SNMR 4.30: "Popeye"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "Popeye" (1980, PG, 113 minutes), starring Robin Williams, Shelley Duvall, Ray Walston, Paul Smith, Paul Dooley, Richard Libertini, Bill Irwin and Wesley Ivan Hurt. The film was directed by Robert Altman.

PLOT SUMMARY: Popeye (Williams) comes to Sweethaven, gets the girl Olive Oyl (Duvall), adopts a son, rescues his pappy (Walston) and beats up the bad guy Bluto (Smith) after eating a can of raw spinach, all while singing a happy tune. Yada yada yada.

MY OPINION: I remember seeing this film in the movie theater as an 11 year old boy. Back then I thought it was the coolest thing. Now not so much, though seeing this movie again after 27+ years brings back some fun childhood memories. I used to love watching the Popeye cartoons on television, both in b&w and in color.

The casting of Robin Williams as Popeye and Shelly Duvall as Olive Oyl were excellent choices. The visual effects are good but the story is too long and could have been accomplished just as well in 90 minutes or so. This is one of the first cartoons to be made into a feature film as far as I can recall. The director has definitely captured that cartoonish feel to the film, which is great, considering the source material.

It's a fun movie to watch with your kids (V and M liked it without ever having seen a Popeye cartoon) or if you were a fan of the old cartoons as I was.

** out of *****