Pantry Panic (1941)

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Have you ever been so starving that you just felt like punching someone in the head? Well this particular Woody Woodpecker short may remind you a little of that! It's about Woody being a bit of a jerk and thinking that he doesn't need to bother heading south for the winter along with all the other more rational birds because he already has plenty of food stored up, but the icy weather has a few things in store for the cocky Woodpecker, and after he goes a little crazier than usual due to a little cabin fever and hunger pains after losing all his food, an equally hungry and crazed cat shows up and the show turns into a mad battle to see who gets to eat who! Woody sure was asking for trouble in this one though, he mocks his retreating neighbours, he dares the cold weather to try and take his food, he even laughs in the cigar smoking face of Death, which is such an unbelievably hilarious and bizarre image! "Starvation" my foot, that's totally the grim reaper with a palette swap! I suppose having the word death floating there may have been a bit much in an animated short aimed at forties children, even though the elderly bird clearly says it out loud at the beginning.. As with most of the retro cartoon shorts that I've watched in one way or another over the years, I love the colourful smaller details like the adorable tiny tree houses of the birds and the very impressive animation of when the blizzard sweeps on and instantly turns the sunny landscape into a winter wonderland, and when Woody's battered around in the snowy clouds by the figures like a tennis racket and briefly turns into one! The whole short is a beautiful one, everything is richly detailed and the action is very fluid, nothing looks poorly done or clunky, it's fun to watch and very easy on the eyes. This earlier version of Woody is much more fun and interesting than what they later made of him, not to mention downright psychotic once he gets going! It's a very fun short but it does have some rather dark themes in it, like Woody and the ugly Popeye-voiced cat's fight to cook and eat each other, which is slapstick but violent, and it's so macabre how they eat the poor hapless moose and all that's left of it is a pile of bones and its head stuck on a tree! And what an odd mistake neglecting to speed up Woody's voice like that at the end.. Just a neat little old cartoon that is very fun and satisfying to watch, this is a good example of am old animation studio at the top of their game. Great stuff, interesting funny inventive and pretty crazy! X

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

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.

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.