4.8/10
Senior Film Conservator

A definitive 4.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. South Pole or Bust remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for weird, jerky animation from the 1930s, you might get a kick out of this. If you are looking for anything remotely resembling physics or logic, please look elsewhere. Kids might find it funny, but adults are just going to be confused about how a dog gets a pilot’s license in the first place.
The whole thing kicks off with a dog, of all things, climbing into a cockpit. He’s got this mouse assistant who honestly looks like he’s just along for the ride and not really helping with the navigation. It feels a bit like watching Nutt Stuff in terms of sheer, unfiltered cartoon energy. They just fly off without a map, which seems like a bad call.
Once they hit the ice, things get weird. The walrus in this short is genuinely having a bad day. He’s not just grumpy; he’s actively trying to wreck their flight path like he’s the local sheriff of the South Pole. 🧊
The pacing is all over the place, which is fine, I guess. One second they are landing, and the next they are in a full-blown argument with a sea mammal. It’s not as polished as the stuff you see in The Opening Night, but it has this raw, scratchy charm that’s hard to hate completely.
I couldn't help but notice how the background art just sort of gives up halfway through. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Wild West, where the background seems like an afterthought. Honestly, who cares about geography when you have a walrus throwing hands?
It’s short. It’s loud. It’s completely nonsensical. Don't go in expecting a masterpiece, and you'll probably survive the experience. 🐕🐭