Eric Stevenson There appear to be an infinite number of live-action movies based on cartoons and 90% of them are just plain bad. You could probably rank them next to movies based on video games as the worst kind of film genre out there. This was none other than the first ever live-action movie based on a cartoon. As such, is it a case of first installment wins? I mean, I've seen so many downright awful live-action adaptations that are nothing like the source material and are just plain stupid. But really, this film holds up way better than most of those other movies. Again, I'm going to admit some bias with this because it stars Robin Williams. It's great to see him in one of his youngest roles.What I really do love about this movie is how faithful it is to the cartoon. I mean, if you seriously compare the clothes and appearances that it had, you really will find out this movie is pretty spot on. Obviously, it's hard to adapt a cartoon, but they really do want to do it faithfully. It seems like most of these films make the mistake of not being cartoonish enough or being too cartoonish. This really did seem to go pretty well in the middle. For all the slow parts, there were some really good goofy sound effects and cartoon like slapstick. It actually does feel like you're watching the original cartoon. It does hold the distinction of being the highest ranked live-action adaptation on RottenTomatoes.And yeah, it does have faults. It probably could have been trimmed by a half hour as the story seems to get a bit too complicated at times. It's still great to see characters like Wimpy and Lil' Swee Pea represented so well. I really do like the atmosphere of the movie. I especially like the scenes in the diner where they're tossing these cartoonish looking burgers around. It just has a nice quaint feeling to it. It gets best near the end where it really starts to feel like a standard Popeye cartoon. It actually works pretty well as an origin story. You see Popeye meeting the other characters and discovering spinach. I would not go so far as to recommend this, at least not to people who aren't Popeye fans. Of course, in an age of horrendous films like "Jem And The Holograms", it's worth watching over and over. ***

Python Hyena Popeye (1980):Dir: Robert Altman / Cast: Robin Williams, Shelley Duvall, Paul Smith, Paul Dooley, Ray Walston: Live action cartoon based upon the spinach-eating sailor. Robin Williams conveys Popeye from facial expressions to posture to big forearms. He is in search for his father but his new found companionship with Olive Oyl leads to the adoption of Sweet Pea. Simple plot gives way to many songs playing back to back with an exciting climax where Popeye must battle Bluto and an octopus. Director Robert Altman deserves credit for the tremendous translation. He previously made such films as Nashville, McCabe and Mrs. Miller and M.A.S.H. Williams is the complete vision of the sailor who is in search of family and companionship. Shelley Duvall sports the high pitch voice and long limbs of Olive Oyl. She will be rescued by film's end but she embodies the physical and vocal features. Paul Smith steals the entire film as the tyrant Bluto from the moment he sings, "I'm Mean." He will be turned yellow once Popeye learns of his secret ability with spinach. Paul Dooley plays hamburger craving Wimpy who attempts to use Sweet Pea's whistling to better his gambling. Ray Walston plays Popeye's father who simply goes by the name Pappy. Casting is key and rises this film above gutter level. Well made and delivers on the comic book appeal to great effect. It is visually successful despite its simplicity. Score: 9 / 10

Bellatrice I have always loved cartoons from the depression era when many of the studios were still located in New York. The "stretch and squeeze," morphing (and other physical impossibilities) were hallmarks of these animated films. They also reflected the times. "Snow White, Any Rags, Pots'n Pans, the Old Man of the Mountain" are works I never tire of watching. They reflect gritty street life, wishful thinking, hunger (I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today), poverty, joie de vivre and hope.This era also gave rise to many cartoon strips which served as inspiration for animated films. Max Fleisher was one of the pioneers. He created Betty Boop, Popeye, Gullivers Travels and many more. I think the movie pulled off a miracle in keeping that surreal quality. Robert Altman was the perfect director with his busy visuals and overlapping dialogue. The set design reminded me of Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas with its crazy, cartoony settings. And Shelley Duvall was brilliant as Olive Oyl!This film reflects an imagined reality far different than that of Spongebob, and unless one seeks it out, it's not that easy to find. Check out YouTube if you're curious.

Wuchak Robert Altman's "Popeye" (1980) features Robin Williams in the titular role, Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl, Ray Walston as Pappy and others as Bluto, Wimpy and so on. These actors are outstanding as these characters, particularly Williams and Duvall. Unfortunately, I found the story boring and the excellent seaside Malta set too confining and therefore increasingly dull. If Altman would have included a more compelling story it would've worked better for adults. As it is, its appeal is limited to small kids, hardcore Popeye fans and devotees of Williams.The reason 1994's The Flintstones" and even the 2000 sequel worked so well (for me anyway) was because they both had interesting and entertaining stories. "Popeye" is dull by comparison, although somewhat amusing. If my wife -- who loves the movie -- wasn't with me I would've never gotten through it.The film runs 114 minutes (too long).GRADE: C-