Not all the Blue Racer cartoons are lacklustre, most of them are (don't consider any of them disasters though) but 'Blue Racer Blues' and the best cartoon in the series 'Freeze a Jolly Good Fellow' were pleasant surprises. Actually like quite a lot of the work of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (more their 60s work than 70s), but the Blue Racer theatrical series has always been one of their weakest and has a lot wrong with it.
'Aches and Snakes' is another one of the Blue Racer cartoons to have a lot wrong with it and be a lacklustre cartoon. It has Crazylegs Crane in his third and final appearance in the series, though it feels more like his second as his first appearance (in 'Blue Aces Wild') was pretty much a forgettable cameo. 'Aches and Snakes' has good things and moments, but it does nothing to improve upon the numerous common flaws of the series.
The good things will be started off with. There are some nice colours and the same goes for Blue Racer's character animation (namely the facial expressions). Doug Goodwin's music is upbeat and characterful as ever and the theme tune is another infectious one.
Larry D. Mann does a good job as Blue Racer, with the voice suiting the character design and the character's characteristics more than ideally. The dirty work at the crossroads line was very amusing and one of the funnier lines of the series to not come from Blue Racer.
However, there is a lot wrong here in 'Aches and Snakes'. While Blue Racer has grown in personality he grew to be very samey as a character, very little variation from one cartoon to the other other than craftiness or feeling sympathy when too cruelly treated. 'Aches and Snakes' sees Crazylegs at his best used, but he has never been a particularly interesting or funny character in any of the theatrical series he appeared in. He's too samey too and while Mann is good as Blue Racer his voice acting for Crazylegs has never fitted the character in my view. Crazylegs acts quite craftily, but Mann has always sounded too goofy.
Not much funny here, other than some amusing lines for Blue Racer and one from Crazylegs, with it being quite silly, and nothing is original, pretty much all of it being stale retreads of already tried and tested gags. The story is very thin, lacks energy and gets very repetitive, everything that happens here is easily foreseeable quickly before they even happen. Most of the animation is flat and rushed-looking, the purposefully abstract style looking here simplistic. The chemistry doesn't really connect or make an awful lot of sense.
In conclusion, lacklustre. 4/10.
'Aches and Snakes' is another one of the Blue Racer cartoons to have a lot wrong with it and be a lacklustre cartoon. It has Crazylegs Crane in his third and final appearance in the series, though it feels more like his second as his first appearance (in 'Blue Aces Wild') was pretty much a forgettable cameo. 'Aches and Snakes' has good things and moments, but it does nothing to improve upon the numerous common flaws of the series.
The good things will be started off with. There are some nice colours and the same goes for Blue Racer's character animation (namely the facial expressions). Doug Goodwin's music is upbeat and characterful as ever and the theme tune is another infectious one.
Larry D. Mann does a good job as Blue Racer, with the voice suiting the character design and the character's characteristics more than ideally. The dirty work at the crossroads line was very amusing and one of the funnier lines of the series to not come from Blue Racer.
However, there is a lot wrong here in 'Aches and Snakes'. While Blue Racer has grown in personality he grew to be very samey as a character, very little variation from one cartoon to the other other than craftiness or feeling sympathy when too cruelly treated. 'Aches and Snakes' sees Crazylegs at his best used, but he has never been a particularly interesting or funny character in any of the theatrical series he appeared in. He's too samey too and while Mann is good as Blue Racer his voice acting for Crazylegs has never fitted the character in my view. Crazylegs acts quite craftily, but Mann has always sounded too goofy.
Not much funny here, other than some amusing lines for Blue Racer and one from Crazylegs, with it being quite silly, and nothing is original, pretty much all of it being stale retreads of already tried and tested gags. The story is very thin, lacks energy and gets very repetitive, everything that happens here is easily foreseeable quickly before they even happen. Most of the animation is flat and rushed-looking, the purposefully abstract style looking here simplistic. The chemistry doesn't really connect or make an awful lot of sense.
In conclusion, lacklustre. 4/10.
