Toby Tortoise Returns: A cartoon brawl that hits different

Is it worth your time?

If you have seven minutes and a soft spot for 1930s animation, sure. It’s a quick watch. Animation buffs will get a kick out of the character designs, but if you’re looking for a deep narrative, you’re in the wrong place. If you get annoyed by repetitive gags or classic slapstick violence, maybe skip this one.

The whole premise is basically: what if we took the funniest part of the original race and shoved it into a ring? Max Hare is still the same arrogant show-off, and Toby is still, well, a turtle. Except now they’re wearing gloves. The transition from track to boxing is handled with that classic, loose-limbed fluidity that modern CGI just can’t seem to replicate.

There’s this moment where Max starts dancing around the ring, completely over-confident, and it’s genuinely funny how much personality they pack into just a few frames. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in The Clown's Pups, where the chaos feels like it’s about to break the screen at any second.

The animation is honestly better than it has any right to be. The way Toby just takes a beating without really reacting is a bit dark, if you think about it too long. It’s not exactly a sophisticated commentary on sportsmanship, but it doesn't try to be. It’s just violent, silly, and fast.

I found myself wondering if Max Hare ever considered just… not being a jerk? Probably not. It’s the kind of movie that gets better the less you think about the physics of a tortoise throwing a punch. You can tell the animators were just having a blast with the squash-and-stretch on the boxing gloves.

• The crowd reaction shots are hilarious, full of weird, unidentifiable animals.
• Max Hare’s ego is the real villain here.
• The ending is exactly what you expect, but it still lands perfectly.

Sometimes, I think about how different this feels from the more grounded stuff like Der Andere. It’s like, one is trying to show you the soul, and this is just trying to show you a rabbit getting punched in the nose. I know which one I’d rather watch on a Friday night. 🥊

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a tight, efficient little cartoon. It doesn't overstay its welcome. And honestly, watching Max Hare get humbled again? It never gets old. 🐢