The 26 Little Lulu cartoons made during 1944-1948 (and the two made in the early 60s) were uneven (individually and the series as a general overview) but watchable.
'Snap Happy' is one of the average Little Lulu cartoons, without being one of the best or worst, very much like 'I'm Just Curious' and 'Daffidilly Daddy'. Comparing it to her previous cartoons (and there were both better and worse since though they'll be talked about individually at later times), there are better ones such as 'Hullaba-Lulu', 'Magica-Lulu' and 'Beau Ties'. There are also worse Little Lulu cartoons such as 'Lulu Gets a Birdie', 'Lulu at the Zoo' and 'Lulu's Birthday Party'.
Let's start with the good things. First and foremost, the animation is nice. The style of it may take some getting used to but when you compare this cartoon to Little Lulu's debut 'Eggs Don't Bounce' the difference is staggering, here the drawing is more refined and the colours more vibrant. Winston Sharples' music score is whimsical, beautifully orchestrated and characterful as always. The main song is infectious.
Parts of 'Snap Happy' are funny, such as with the bra, the photographer's very colourful reactions and the ending. The photographer is amusing, a funnier and more interesting character than Little Lulu, and Jackson Beck does a great job voicing him. In fact the voice acting in general is dependably solid.
However, Little Lulu has been more engaging in personality before and since. Here some of her antics do get a bit irritating, that it was amazing that the photographer didn't resort to drastic measures sooner. Too much of the humour is annoyingly contrived and like you've seen the same material before and much better executed.
Regarding the story, that's just as contrived as the gags and it's also pretty thin and routine. Parts try too hard to be cute and it comes at the expense of more consistent laughs and imagination.
Overall, not awful, not great, just average. 5/10 Bethany Cox
