Gift Wrapped (1952)

hyped garbage

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who believes that the Looney Tunes franchise of cartoon shorts are some of the best sources of slapstick comedy in all of cinema. Next to Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, another duo that is known for the chase scenario is Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird, both of which are performed brilliantly by the man of 1000 voices himself Mel Blanc."Gift Wrapped" is the Christmas-themed Sylvester and Tweety cartoon from 1952. It isn't often that we see a Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoon that takes place around Christmas time, but in this film, it is the perfect set-up for Sylvester's on-going lust to finally catch and eat Tweety. This is similar to the concept of the 1941 Tom & Jerry short "The Night Before Christmas", in which the famous cartoon duo does their usual shtick in a Christmas setting. But that's another story.Sylvester wakes up on Christmas morning after failing to obtain a single mouse. He finds his present, only to find out it's a rubber mouse. All hope is lost for him, except a moment later, he hears Tweety singing "Jingle Bells". Peeking inside the wrapped cage is his long-awaited snack. However, Granny catches him in the act, and thus the good ol' scheming routine begins, with Sylvester failing every single time, with his only obstacles being Granny (obviously) and eventually a bulldog Sylvester finds in a present most likely for Granny.As I said before, the usual Sylvester and Tweety set-up and having it take place on Christmas day is a unique and welcome idea. The background artwork in the film catches the Christmas atmosphere to a tee, and the animation is top-notch as usual thanks to Friz Freling's (credited as I. Freling in this picture) direction. My only issue is that it could've gone on a little longer, as there were plenty more opportunities to be done. But it's a short film meant to fill in 7 minutes before the beginning of the main feature it's supposed to accompany (most likely a Christmas movie like "Christmas in Connecticut" or "The Shop Around the Corner").All in all, this is one of my favorite Sylvester and Tweety shorts, because it keeps to the formula while also making it a funny short to watch when it's on television during Christmastime, especially for those whose favorite Looney Tunes are Sylvester and/or Tweety, and I'm not just whistling Dixie, brother. The short alone can also be found on Volume 2 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection and Volume 2 of the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection if you are a collector.

Friz Freleng's 'Gift Wrapped' is a decent entry in the lacklustre Tweety and Sylvester series. A Christmas cartoon set entirely in a house on Christmas morning, 'Gift Wrapped' adheres to some pretty standard and not terribly funny jokes involving dynamite and surprisingly effective toy guns. Such gags can be made fresh again with the right execution but in the Sylvester and Tweety cartoons Freleng always seemed content to just play them the way they'd already been played a million times before. The addition of Granny and a Bulldog to proceedings adds a little colour and Tweety is not excessively annoying this time round either but the main thing that saves 'Gift Wrapped' from being as weak as the worst Tweety and Sylvester shorts is the impeccably realised festive atmosphere which gives the cartoon a pleasingly cosy feel. I used to love seeing 'Gift Wrapped' at Christmas when I was young and that happy memory has not totally deserted me as I watch it again. But sentiment is not enough to make a great cartoon and 'Gift Wrapped' remains merely OK, a mildly enjoyable trip down memory lane which opens with its best moment ("You just ain't whistling Dixie") and then fails to live up to it.

OK, since "Gift Wrapped" is set around Christmas, we can safely assume that Granny and Tweety are being good, while Sylvester and the dog - presumably named Hector - are being naughty. The main humor here is seeing how Sylvester uses the presents to go after Tweety...and when the dog appears unexpectedly (come to think of it, I could occasionally guess when he was going to appear). Everyone likes to use Christmas as the setting for something unusual (or would all this count as usual?); "Gremlins" did a really neat job with that.I figure that the cartoon mainly functions as a place holder in between the really great cartoons (1952 also saw "Operation: Rabbit"). So this is an OK, not great addition to the pantheon of Sylvester/Tweety cartoons. Passable.

"Gift Wrapped" is an excellent Tweety/Sylvester/Granny cartoon for the Christmas season. If only Sylvester had behaved himself, he would have had a joyous, peaceful Christmas. Fortunately, in the end, Granny sees to it that there will indeed be peace in her household.Highlights: Sylvester's toy crane accidentally lifts up Granny instead of Tweety's birdcage. Granny ends the short by playing the organ and singing Christmas carols with Tweety (although Granny cannot sing very well); Sylvester and the bulldog try to sing along, too, but Granny has sealed their mouths shut with Christmas tree stamps. The bulldog hides himself inside a large gift box and mightily chomps Sylvester when he opens the lid! Sylvester poses as Geronimo (with hilarious stereotypical musical accompaniment) and Tweety poses as Hopalong Cassidy; Sylvester pulls the cork out of Tweety's pistol and gets blasted! For a great Christmas comedy short, I highly recommend "Gift Wrapped." For all his trickery, Sylvester just can't seem to outwit Granny, and it's funny to see all of Sylvester's schemes backfire on him.