The Super Snooper

As a huge lifelong fan of Looney Tunes and of Daffy Duck (one of Looney Tunes' best characters), while not quite one of my favourites The Super Snooper is a very entertaining spoof of film noir.

There is not much to criticise here actually. A couple of jokes are a tad corny (the ending didn't quite work for me) and it does feel a touch heavy on the slapstick occasionally.

Nevertheless it is still very entertaining indeed. Contrary to one reviewer, I for one thought the animation was very good. Sure there has been better animation before, but it is bright, colourful and atmospheric, the backgrounds are suitably detailed and fluid and the characters are very well drawn, as said the atmosphere evoked is highly effective. Carl Stalling can be counted on to provide a good music score, and he certainly does, great even. It is beautifully orchestrated and characterful as well as enhancing the action brilliantly in the way few other composers scoring cartoon shorts did so well.

Dialogue is smart, fresh and witty and the story spoofs the film noir genre in a brilliantly clever and remarkably suspenseful way. The gags a vast majority of the time work really well and the best of them like the piano, bullet-holes-in-Daffy's bill, the train and the goofy walk gags are incredibly funny. The characters work well on their own and complement each other beautifully. Daffy carries the cartoon with brilliant comic timing and great charisma, while the Lady Duck (possible inspiration for Jessica Rabbit?) is a deliciously seductive and potentially deadly counterpart.

Mel Blanc gives as always stellar vocal characterisations, again demonstrating his incredible and unequalled ability to voice multiple characters and give each of them a unique and different personality from one another. Marian Richman's voice acting is also very suited to the Lady Duck.

In conclusion, very entertaining and very good. Just not the best of Looney Tunes, or one of my favourites. 8/10 Bethany Cox