For Better or Worser (1935)
For Better or Worser Review
For Better or Worser is a 1935 animated short from the Popeye the Sailor series. It is an absolutely terrific entry that is one of the very best in the series.
Popeye wants to find a wife mainly for cooking and the service provides him Olive, but he has to fight with Bluto to get her. Eventually he sees how ugly she is with all of the make-up and dumps her. I adored that finale and found it to be simply hilarious and it’s one of the best concluded cartoons ever! This is the best use of Olive thus far and I like that they mocked her appearance extensively as that lead to many laugh out loud moments.
But the attention to detail is also exquisite from the building and service being so well established to the animation which is gorgeous and so smooth, groundbreaking and realistic in some sequences. The characterization is superb as both Bluto and Popeye are so well depicted this time around with Popeye being so funny and endearing at the same time. I love that Wimpy was there as well. The plot is perfect for the series and is used wonderfully. I just wish that the action was better as some of it was not that great or memorable, but for the most part, it’s just perfect and so incredibly satisfying. It is one of the finest entries in the series and one of the essential Popeye cartoons to see.
For Better or Worser is one of the best that Popeye has to offer with exquisite animation, absolutely amazing use of all the characters, great plot and just brilliant humor.
