Dave Fleischer was responsible for many gems. Ones that were amusing and charming, though over-cuteness did come through in some efforts and the stories were always pretty thin, with appealing characters, outstanding music and visuals that were inventive and with innovative animation techniques.
'Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh', for this period of the Popeye series, came over as disappointing. Worth watching certainly, but somewhat lacking. Have always enjoyed many of the Popeye cartoons a good deal and like Popeye very much, Fleischer's efforts were always well animated and scored with lots of entertainment value and great chemistry between Popeye and Olive Oyl. 'Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh' has enough of makes the Popeye series so appealing in its prime era and does nothing to waste the three main characters or make them less interesting.
The humour and gags are entertaining and there is a lot of good nature and charm here. The best parts are hilarious, especially with the spinach and some of Popeye's truly priceless lines.
All three characters are great, though Olive Oyl's material is not quite as great as Popeye and Wimpy's. The two are spot on and their chemistry drives 'Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh' and has so much energy. Popeye is always amusing and likeable enough and Olive likewise.
Furthermore, the animation is beautifully drawn and with enough visual detail to not make it cluttered or static and lively and smooth movement. The music is also outstanding, lots of merry energy and lush orchestration, adding a lot to the action and making the impact even better without being too cartoonish. Fleischer's direction is always accomplished and his style is all over it.
Voice acting is dynamic and of very good quality on the whole, Mae Questel is a good fit for Olive Oyl, the voice that most sticks in my mind for the character and who voiced her the best. Jack Mercer is the Popeye most familiar to me and he fits the character perfectly.
Unfortunately the stereotypical supporting characters are what particularly bring down 'Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh'. They are not very funny or have much personality, and they are not very appealing or subtle in design or behaviour. Stereotypes are not always a bad thing but these are likely to make the toes curl today and are of the time.
Do think there are more consistently funnier Popeye cartoons, that are cleverer and more inventively timed. Here the story seemed routine and lacked the consistent energy or creativity of the best Popeye cartoons from that period. Did find it on the bland side.
Overall, decent but unexceptional. 6/10 Bethany Cox