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7.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Shiver Me Timbers! remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have seven minutes to kill and a high tolerance for disjointed, frantic animation, sure. It is perfect for people who grew up on the old black-and-white stuff, but honestly, anyone looking for a coherent story will probably just find it exhausting. It moves way too fast to actually be scary, even though it clearly wants to be.
The whole thing starts with the trio just wandering onto a ghost ship like they are walking into a diner. No hesitation, no common sense, just right into the spooky fog. Classic Popeye logic.
The ship itself is all creaks and groans. It has that distinct, jittery feel that makes you wonder how many frames they actually drew for some of these sequences. Sometimes it looks smooth, other times it looks like the characters are vibrating through the floorboards.
Wimpy is the best part, obviously. He stays true to his brand even when literal ghosts are trying to drag him to the afterlife. I mean, the guy is still looking for a hamburger while the boat is literally falling apart around his ears. That is commitment.
There is this one moment where a ghost pops out, and the animation gets so erratic it is hard to tell what’s a monster and what’s just a chair moving on its own. It reminded me a bit of the frantic pacing in The Adorable Deceiver, where everything just happens because the script says so, not because of physics or plot.
The ghosts themselves? They are not exactly terrifying. They are more like nuisances, really. They act like rowdy neighbors trying to evict the guests, throwing things and making spooky noises while Popeye just stands there looking confused. It is less "cursed ship" and more "haunted frat house."
The sound design is just relentless. It is all high-pitched whistling and squeaky wood sounds. It makes the whole experience feel like a headache you can watch. Honestly, it is kind of impressive how much noise they packed into such a short time.
I found myself staring at the background art more than the characters. The way the ship seems to warp and stretch is actually kind of creepy, in a weirdly artistic way. It’s like the ship is made of rubber. I’m not sure if that was intentional or just budget constraints, but it works.
It’s not as heavy or somber as something like Canada's Mountain of Tears, obviously. It’s just a cartoon. But there is something strangely hypnotic about how it just doesn’t care about explaining itself. It just tosses you into the deep end and expects you to keep up with the nonsense. ⚓👻
IMDb 5.6
1923
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