predator and prey is a matter of who is the hungriest. Entertaining but unexceptional. Fairly easy to find. Worth watching. Recommended if you like Woody.

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. 'Pantry Panic', while not a Woody Woodpecker classic, is still very entertaining, yes even with some very corny (and in a bit too silly a way) puns, even for cartoons puns, and a fairly standard story. While there may be cartoon characters with slightly more interesting personalities, Woody is still at his best incredibly funny, never obnoxious and very lovable self, summing him up in one word it would be wonderfully nuts. His personality traits are still evolving, for example he is more vicious here in 'Pantry Panic' to usual, and while a few are different others are unmistakably recognisable.

For so early on, the animation is great. Woody is much more appealingly designed even though still evolving, while the colours are rich and vibrant and the backgrounds meticulous in their detail.

Another standout quality is the music. It's characterful, lushly orchestrated and is not only dynamic with the action it even enhances it. The writing is suitably witty and raises a number of chuckles, while the never less than amusing and beautifully timed sight gags are even more impressive.

Especially, agreed, the ones with the ice cube and the moose, not to mention the ending. The cat is great support for Woody, and in a way you root for both but you're shocked at the vicious, but thankfully never overly-sadistic that it'll make one uncomfortable, lengths they go to against one another.

Voice acting is good, though Woody's original voice actor Mel Blanc only does his laugh here.

In summary, even with more of a vicious tone 'Pantry Panic' is still colourful and entertaining. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Pantry Panic (1941)

*** (out of 4)

Being his typical, reckless self, Woody Woodpecker refuses to take a warning and fly South for the winter. Sure enough a major storm hits, which puts him near starvation but thankfully a hungry cat shows up and the two are soon trying to each one another. This is yet another winning cartoon in the series and one with several big laughs. The highlight would have to be an early scene where Woody is swimming and goes to jump in the water just as the winter storm hits and turns him into an ice cube. Another great sequences comes towards the end when a moose shows up as Woody and the cat are fighting. The way it ends is something that could only happen in a cartoon of this era. Fans of Woody Woodpecker will find this to be a very entertaining little gem that's well worth watching.

This early Woody Woodpecker cartoon is a lot more vicious than the later ones--which is exactly why I liked it! Additionally, it gives you a chance to see how different the early Woody drawings were compared to the more familiar later ones.

When the cartoon begins, the weather prognosticating groundhog tells everyone to migrate south because a bad winter is coming. All the birds take off except for cocky Woody who announces he has plenty of food and he's staying. Well, the storm arrives in cartoon fashion--quickly and taking Woody's food! Now, after a month of nothing to eat, a cat knocks on the door. The cat intends to eat Woody--and Woody intends to eat the cat. The cartoon is full of cartoony violence and is pretty funny--and edgy to see such a beloved character behaving rather viciously. Well done and about as good as any of the cartoons coming from Warner Brothers at that time.

I saw some Woody Woodpecker cartoons when I was really young, but never took to them like I did the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons. Now that I've seen "Pantry Panic" and am old enough to offer an analysis, I'll say that what it portrays doesn't look far off. Yes, it was probably intended as nothing more than a silly cartoon, as Woody and an unidentified cat try to devour each other. But the idea of being all cooped up during the winter? "The Shining" portrayed that (just imagine Woody doing what Jack Nicholson did). And because of the declining precipitation in the southwestern US, not only will there likely be water wars, but maybe food wars.

But that's merely my interpretation. It's a pretty funny cartoon. Not clever in the sense of the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies genre, but worth seeing.

I never knew that Mel Blanc also did Woody's voice. And is it just me, or does the name "Woody Woodpecker" sound a little pornographic?