In the realm of beloved animated characters that span generations of Americans, "Popeye" is right up near the top. And just like his buddies over at "Peanuts," he’s getting updated for the modern era. Perhaps cognizant that audiences may not want to see changes to the hero they’ve loved and recognized in a certain form for ages, Sony Pictures Animation is getting way ahead of the curve to assure everyone this will be okay.
The studio has dropped test footage—with temp voices and the caveat this sequence will not be used in the finished movie—to allow fans to get a taste of what Genndy Tartakovsky ("Hotel Transylvania") is putting together for his movie. But first, the filmmaker shares his enthusiasm for the project and character, and his desire to update it and be respectful and….you get the idea. As for the footage? It’s….fine. It’s about what we expect of a CGI "Popeye," all glossy round lines. We really hope the character of Olive Oyl is little less helpless in this contemporary redo.
"Popeye" is due on screens in 2016. [First Showing]
Tartakovsky keeps dancing around the one project all his fans want him to finish – Samurai Jack.
That said, Hotel Transylvania was harmless enough (not quite bad or good but middle of the road fare as far as animated comedies go) and Popeye getting another chance on the big screen isn\’t really a bad thing either, especially considering it could\’ve ended up in the hands of a Raja Gosnell-type and we could be treated to a Smurfs or Alvin & the Chipmunks styled trainwreck. Having it in the hands of a man who knows quality animation is at least one tick in the positive column.