NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

TheLittleSongbird Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.Also have much admiration for Tex Avery, an animation genius whose best cartoons are animated masterpieces and some of the best he ever did. 'Screwball Squirrel' signals the first appearance of the short lived character of Screwy, and of his five cartoons it's one of his best. Despite being a compelling, much more anarchic than his sweet appearance and funny character, as well as being charismatic enough to carry his cartoons as a lead character (as he does here), it is somewhat easy to see why Screwy didn't click and didn't last long, being a brash character with few sympathetic qualities.Tex Avery does a wonderful job directing, with his unique, unlike-any-other visual and humour style all over 'Screwball Squirrel'. The cartoon is wonderfully over-the-top, very creative in its violent nature and some of it is hilarious, avoiding the potential trap of being too cutesy despite the opening.'Screwball Squirrel' as always with Avery is beautifully animated. The character designs are unique, Avery always did have creative character designs, and suitably fluid. The music, courtesy of Scott Bradley, is lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms and fits very well indeed.Voice acting is very good. The ending is a little too sadistic for my tastes, one really hates the uncalled for treatment of the cute squirrel at the hands of Screwy and the dog.Otherwise, this is great. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "Screwball Squirrel" is an animated short film from 1944, so two more years until this one has its 75th anniversary. Of course, the name "cartoon" is more accurate as it runs for slightly over 7 minutes as they usually did/do and the name of director Tex Avery is inevitably linked to the Golden Age of Cartoons back then. It's a production by MGM and looking at the production companies Hanna Barbera were also involved. I believe this is the very first of several cartoons starring Screwy Squirrel and probably also the most famous. Still, even if this cartoons is still relatively well-known today, I believe it is for a reason that Screwy has long been forgotten by almost everybody. I believe that reason is that this simply was not a funny watch by any means. There are many interesting ways in which the animators played with the audience, not just from the visual side, but also from the audible side. What we hear as soundtrack or sound effects is referenced in the film on more than one occasions. I think this is a good watch for aspiring animators because it is as fast as it is witty and creative. But it simply isn't fun really unfortunately compared to many other works by WB or Disney from that times, works that may not have been as intelligent as this one here, but were 5 times more entertaining. The train scene at the very end is the perfect example. It's just nothing remotely memorable at all when they were trying to go for fun for once. It's your choice what you prefer. I myself give this one a cautious thumbs-up. It is probably worth seeing. But just once.

talarisw Tex Avery is probably the best and most influence cartoon director of his time. He was truly the anti-Disney, and this cartoon is one of the best examples of that. I love his style, it was so unique and really ahead of it's time. My favorite character of his is Screwy Squirrel,he clearly was created as an anti-mickey mouse and this cartoon has very much an anti-Disney or anti-early MGM attitude. I love how he constantly breaks the fourth wall and how there is no plot, it's just screwy showing the audience that a manic chase is more entertaining then a sweet cartoon. My favorite gag is when the film start skipping and screwy simply walks over and fixes the record. I understand that some thought he was too violent and mean, but he's funny and unique! I like how for some reason he sounds like he has a cold and often sniffs, weird, but I like it. His laugh is great, Wally Mahar did his voice, and screwy reminds me of bratty kid who likes to cause mayham for his own pleasure. Mayabe movie goes at the time didn't get such a wacky character who constantly talks directly to them, but he has a cult following. I love that screwy squirrel!

Seamus2829 This was the first appearance of Screwy Squirrel, and like most of Tex Avery's animated shorts for Fred Quimby at M-G-M, filled with sight gags aplenty,along with the usual kinetic pacing that put Avery on the map. Screwy wasn't as popular as some of the other cartoon characters of the period (let's face it---Screwy is little more than Avery's answer to Bugs Bunny,like Woody Woodpecker was Walter Lanz's answer to Bugs). This short begins looking like it's going to be yet another 'Happy Harmony' short (M-G-M's answer to Disney's 'Silly Symphony' shorts,complete with cutsy woodland creatures & plots that can bring on diabetic shock),but this is flushed down the crapper fast, once Screwy makes his debut. Screwy manages to taunt a bloodhound (known as Meathead)for almost all of the short (with some pretty sadistic,but funny results). Toss in a sprinkle of Avery's use of surrealism, and you have yourself a laugh fest. Aired at various times on Cartoon Network's sister station, Boomerang, or on one of several early M-G-M Avery DVD's.