Absolutely Fantastic

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Blistering performances.

This is in the very top tier of Looney Tunes cartoons from director Chuck Jones. It feels more cohesive and less abstract than something like Dover Boys, but completely separate from his later, best known work. It was produced in 1945, right as beautiful, fully drawn backgrounds for cartoons were reaching their peak. The animation of the characters is also impressive, and conveys personality much better than most one-shot characters. And as an added bonus, there's actually a great subtext in its unusual subject matter that could apply to any number of subjects, political or social.When forced to interpret the situation of a steak gone from a plate, which owner wouldn't believe the cat was the selfish ingrate and the dog the stalwart champion? It raises some interesting questions about preconceived notions, though I don't believe it was intended to answer them or send any particular message. The last scene in particular gives the impression that there is indeed some serious motive behind the ludicrous story, related somehow to hero worship and public figures not at all turning out to be who they seemed to be. But this is just icing on the cake - even if you don't think about what it means, it's a wonderful cartoon all around.

I absolutely LOVE this cartoon. It may very well be my all-time favorite cartoon. But I must warn people of this cartoon, because people either understand the message that this cartoon is attempting to convey and love the cartoon, or people don't understand it and hate the cartoon. Now why would anyone hate a cartoon? Because this cartoon has one of the most sadistic plots in Hollywood history. An evil dog named Shep is continuously stealing, attempting to kill other dogs, and many other things. Meanwhile, a cat is continuously saving the day, only to be accused of the incident in the first place. The thing that really bothers people, though, is that justice is not served at the end. Shep the dog becomes a national hero after the cat saves two dog's lives and Shep takes the credit. I am glad that the cartoon ended this way, because too many movies and cartoons end with the good guy always winning, and that takes away some of the credibility of the story. This is a very bold cartoon, and is also absolutely hilarious, but its not for everyone. I believe that the message that this cartoon tries to make is about how the media always tries to find some scapegoat for every problem in America, and people always blindly follow the media without checking the facts. WATCH IT.

This Chuck Jones directed masterpiece is sometimes misunderstood by people who don't get the satirical message. It's about the relationship of a pet owner and his dog and cat. To his master Shep the dog appears loyal and kind, but in reality is completely amoral and conniving. He frames his crimes on the unnamed cat in the cartoon, who is actually the kind and loving pet, so that the poor cat gets the blame from their master. This is one of the darker Jones cartoons from the 40's. Jones made a series of them, when he was teamed with the writer Mike Maltese, and it is likely that Maltese provided the caustic flavor for these. ***SPOILER ARLERT***Like in the cartoon CHOW HOUND (1950), FRESH AIREDALE is about wanting to get revenge on those who are responsible for suffering, but unlike the former film, the latter has a downbeat ending. There is no justice at the end of AIREDALE, unlike the darkly satisfying revenge enacted in CHOW HOUND. This makes the cartoon a rarity in the history of American animation -- a truly ironic ending where evil triumphs. Shep gets away with it because he is able to charm and deceive people, like a consummate politician. In a way, AIREDALE reminds me of the darker films of the 70's, so it's ahead of it's time in a way. It's obvious that the cartoon was meant for adults, rather than the small tykes. It's a little too sophisticated for the wee ones.

Don't get me wrong, I, personally, have admired Chuck Jones and his cartoons have been a major influence on me...BUT I HATED THIS ONE!!! Is it just me or was the whole message of this cartoon very negative and pessimistic. Just the fact that the one character you hate in this cartoon gets his way while the "hero" gets slapped around up until the end of the cartoon. I have to change the channel whenever this one comes on.