Toonerville Trolley: A short, weird ride through memory lane

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, if you have a soft spot for silent-era animation or just want to see how cartoons looked before they got all slick and polished, sure. It’s a breezy watch. People who hate slow pacing or don't care about animation history will probably be bored out of their minds.

The whole thing feels like a Sunday morning comic strip coming to life, but with a bit more shaking. I spent most of the runtime just watching the trolley itself, which has more personality than most modern CGI leads. It literally sways like it’s had one too many cups of coffee.

Katrinka is the real star here. She’s strong, she’s grumpy, and she treats that trolley like a stubborn mule that refuses to wake up on a Monday morning. There’s a specific bit where she’s cleaning the thing that feels almost too relatable if you’ve ever owned an old car that decides to die right when you’re late for work.

Then there’s the bull. I don't know why, but the bull in this feels genuinely menacing in that weird, flat, 2D way. When it decides to go after the trolley, the stakes feel surprisingly high for something that’s basically a doodle with legs. 🐂

It’s not as tightly put together as something like Mickey's Strategy, but that’s fine. It doesn't need to be. It has this loose, jangly energy that makes you feel like the whole frame might fall apart at any second. It’s charming in a way that feels completely unmanufactured.

I noticed a couple of frames where the line work gets a little fuzzy, almost like the artist was rushing to get to the pub. I loved that. It reminds you that a person actually sat there drawing this stuff by hand, one frame at a time.

It’s short. It’s silly. It’s a bit like watching a The Orphan-style drama but with way more slapstick and way fewer tears. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

• The trolley’s suspension is a lie.
• That bull has some serious anger management issues.
• The background art is surprisingly detailed for a quick gag.

Don’t go looking for deep meaning here. It’s just a trolley, a lady, and a bull in a field. And honestly? That’s plenty.