Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941)

It is a performances centric movie

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Although Max Fleischer's Gulliver's Travels got a cold critical reception upon its original release in 1939, it did well enough to give the studio another feature to produce. This second feature ended up as Mr. Bug Goes to Town, a more original and modern tale set in New York City as opposed to being based on some other form of medium. Sadly, the film did poorly at the box office due to the events of Pearl Harbor, not helped by the inner feud that went on between Max and Dave Fleischer. Soon afterwards, Paramount forced the Fleischer brothers to resign from their own studio by contract, thus causing the defunct of the Fleischer Studio and the reformation of Paramount's own Famous Studio....so yeah, the film was met with nothing but trouble upon its release...and yet, it's better than Gulliver's Travels.Set in a vacant corner in Manhattan called the Lowlands, the bugs that reside there deal with humans interfering with their homes, whether by dropping cigarettes on it or by doing all sorts of ruckus. Upon his arrival, Hoppity the grasshopper finds hope of a new garden home around the house of two humans, Mary and Dick. However, the crooked C. Bailey Beetle wants the Lowlands and Hoppity's sweetheart Honey all to himself, so it's up to Hoppity to save the bugs and their own homes. Unlike Gulliver, the story has enough momentum and entertainment value to warrant a watch, as we get to see just enough of the bugs to feel sorry for them and to want them to have better lives. As such, when the film gets suspenseful, it's hard not to want Hoppity to succeed in saving the critters and to win over the nasty beetle. Not to mention, we also feel sorry for the aforementioned humans since Dick is trying to write songs for Broadway to get his career off and to keep his house in solitary confinement, making the film surprisingly relatable. In addition, the third act is the most suspenseful part of the film, and while it does get a little too overwhelming, it produces the right amount of hysteria when the bugs flee from their grounds getting destroyed. It's no wonder the story is more appealing than Gulliver, it's more relatable to those who deal with similar issues in real life.As for the characters, while most of them aren't exactly fully fleshed out, they're still charming enough to root for. Hoppity is the kind hearted soul who wants what's best for his folk, Honey is the sweat hearted love interest, her father Mr. Bumble is the lovable old squirt whose always looking out for himself and others, and...well, that's all there really is to them. They're certainly not unlikeable, they're just not the most memorable characters around, but at least they're good natured and want everyone safe and sound. On the other hand, the antagonistic C. Bailey Beetle is quite the devilish conman who will always try to get what he desires, and it's not hard to scorn the insect when he performs his dastardly deeds. Although, his henchmen Swat the fly and Smack the mosquito are the most entertaining characters in the whole film, mainly from their bumbling comedic nature and witty banter. So yeah, the characters may not be three dimensional, but the horrible outcomes that happen around them make it hard not to feel for them.As for the animation, the film manages to recreate a solid looking New York street of the 1940s by presenting a world smaller than ours, making the perspective more visually interesting. Where the humans are more realistic in both movement and design, the bugs have a more cartoony presence that makes them a lot of fun to watch, complete with lively acting and humorous facial expressions. This is a much better contrast between realistic and simplistic characters, since it creates two different species in their own separate realities rather than trying to make realistic and cartoony humans exist in the same world like Gulliver. Not to mention, the bigger stuff like skyscrapers, shovels, leveled dirt and water look exceptionally well crafted, showing how much hard work hours were put in crafting equipment during the days of consistent hand-drawn animation.Now I will admit, I don't remember too many of the songs, as most of them didn't leave too much of an impact. The only one I remember is "Katy Did, Katy Didn't", which is a very upbeat and jazzy song reminiscent of jazzy show songs of the 1940s, with jive lyrics and smooth choreography. The rest, while not terrible, feel more like an after thought that mostly blend in the background, and they didn't offer enough memorable melodies or lyrics to sing along to, but that's just me.It really is a shame that the Fleischer studio ended when it did, because judging by this film, they really could've progressed making more brilliant works. Overall, Mr. Bug Goes to Town is a vast improvement over Gulliver's Travels with a more engaging story and stakes, more consistently smooth animation, better laughs and a touching tribute to Broadway. Sure most of the characters aren't all that special and the songs could've had more substance, but the fact that the film details the daily struggles that some people suffer from in the world, whether their houses getting wrecked or having to leave their home due to financial turmoil, really speaks to me. It's unfair to see anybody have to suffer with such a loss, and everyone deserves a chance to live a free and well mannered life like you and I. Give this film a watch to understand just how devastating the loss of a home can truly be.

Long before A Bug's Life or Antz there was Mr. Bug Goes to Town, a charming but flawed animated film from Dave and Max Fleischer. I'm a big fan of the Fleischers' work. Their Superman, Popeye, and Betty Boop cartoons are some of my favorites. Their first foray into full-length animation was 1939's Gulliver's Travels, which has its share of detractors but I like it a lot. I don't like Mr. Bug quite as much but it is worth a look. The story follows a community of bugs that live in a vacant lot. One bug in particular, Hoppity the grasshopper, is at the heart of most of the goings-on in this somewhat rambling story that eventually becomes about the bugs trying to save their home and Hoppity's girlfriend being forced to marry a villainous beetle.The animation is beautiful and charming but I found something off with this one. The voicework and music score are pedestrian and the general tone of the movie is a little flat. I'm not really sure if I can put my finger on it but the first forty-five minutes or so feels slow and aimless. It's lovely to look at throughout but the last half hour is the most exciting. Despite its flaws this is an enjoyable animated film that plays well to little kids, as well as adults who appreciate the craftsmanship that went into making quality animation back in the day. Unfortunately Mr. Bug was a financial disaster for the Fleischers and led to the brothers being ousted from their own studio, which was renamed Famous Studios by Paramount. Part of the reason for it flopping was undoubtedly its bad luck of being released two days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. It's an interesting movie, especially for animation buffs, and I do believe it will entertain the right audience. See it for the lovely animation if nothing else.

Wow, every single use review on this site is a rave! I have to conclude that this is a movie all these people first saw as children and have fond memories of.As an adult who watched this because of its historical significance, I found it often tedious. There were clever ideas here and there, notably in the bugs' interaction with the human world, and a vaguely exciting finale, and some good songs, but it's very corny and very predictable and very much for kids only.It's a shame the Fleischer Brothers never made a feature with the surreal imagination of their shorter works. They never did Disney as well as Disney did, and one wonders what would have happened if they'd made a Betty Boop movie instead of this and Gulliver's Travels.

Although never received well critically, this is a truly beautifully animated movie. This film, made at the outbreak of WW2 was one of the first 5 full length animated films ever made, and displays superb animation. Excellent too is the way human castoffs are used by the insects. Unfortunately the character of the principal villain is weak and two dimensional, and the story suffers as a result. The songs, however, are among the best I can recall in any animated film, and "Castle in the air" has to be one of my all time favorites. Unfortunately Max Fleisher was not as independent as Walt Disney, and as a result was never given an opportunity by Paramount to make another animated feature. However, the two that Fleisher was able to release will continue entertaining us for generations to come.