Of the 34 The Inspector cartoons starting from 1965 with 'The Great De Guelle Stone Operation' (one of the series' best) and finishing in 1969 with 'Carte Blanched', the second longest and second best of DePatie-Freleng's animated theatrical series (and they did several with varied success), 1967's 'Le Cop on Le Rocks' is the nineteenth. Ranking it in correlation with the rest of The Inspector cartoons, would put it somewhere around high middle.
Meaning a good and entertaining cartoon, but not a great one. There are funnier and more imaginative cartoons in The Inspector series than 'Le Cop on Le Rocks', and it doesn't quite feel the same somewhat without Deux Deux, but it was great to have a different (for the series, certainly up to this point of it) setting and a worthy opponent for The Inspector, one that is a mix of amusing and formidable which is a good mix for any opponent character when done well.
Will say though that even by The Inspector standards 'Le Cop on Le Rocks' is very predictable and not an awful lot different story-wise from anything else tackling the "being in prison due to mistaken identity and being given grief by other characters" theme (not a novel one either) and the escape attempts could have done at times with more variety.
Some more energy and imagination wouldn't have gone amiss either.
'Le Cop on Le Rocks' is still enjoyable stuff though and generally the gags, verbal and especially physical, are well timed and humorous. The ending is agreed a memorable one. The Inspector does carry the cartoon, he is difficult to dislike, is a strong enough personality in his own right and is one with good comic timing even in most lesser outings. The cell mate as said is a worthy opponent and their well contrasted chemistry also helps carry the cartoon.
The animation is simple but colourful and charming in its simplicity. The music is typically slinky and jaunty. The voice acting is well done, Pat Harrington Jr does not disappoint and captures The Inspector's bumbling and irony to entertaining effect.
Concluding, good if not mind-blowing. 7/10
Meaning a good and entertaining cartoon, but not a great one. There are funnier and more imaginative cartoons in The Inspector series than 'Le Cop on Le Rocks', and it doesn't quite feel the same somewhat without Deux Deux, but it was great to have a different (for the series, certainly up to this point of it) setting and a worthy opponent for The Inspector, one that is a mix of amusing and formidable which is a good mix for any opponent character when done well.
Will say though that even by The Inspector standards 'Le Cop on Le Rocks' is very predictable and not an awful lot different story-wise from anything else tackling the "being in prison due to mistaken identity and being given grief by other characters" theme (not a novel one either) and the escape attempts could have done at times with more variety.
Some more energy and imagination wouldn't have gone amiss either.
'Le Cop on Le Rocks' is still enjoyable stuff though and generally the gags, verbal and especially physical, are well timed and humorous. The ending is agreed a memorable one. The Inspector does carry the cartoon, he is difficult to dislike, is a strong enough personality in his own right and is one with good comic timing even in most lesser outings. The cell mate as said is a worthy opponent and their well contrasted chemistry also helps carry the cartoon.
The animation is simple but colourful and charming in its simplicity. The music is typically slinky and jaunty. The voice acting is well done, Pat Harrington Jr does not disappoint and captures The Inspector's bumbling and irony to entertaining effect.
Concluding, good if not mind-blowing. 7/10
