Checking out the weird rhythm of Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle

Is it worth your time?

If you like animation that feels like it was drawn in a fever dream, yes. If you are looking for a sensible story or modern logic, stay far away. This isn't exactly Frozen River, and thank god for that.

It’s barely seven minutes long, which is the perfect amount of time to spend watching a cartoon dog try to flirt with a woman who has eyes the size of dinner plates. The whole thing is basically just an excuse to string together a bunch of songs and weird, warping movements.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle (1932) through its definitive frames.

The animation is honestly a bit disturbing. Everything in this island world is made of jelly. When Betty dances, her arms and torso don't move like human parts; they move like liquid being poured into a shape.

I found myself staring at the background extras. They’re just repeating the same two frames of motion over and over again. It’s hypnotic, but also feels a little lazy, or maybe just incredibly efficient for 1932. Who knows.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle (1932) through its definitive frames.

There is a sequence where a bunch of native characters are drumming, and the rhythm is just so relentless. It gets under your skin. You can tell the animators were obsessed with matching the visuals to the beat, sometimes at the expense of anything resembling a personality for the characters.

Bimbo is mostly just there to look surprised. He gets into a few scrapes, but he’s basically just a placeholder for the audience. He doesn't have the same level of charm you might see in something like Way Out West, but he’s functional enough.

Is it a masterpiece? No. It’s a relic of a time when animators were still figuring out just how much they could warp reality before it broke. Sometimes it feels like they went a step too far, and that's the best part.

• The way Betty’s skirt just… expands. I don’t think that’s how fabric works.
• The music is catchy, but it will definitely be stuck in your head for three days.
• Why is there a singing coconut? Don’t ask.

It’s not trying to be a deep, meaningful experience. It’s trying to be a weird, frantic, musical trip to an island that doesn't exist on any map. Sometimes you just need to watch a cartoon dog dance with a woman who defies the laws of physics. 🥥✨