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5.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Bosko the Speed King remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
So, Bosko the Speed King from 1933. Is it worth your eight minutes today?
Yeah, totally, if you like that rubbery, pre-code animation where literally everything has a heartbeat. But if you hate repetitive jazz loops and cartoon physics that make zero sense, you will probably get annoyed fast.
The plot is basically nothing. Bosko is fixing up this jalopy of a car to race.
It's not trying to have big train-drama like The Western Limited. It is just pure, silly speed.
Honestly, the car is the best character. It has these droopy headlights that look like tired eyes, and it even sneezes! 🚗
There is this one bit early on where Bosko is pumping up a tire. But the tire doesn't just inflate... it sort of dances?
Then the dog Bruno gets his tail caught in a gears. It looks painful but he doesn't seem to mind much.
I noticed the background characters in the grandstands look like they were drawn by three different people who didn't talk to each other. Some are just black blobs bouncing up and down.
One guy in the crowd has a face that looks like a melted clock, its hilarious.
"The race starts and the logic just goes out the window."
Bosko's car literally stretches like a piece of chewing gum to pass another racer. How does that even work?
We don't care, it is just fun to watch. Then there is a weird moment where the track itself seems to bend.
Like, the dirt road has a bump that actively tries to trip the cars. I love when old cartoons treated inanimate objects like total jerks.
The sound design is incredibly loud. The engine sounds like a rusty washing machine full of wrenches.
My ears actually hurt a bit after because the sound mix is so scratchy and old.
Is it a masterpiece? Nah.
But it has this manic energy you just don't get anymore. It feels like it was drawn by people who drank way too much coffee on a Tuesday morning.