Much as I love the concept of an animated version of "Pogo," this movie falls flat in too many ways.
First, the decision to use stop-motion as the animation technique really doesn't do the characters any justice; the Okefenokee folk were never meant to be rendered in anything resembling 3D, and look very unlike their comic strip counterparts here.
Second, Marc Paul Chinoy made a mistake of just adapting a slew of 1952 strips (from the original "Pogo For President" storyline) and a few 1960 strips to form the bulk of his screenplay, without updating them. (For example, the whole "reluctant candidate" theme was a stab at 1952's Democratic candidate, Adlai Stevenson, who didn't want the job but let himself be drafted. The reluctance jokes didn't translate into 1980, or any election since.) Where he wrote original material (like the fun fair sequence), it became obvious that he didn't really know or understand the characters.
The movie does have a few good things to recommend it. The voice cast is top drawer, with Vincent Price, Jonathan Winters, Stan Freberg, Arnold Stang, Ruth Buzzi, Bob McFadden, and Skip Hinnant all turning in top notch work. The songs (especially Dr. Hook's "Hard To Be A Friend") are pretty good; I almost wish there had been a soundtrack release instead of a video. These two factors alone account for the stars I give this film.
This isn't a good movie, or a good adaptation of the comic strip, but is pretty close. It would be nice to see what it could have become in more competent hands.
First, the decision to use stop-motion as the animation technique really doesn't do the characters any justice; the Okefenokee folk were never meant to be rendered in anything resembling 3D, and look very unlike their comic strip counterparts here.
Second, Marc Paul Chinoy made a mistake of just adapting a slew of 1952 strips (from the original "Pogo For President" storyline) and a few 1960 strips to form the bulk of his screenplay, without updating them. (For example, the whole "reluctant candidate" theme was a stab at 1952's Democratic candidate, Adlai Stevenson, who didn't want the job but let himself be drafted. The reluctance jokes didn't translate into 1980, or any election since.) Where he wrote original material (like the fun fair sequence), it became obvious that he didn't really know or understand the characters.
The movie does have a few good things to recommend it. The voice cast is top drawer, with Vincent Price, Jonathan Winters, Stan Freberg, Arnold Stang, Ruth Buzzi, Bob McFadden, and Skip Hinnant all turning in top notch work. The songs (especially Dr. Hook's "Hard To Be A Friend") are pretty good; I almost wish there had been a soundtrack release instead of a video. These two factors alone account for the stars I give this film.
This isn't a good movie, or a good adaptation of the comic strip, but is pretty close. It would be nice to see what it could have become in more competent hands.