GrimPrecise
I'll tell you why so serious
BelSports
This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
Aubrey Hackett
While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.
TheLittleSongbird
Despite Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and his cartoons being popular and well received at the time, they have been vastly overshadowed over time by succeeding Disney characters (like Mickey, Donald and Goofy) and those from Looney Tunes. It is a shame as, while not cartoon masterpieces, they are fascinating for anybody wanting to see what very old animation looked like and what Disney animation was like before Mickey arrived on the scene.'Sky Scrappers' is not one of the best Oswald cartoons. It is not as good as its consistently funnier, more polished and more polished remake 'Building a Building', and there are Oswald cartoons that meet those three adjectives a little better such as 'Great Guns', 'Bright Lights' and 'Oh What a Knight'.This said, there is still not much wrong with 'Sky Scrappers'. It's slight and conventional in story and the pacing is at times too hectic (not unusual for an Oswald cartoon at this point).However, the animation is very good on the other hand, it's crisp and fluid enough with some nice detail especially with animation techniques still in early days. The music is lush and energetic, adding a lot rather than distracting and enhances the cartoon's quality even, the use of sound is never static and helps make the action understandable.Luckily the gags are numerous and also creative, well-timed and never less than amusing. Oswald is a likable lead character, and the other characters are fun.In summary, pretty good but not great. 7/10 Bethany Cox
morrison-dylan-fan
Originally believing that Walt Disney had only made Mickey Mouse films in 1928,I was surprised to discover in a post on IMDbs Classic Film board that Disney had made some movies in the same year for Universal,which led to me getting ready to meet Oswald.The plot:Working on a construction site,Oswald notices his boss trying to get his sweetheart.Seeing his boss ignore her refusals,Oswald decides to put down his lunch,and fight for his sweetheart.View on the film:Made as Disney was secretly preparing to set up his own studio,Disney still displays that he had an eye for keen sight gags,which go from a real "sausage" dog,to wonderfully weird scene involving a sausage dipping itself in mustard,and then walking back to the sandwich to get eaten.Whilst he does not give the animation extensive details,Disney handles the chase sequences with a superb crispness,as Oswald's chase around the site with his boss flows with a thrilling energy,as Oswald reaches for the sky.
MissSimonetta
Though the 1933 remake "Building a Building" is much better, "Sky Scrappers" is still an enjoyable cartoon, retaining the basic elements of the later version. Oswald is a construction worker and his girlfriend Sadie/Ortensia is selling boxed lunches. Hijinks ensue, especially after Oswald's boss Pete takes a shining to his girl and attempts to have his way with her.This is pretty much a typical cartoon of the period. It's well animated for the time and provides enough humor to make it worth at least one watch. It's very fascinating to compare Oswald and Mickey's shorts, especially since several contain similar gags, characters, and plot elements. You can definitely see some echoes of Harold Lloyd in there too.
F Gwynplaine MacIntyre
Before Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks made history with Mickey Mouse, Disney made some very similar cartoons featuring a character named Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Oswald and Mickey were both drawn in the same stark black-on-white style, and had similar adventures. In both cases, the most distinctive feature of the character was his ears: Mickey's were two black discs, whilst Oswald's were like long black exclamation points. The success of Mickey Mouse is largely down to the character's longevity, developing a distinct personality over the course of years and decades. Oswald never developed (artistically, nor as a character) to anything like Mickey's extent, but he was simply never given a chance to do so, as Disney dumped the Oswald character when Mickey made his debut.SPOILING ONE GAG NOW. 'Sky Scrappers' finds three characters -- Oswald, a Big Pete-style bully and a Minnie-ish female character -- all engaged in knockabout humour on a building site. The most startling gag occurs when Oswald's black skin is torn off, revealing his whitish outline underneath. Disney's crude animation hasn't bothered to include shadows for any of the characters. But in this set-up -- and only this one -- Oswald has suddenly acquired a shadow. So, of course we know what's going to happen: Oswald detaches his own shadow and then steps into it, giving himself a form-fitting black skin once again.I'll rate 'Sky Scrappers' -- and most of the other Oswald toons -- only 3 points out of 10. The 'Flip the Frog' cartoons that Ub Iwerks did without Disney are much better-drawn and funnier than the cartoons that Disney did without Iwerks.
