A good deal of the pre-Production Code Betty Boop cartoons are daring and creative, with content that makes one amazed at what's gotten away with. While the later Betty Boop cartoons made after the Code was enforced are still watchable and exceptionally well-made, they are so toned down that they feel bland.
Fleischer were responsible for some brilliant cartoons, some of them still among my favourites. Their visual style was often stunning and some of the most imaginative and ahead of its time in animation. The character of Betty Boop, one of their most famous and prolific characters, may not be for all tastes and sadly not as popular now, but her sex appeal was quite daring for the time and to me there is an adorable sensual charm about her. The good news is that she has not lost her charm, she is still cute and her comic timing is good.
Less good is that, thanks to the production code her sensuality is heavily muted, and it was like she had lost a large part of what made her such a unique character back then and what made her popular.
'Happy You and Merry Me' is a nice cartoon and is very high in the appealingly cute factor, but apart from the ending it is lacking in laughs and the story is thin and at times over-stretched making parts occasionally drag. The risqué and surreal edge that made the pre-Code Betty Boop cartoons so intriguing is also missing, giving a tameness and blandness.
On the other hand, the animation is as exceptional as can be, it's beautifully drawn, crisp and meticulously rich in detail, the backgrounds are especially impressive. The music is infectious and dynamic.
Pudgy is adorable once again and so is the cat. The voice acting is strong and the ending is amusing. The cute factor is high and appealing in it, and never does it get too saccharine.
In conclusion, nice enough if lacking. 6/10 Bethany Cox