Target Snafu (1944)

Very well executed

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

. . . in the run-up to the Oct. 1944 release of TARGET: SNAFU, Chapter 2, in their MALE mosquito malaria menace malarkey, a follow-up to PRIVATE SNAFU VS. MALARIA MIKE from seven months earlier. During those 28 WEEKS, when Hitler murdered about two million more Jews--including teen diarist Anne Frank--and 24 million World War Two deaths were instigated overall, NO ONE expired at the prick of a MALE mosquito! Why were the Top Brains of the American War Machine so Hell-bent on wasting untold tax dollars publicizing a totally non-existent threat, while people were dropping like flies in the face of the REAL Horsemen of the Apocalypse? As anyone who's seen Tom Hanks' SAVING PRIVATE RYAN or Brad Pitt's FURY well knows, America's ACTUAL enemy--the Germans--specialized in dishing out a jaw-dropping level of Lethal Brutality matched only by the Epic Barbarity of their Japanese fellow travelers, as depicted in FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS, THE RAILWAY MAN, and HACKSAW RIDGE. If the Technical Fairy--First Class told Pvt. Snafu, "Go get a bucket, and wash the face of your predecessor off your battle station," it would have been worse for Troop Morale than yarns about blood-sucking MALE mosquitoes.

Another entry in the Private Snafu series made for use by the US Army during World War II. This one's directed by Friz Freleng and focuses on malaria and soldiers taking proper safety precautions against mosquito bites. This is at least the third Snafu short I've seen about the same subject. Malaria was undoubtedly a major concern for the soldiers in the Pacific at the time. This one is mostly just a narrated series of gags about mosquitoes as their own army with enrollment, training, and battle plans. It's all very cute and fun. The black & white animation is quite nice. Snafu doesn't even show up until near the end where we get get another shot of his bare backside, one of the most frequent ways the series took advantage of its not having to worry about the Production Code's censorship.

This is one of the shorts in the Private Snafu series of training films done under contract with the US Army during World War II. There will be spoilers ahead:This short is done from the "enemy's" point of view, the enemy in this case being mosquitoes carrying malaria. The mosquitoes are seen going through the same process used by the US to create, train and equip the forces sent into action in World War II. Many of the set pieces used in World War II movies of the period (a recruit bidding farewell to his girl, army physicals, training drills and so on) are shown here.The ultimate target for the mission which is being planned is the titular "hero" of the series, one Private Snafu, who makes what is essentially a glorified cameo toward the end, his sole dialog a scream when the mosquitoes strike his bare and exposed behind. The scene showing Snafu in the hospital, going through malarial infection, is nicely done.The mission a success, the squadron returns to base and is decorated for its efforts. The medal's designation is funny. By the way, if you've seen the Warner Brothers short, Of Thee I Sting, you've seen much of the footage here, which was used in that short with the addition of color.This short is available on various DVDs and also online. It's well worth seeing. Recommended.

This shows the Mosquitoes as soldiers training to give human soldiers malaria.And it so happens that Sanfu is their main target.This short has some similar gags you'd find in other Looney Tunes.Only downer is that they already made a short about why it's important to wore repel-et and sleep with bug nets at night.Should of been something else than Mosquitoes.Perhaps Snafu invading Berlin, or having him try to fight off Nazis or something other than this.This Snafu Toon is alright, just expected better is all.