Blunder Below (1942)

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

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

Blunder Below (1942) ** 1/2 (out of 4)With WWII in full bloom, a lot of Hollywood shorts were changing their normal subjects to be more considerate of the times. This short has Popeye on a Navy ship where he's not smart enough to do the math, which would allow him to be able to fire his weapon better. Soon a Japanese submarine is spotted.BLUNDER BELOW is a decent short for what it is but at the same time it's actually one of the weaker Popeye shorts from this era. The series was normally always good but this one here really is a minor blunder, just as the title says. The biggest problem with this short is that there aren't enough laughs to help keep it's running time moving. The animation is as great as always and the ending is a lot of fun but that's about it.

This is the second wartime cartoon and Popeye is back on-board the big Navy ship with a bunch of sailors who all look twice his size. The captain is explaining something about the ship which sounds so complicated that even Popeye is totally lost, which is understandable.A quiz then follows and Popeye can't write one answer. Afterward they all then go up top for some target practice. Naturally, our Sailor Man screws that up, too, and is sent to boiler room to shovel coal However, when an enemy submarine is spotted off starboard, there is only one sailor who can stop it? Care to guess who? How he does it is pretty funny with some unique sight gags. Just picture Popeye as a human torpedo and you get some idea of what you'll see.Sometimes, Popeye is about as powerful as Superman.

Generally, I don't like Popeye cartoons because I used to have animated nightmares (when I was little) with Popeye and Bluto fighting. But this one is actually about Popeye being a SAILOR man! I highly recommend seeking this one out especailly if you are a WWII buff.