Aiden Melton
The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
Zlatica
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
Marva
It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,
Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
I have to say in terms of the animation and also the story that these Snafu films are among the worst Warner Bros. had to offer in the 1940s. Of course, it also does not help that they are in black-and-white. So it's a good thing that most of them do not run for the usual 7 minutes, but only for 4-5 like this one here as well. Basically everything we see here is a dream by the main character as we find out at the end. There is as always a rough male fairy-like conscience speaking to him on many occasions and it is very war-related as they all are. I think this is also the only aspect that makes this one here or most of the others worth a watch: the way military- or war-related contents were depicted in cartoons during the days of World War II. Apart from that, a very forgettable little movie despite the inclusion of the legendary Freleng and Blanc. Not recommended.
Robert Reynolds
This is a short done during World War II for the US Army under a contract with Warner Brothers studio. There will be spoilers ahead:This is the second Private Snafu short (Coming! Snafu is a introduction to the character which doesn't have a specific lesson other than to reveal Snafu as a bad soldier).Snafu is disgruntled at his lot in the army. He's shown on KP, being giving shots by the army doctors and laying in bed sick. While sick, he complains that he could do a better job running the command. At this, we meet Technical Fairy, First Class for the first time and he gives Snafu his opportunity. Be careful what you wish for.Snafu essentially eliminates all discipline by ending drills, requirements to wear uniforms, getting each soldier two girls and in general eliminating anything which even smacked of hard work or rules. The results of this are predictable. Snafu has no command, as his men are no longer soldiers.Then the Nazis attack and Snafu is alone, his men ignoring him and telling him where to go when he tries to get them to fight. Snafu gets it in the end, literally. The end is excellent.This short is available on various DVDs and online and it's well worth watching. Recommended.
TheLittleSongbird
Not among the best of the Private Snafu cartoons like Spies and Booby Traps are but Gripes, the second cartoon in the series, while very predictable and slightly slow-starting is a solid early effort. The backgrounds are very crisply drawn, the black and white holds up well and the character animation is expressive enough, overall Gripes is very nicely animated. Gripes also has a highly characterful and energetic music score in unmistakable Carl Stalling fashion, the use of pre-existing tunes was well-done, and while predictable and with one of the most bizarre concepts of any Private Snafu cartoon the story is not once dull and does a good job sustaining the very short length of the cartoon(only 4 minutes), the message is not much different from other Private Snafu cartoons but makes its point effectively and in a way that's not heavy-handed. Gripes scores highly in the humour and writing department too, there are wittier and more daring Private Snafu cartoons but the often rhyming dialogue is very smart and even hearing it you'll have no trouble figuring out that it's Dr Seuss behind it. And the cartoon is full of gags that are very odd but in an endearing way and not only are a lot of them ahead of their time- though the series has had even more daring material than this- but they're funny too(if admittedly more so from an adult perspective), the best of which relating to bottoms. Snafu while very inept, which is basically what the Private Snafu cartoons are about, is still a very likable protagonist and the Technical Fairy is hilariously witty, both of which wonderfully voiced by Mel Blanc. Overall, not one of the best of the series but still solid stuff and makes for 4 entertaining minutes. 8/10 Bethany Cox
emasterslake
This starts out with Snafu telling that he was hoping to start fighting the Germans and Japanese. But he ends up doing the cleaning and community Service at the Army Base.He hates the way the army is, and the way it's treating him.He wished to make the army different if he were in charge.Luckily his wish came true with the help of Technical Fairy First Class. Who gives Snafu more Ranks to make him the boss of the Army Base.It's the greatest thing that happened to Snafu. But being the boss isn't as great as it seems.This is one of the best Friz Freleng Snafu cartoons next to "Fighting Tools".Recommended to all the fans of Friz Freleng's toons.
