Fightin Pals (1940) *** (out of 4)Popeye is at home listening to the radio when news breaks that Bluto has gone missing in Africa. Popeye decides to go there and try to look for his pal.This here is a rather short and quick entry in the long-running series and it has the type of gags that you'd expect. Once Popeye reaches Africa it's pretty much him running into various wildlife and of course he eventually finds Bluto and I'm sure you can guess what happens. As usual the animation is quite great and there's a terrific fast-pace to the film that certainly helps it move along.

Popeye and Bluto being best friends? Yup, hard to believe but that's the scenario here. I never thought I'd see Popeye pining away, all depressed because Bluto wasn't around, but that's how our sailor guy is portrayed in this story. Those guys love punching each other more than anything, it seems. That's their joy in life.When "Dr. Bluto's African Expedition" sails away - after the two guys duke it out on the pier - Popeye sits home alone bummed out because his fighting pal isn't around. One day he hears a radio broadcast that Dr. Bluto has been lost in "darkest Africa." Popeye immediately sets out in his little boat for Africa to save his buddy.After that shock, the story is very predictable with only a few laughs, just Popeye playfully battling a rhinoceros, lion and elephant and then finding his buddy living the Life Of Riley with "wine, women and coconuts - what more could a man ask for?" Well, another good fist fight with his best friend.Overall, cute but not one of the more humorous Popeye cartoons. Generally speaking, 1940 seems to mark a lull during the Popeye cartoon history, picking back up later in the decade when some familiar voices reappear and the stories get more comical.