Growing up with Genndy Tartakovsky’s cartoon output has given me a lot of love for the guy. Dexter’s Laboratory, his involvement with Craig McCracken’s The Powerpuff Girls, and his unquestionable masterpiece Samurai Jack are fantastic shows that deserve all the love they are shown. I missed out on his Sym-Bionic Titan, and his most recent endeavor was the uninspired Hotel Transylvania (does that film have defenders?), so when I heard that he was attached to do a cartoon feature of Popeye, I was somewhat excited. What got me really pumped was this sizzle reel that was released last year:
I love the rubbery motion and zany physics that have been missing from a lot of animated feature films, and a return to a more classic kind of cartoon was exciting. Today is another day where I’m reminded that getting excited for something means I’m unwittingly contributing to its inevitable demise.
Tartakovsky told Moviefone that he’s no longer involved with the project, and that Popeye might be getting shelved completely. That’s a big bummer, since you can tell that Tartakovsky wasn’t just doing something easy in order to cash in (I get that feeling from the Hotel Transylvania movies). He really digs Popeye, and knowing that his version won’t see the light of day has got me searching for some old Popeye cartoons to watch.
Were you excited for what this promo reel promised, Chewers?