In the Private Snafu cartoons, there is always something to enjoy, and Fighting Tools is one of the most amusing. It’s not quite as good as Spies, Booby Traps, or The Goldbrick, but it’s still quite nice. It’s a touch too short and has a predictable finish. The animation never tries to be overly intricate, yet there is enough detail, good use of black and white colors, and smooth drawings to keep it from being too simple. Fighting Tools has a lot of music and singing, and the good news is that it’s not just energetically performed, vibrant in rhythm, and well-produced, but it’s also unforgettable. Fighting Tools is incredibly intelligent and entertaining; both Snafu and the Nazi soldier have amusing stuff, and the comic even has a daring, risqué quality to it, which is what originally drew me to it. The gags are equally amusing, such as Snafu mistaking the Nazi soldier’s bottom for his head, and the cartoon never comes across as heavy-handed or trying to make light of a serious issue (none of the Snafu cartoons did). Snafu, as always, is endearing; he is terribly inept—the series’ recurring joke is that he is the worst soldier in the army—but he genuinely cares, and the Nazi soldier manages to avoid being vulgar cliché. Mel Blanc does an excellent job with the voice acting, which should come as no surprise given that he is one of the best voice performers of all time. Overall, if not the best of the Snafu series, it’s still a lot of fun.
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