Oceantics (1930) Review - Felix is just doing his thing

Is it worth six minutes of your life?

If you like old-school animation that feels like a fever dream, then yes. It is basically for people who enjoy seeing the laws of physics get bullied by a cartoon cat.

People who need a serious story or 4K graphics will probably find this totally pointless. 🐱

I watched this while eating toast this morning and honestly, it's the perfect length for that. It’s an Otto Messmer short, so you know exactly what you’re getting into before the first frame even pops up.

The whole thing starts with Felix on a boat, but the boat is more of a suggestion than an actual vehicle. There is this one bit where he uses his tail to fix a problem, and it just makes you realize how much we lost when cartoons started trying to make sense.

The water is just these black wiggly lines that look like they were drawn by someone with a very steady hand but a very strange mind. It reminded me a bit of the vibe in Rides and Slides, though this one feels a bit more frantic.

There is a scene with a big fish—or maybe a whale?—that has these huge, tired eyes. It looks like it has been working a double shift at a factory and just wants Felix to leave it alone.

I noticed a few frames where the background just... blips out for a second. It is the kind of mistake you only catch if you are staring too hard, but it adds to the charm of these 1930s shorts.

Felix has this walk. You know the one. The hands behind the back, the slightly hunched shoulders—it’s pure swagger.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Oceantics (1930) through its definitive frames.

It’s weirdly more entertaining than some of the live-action stuff from the same year, like Girl Crazy, mostly because it doesn't have to follow any rules. The animation moves real fast and then slows down for a gag that isn't even that funny, but you laugh anyway because of the timing.

One thing that always gets me is how Felix can just detach parts of himself. It’s kind of body horror if you think about it too long, so I recommend not thinking about it at all.

• The sound of the waves is just a constant hiss.
• The fish looks like it’s judging your life choices.
• Felix’s tail is the most versatile tool in cinema history.

It doesn't have the polish of later Disney stuff, but it has way more soul. Or at least, it has more weirdness per square inch.

I think I liked Nip and Tuck a bit more for the sheer variety, but this is still a solid way to kill five or six minutes. The ending happens so fast you might miss it if you blink too long.

It’s just a cat on the ocean. Nothing more, nothing less. 🌊

The way the ink looks on the screen has this texture you just can't get anymore. It feels like someone actually sat there and sweated over these cells, even the ones that are slightly off-model.

If you're bored and want to see a cat fight the ocean, give it a go. It's better than scrolling through your phone for the same amount of time.