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. Rudolf Ising's output is very hit and miss, and so is the Happy Harmonies series. Some cartoons were good (the best very good) and many were average or less. It did not sound great and the premise was not appetising, but 'The Little Bantamweight' was still seen anyway for lesser-known animation completest sake.
'The Little Bantamweight' does very little to make an unappealing idea more appealing, quite the opposite actually. Have seen a lot of things that did make something interesting and clever out of less than appealing ideas, but this is not one of those cases. It has a few good things that are done very well indeed, enough to raise it above mediocre level, but the too many flaws in the more crucial areas made it very difficult, nigh on impossible really, to rate it above average. Terrible it isn't, but it isn't particularly good either.
Beginning with the good things, the animation is vibrant and fluid with lovingly crafted and detail background art. Nothing looks rushed or static. Even better is the music, it is lushly orchestrated and very characterful in an energetic way that is not matched enough in the story and gags.
Did also think that some of the violence was clever and well-choreographed visually and there were a few mildly amusing but never hilarious moments.
On the other hand, a lot is wrong. It is just not very funny or even amusing, the gags are too few and what there is has a recycled, tired feel. That tiredness is obvious also in the story, which is slight to the point of non-existence and predictable when there is any. Pace wise, the cartoon is pretty dull due to some of the material being over-stretched to make up for the content being too little in quantity.
Personally found the lead character very unappealing and difficult to root for, not much personality and veering on annoying. The violence lacks subtlety and wit and the cleverness of some of the visuals is not consistent, too much is lazy and not always in good taste.
Very average and nothing special all in all. 5/10.
'The Little Bantamweight' does very little to make an unappealing idea more appealing, quite the opposite actually. Have seen a lot of things that did make something interesting and clever out of less than appealing ideas, but this is not one of those cases. It has a few good things that are done very well indeed, enough to raise it above mediocre level, but the too many flaws in the more crucial areas made it very difficult, nigh on impossible really, to rate it above average. Terrible it isn't, but it isn't particularly good either.
Beginning with the good things, the animation is vibrant and fluid with lovingly crafted and detail background art. Nothing looks rushed or static. Even better is the music, it is lushly orchestrated and very characterful in an energetic way that is not matched enough in the story and gags.
Did also think that some of the violence was clever and well-choreographed visually and there were a few mildly amusing but never hilarious moments.
On the other hand, a lot is wrong. It is just not very funny or even amusing, the gags are too few and what there is has a recycled, tired feel. That tiredness is obvious also in the story, which is slight to the point of non-existence and predictable when there is any. Pace wise, the cartoon is pretty dull due to some of the material being over-stretched to make up for the content being too little in quantity.
Personally found the lead character very unappealing and difficult to root for, not much personality and veering on annoying. The violence lacks subtlety and wit and the cleverness of some of the visuals is not consistent, too much is lazy and not always in good taste.
Very average and nothing special all in all. 5/10.
