Was very fond of Woody Woodpecker and his cartoons as a child. Still get much enjoyment out of them now as a young adult, even if there are more interesting in personality cartoon characters and better overall cartoons.That is in no way knocking Woody, because many of his cartoons are a lot of fun to watch and more and also still like him a lot as a character. 'The Redwood Sap' is a very well done Woody Woodpecker take on the story of 'The Ant and the Grasshopper'. It may not be one of Woody's best (hardly among his worst either), it is very easy all the time to see where the cartoon is heading story-wise.While there are more interesting characters, Woody is an amusing character and never too obnoxious, one feels sorry for him somewhat actually. The other characters bring a lot of charm to 'The Redwood Sap' as well.As ever, the animation is great. The characters are well drawn, but even better are the rich colours, meticulously detailed backgrounds and smooth backgrounds.Music is another strength here. It's characterful, lushly orchestrated and is not only dynamic with the action it even enhances it. The writing is amusing and heartfelt and it's a famous story charmingly and amusingly if slightly unimaginatively told.In conclusion, very well done. 8/10 Bethany Cox

After being closed for a year give or take, the Lantz Studio returned to work with a 3rd version of Woody Woodpecker. Having been voiced by several people, including Mel Blanc and Ben Hardaway, Woody was once again in need of a voice. For some reason, after Hardaway stopped doing the voice and before Walter Lantz's wife Gracie Stafford took the coveted role, Woody spent several shorts being "mute" if you will. He had received another physical makeover, becoming more "petite" in stature, and cuter and rounder looking, with his crown of red feathers combed forward instead of back. If he spoke, it was perhaps one word per cartoon. The first appearance of the "mute" Woody was in "Puny Express". As cute as Woody 3.0 is, most of these shorts are a little boring to watch, with the exceptions of a few, including TERMITES FROM MARS, THE WOODY WOODPECKER POLKA and this one, THE REDWOOD SAP. As version 2.0 was, version 3.0 of WW is a perpetually hungry yet lazy guy who prefers to steal and mooch rather than to earn his supper. While the other woodland animals (beavers, squirrels and a colony of ants) are toiling preparing for the future, Woody lays around reading and sleeping. When it's time to eat, he steals from his neighbors. When winter arrives, he seems shocked that food is scarce and that his neighbors aren't eager to just give him free handouts. After a miserable time, his generous neighbors offer him a helping hand, but WW hasn't learned anything from this experience at all! Oh well :)

This short is a rather manic re-telling of the fable, "The Ant and the Grasshopper", with Woody Woodpecker as the grasshopper. It's actually very well done, if slightly predictable. I want to discuss details, so this is a spoiler warning: Woody Woodpecker more or less has two modes of operation in this one-sleeping and eating. Early on, he's scolded by a busy little squirrel for not industriously getting things stored up for winter. But work is a four-letter word to Woody. We see alternating scenes of various creatures gathering and storing food or otherwise working (beavers building lodges, etc.) while Woody mostly occupies himself by eating their food and snoozing.One day, a little bird tries to get Woody to join the rest of the birds in flying south for the winter, but Woody comes up with excuses not to and slams the door in the little bird's face. While he's snoozing, the first snows hit and everyone else ducks in and settles down for a long winter. You see scenes of warm, cozy and well-stocked living quarters.Woody wakes up and decides it's time to eat again, only to be buried by the snow. He realizes that it's winter and runs to the cupboard, only to find it emptier than a politician's promise. He literally sees Starvation staring him in the face.He gets outside and makes the rounds of his neighbors, begging for food, only to find absolutely no sympathy. Each stop brings false hope which is shattered by an action appropriate to his earlier abuse of their efforts at working towards storing up for the cold. The beavers fix him a cake made of ice and he turns blue after eating it and freezes into a block of ice.Winter passes and with the coming of spring, the animals venture out to find Woody, frozen solid. They thaw him out and he immediately starts the same things over again-stealing food and acting crazy and there the cartoon ends.This short is on one of the Columbia House DVD releases and is well worth watching. Recommended.