This short is well-executed, as most Fleischers of the early 1930s were. If it suffers at all, it's only by comparison to the more engaging work produced by the Fleischers around the same period. Sight gags and a strong music score were habitual strengths and any cartoon with Koko is worth watching on that point alone. Good, well plotted cartoon. So what if it isn't the best one the studio did that year? It was still as good or better than at least half or more of the shorts Warner Brothers was producing at the time. Their time at the top was relatively brief, but for three or four years, the Fleischers were Disney's principal rivals. In print and available. Well worth seeing. Highly recommended.
4 Reviews
Well worth saving
TheLittleSongbird2 April 2018
Fleischer were responsible for some brilliant cartoons, some of them still among my favourites. Their visual style was often stunning and some of the most imaginative and ahead of its time in animation.
The character of Betty Boop, one of their most famous and prolific characters, may not be for all tastes and sadly not as popular now, but her sex appeal was quite daring for the time and to me there is an adorable sensual charm about her. That charm, sensuality and adorable factor is not lost anywhere here, nor her comic timing and she is very well supported by the ever fun Bimbo and especially Ko-Ko. The supporting characters are deliciously kooky.
'S.O.S' is not one of the best Betty Boop cartoons by all means, but certainly not among the worst, her lesser efforts all being when the Production Code was enforced, things became tame and what made the early pre-Code cartoons so good was somewhat lost. This said, it has all the elements that make her pre-Code cartoons so worthwhile and does do so much, almost everything, right and little wrong. The story is good structurally and fun, if easy to figure out where it's all going to go and end.
However, the animation is outstanding, everything is beautifully and meticulously drawn and the whole cartoon is rich in visual detail and imagination. Every bit as good is the music score, which delivers on the energy, lusciousness and infectiousness, great for putting anybody in a good mood.
As hoped, the fun is ceaseless, with some very well timed and funny gags, and delivers on the creativity and imagination as well as (for Betty Boop especially) a surprising darkness. There are more risqué Betty Boop cartoons around, but there is still evidence of that. The voice work and such is good.
To conclude, very enjoyable and well worth saving. Not quite one of Fleischer's gems though. 8/10 Bethany Cox
The character of Betty Boop, one of their most famous and prolific characters, may not be for all tastes and sadly not as popular now, but her sex appeal was quite daring for the time and to me there is an adorable sensual charm about her. That charm, sensuality and adorable factor is not lost anywhere here, nor her comic timing and she is very well supported by the ever fun Bimbo and especially Ko-Ko. The supporting characters are deliciously kooky.
'S.O.S' is not one of the best Betty Boop cartoons by all means, but certainly not among the worst, her lesser efforts all being when the Production Code was enforced, things became tame and what made the early pre-Code cartoons so good was somewhat lost. This said, it has all the elements that make her pre-Code cartoons so worthwhile and does do so much, almost everything, right and little wrong. The story is good structurally and fun, if easy to figure out where it's all going to go and end.
However, the animation is outstanding, everything is beautifully and meticulously drawn and the whole cartoon is rich in visual detail and imagination. Every bit as good is the music score, which delivers on the energy, lusciousness and infectiousness, great for putting anybody in a good mood.
As hoped, the fun is ceaseless, with some very well timed and funny gags, and delivers on the creativity and imagination as well as (for Betty Boop especially) a surprising darkness. There are more risqué Betty Boop cartoons around, but there is still evidence of that. The voice work and such is good.
To conclude, very enjoyable and well worth saving. Not quite one of Fleischer's gems though. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Amazingly dark if you think about this one...but entertaining.
planktonrules22 September 2013
"S.O.S." is one of the better Betty Boop cartoons--mostly because there's no singing and the film is a bit insane. However, it also is very dark for a cartoon if you think about what is happening.
The cartoon begins on a cruise ship. A storm is knocking it about and passengers are hopping off right and left. Eventually it sinks and the only survivors you see are Bimbo, KoKo and Betty Boop on a raft. Soon a ship arrives to rescue them but their excitement is short-lived--it's a pirate ship. After locking up the guys below, the crew seems rather intent on raping Betty (perhaps I am reading this into the film). Eventually, Koko and Bimbo escape and the three are chased about the ship--only to outsmart the pirates and send them all to their deaths. As I said, this IS a very dark cartoon! Despite being so dark (or perhaps because of), the cartoon is entertaining, has a wonderfully weird style and did make me laugh. Plus, like all Betty Boop shorts, the animation is amazingly good. Well worth seeing.
The cartoon begins on a cruise ship. A storm is knocking it about and passengers are hopping off right and left. Eventually it sinks and the only survivors you see are Bimbo, KoKo and Betty Boop on a raft. Soon a ship arrives to rescue them but their excitement is short-lived--it's a pirate ship. After locking up the guys below, the crew seems rather intent on raping Betty (perhaps I am reading this into the film). Eventually, Koko and Bimbo escape and the three are chased about the ship--only to outsmart the pirates and send them all to their deaths. As I said, this IS a very dark cartoon! Despite being so dark (or perhaps because of), the cartoon is entertaining, has a wonderfully weird style and did make me laugh. Plus, like all Betty Boop shorts, the animation is amazingly good. Well worth seeing.
It's Not Always What You Wish For
Hitchcoc6 December 2018
Betty and the boys are on a cruise ship that is destroyed during a storm. They find themselves survivors on a raft (I'm not sure what happens to the remaining passengers and crew). They manage to hoist a white flag (sort of) and are rescued. But, sadly, it is a pirate ship, and they are imprisoned (except for Betty and we can imagine their plans for her). It's a pretty well told tale and has some neat surreal events. As usual, Fleischer was very good at creating storms.
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