The Pink Panther to me is one of animation's most iconic characters. DePatie-Freleng Enterprises' output was very hit and miss, or at least post-1970 it was, especially the later theatrical series. With hits such as Pink Panther and the Ant and the Aardvark, and duds such as Crazylegs Crane. For me, The Pink Panther on the whole was the studio's best theatrical series, though The Inspector and Ant and the Aardvark ones come close. It did become very variable from the mid-70s onwards, but the 60s-early 70s output contained some of the studio's best work.
'Pink Plunk Pink's' premise is a classic one, used a lot in animation and one that has held up incredibly well. Being a big fan of classical music and being raised on it (am very fond of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, which has much more to it than the famous opening motif), this sounded like a match made in heaven and something that would be great. In actuality, while fairly enjoyable this was nothing exceptional and was rather uneven. This premise was done better in the likes of Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry.
Am going to begin with the cons. The story's set-up is nice if rather unoriginal, but it does come across as thin and routine. Much of the cartoon is Pink and the conductor trying to outsmart one another, not much different from other Pink Panther cartoons actually, and it is one of those that has some amusing moments later on but it's never hilarious and the fun is not consistent or sustained throughout really.
Did also find the conductor to be annoying and lacking in personality, which did affect the chemistry between him and Pink. The cartoon is a bit of a slow starter with not much to the material.
However, there are many good things. Pink is still cool and fun, and still a strong character to carry his cartoons. The animation is crisp and clean and elegantly coloured, while the music is still catchy and upbeat, fitting with the antics wonderfully. The theme tune for one so iconic is also infectious.
While the first half didn't have an awful lot to it, the cartoon does pick up a good deal in the second. The ending is very cute, laugh out loud funny and unlike other endings of the Pink Panther cartoons, and it was nice to catch a glimpse of Henry Mancini in the audience.
Overall, fairly enjoyable but could have been a lot better. 6/10.
'Pink Plunk Pink's' premise is a classic one, used a lot in animation and one that has held up incredibly well. Being a big fan of classical music and being raised on it (am very fond of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, which has much more to it than the famous opening motif), this sounded like a match made in heaven and something that would be great. In actuality, while fairly enjoyable this was nothing exceptional and was rather uneven. This premise was done better in the likes of Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry.
Am going to begin with the cons. The story's set-up is nice if rather unoriginal, but it does come across as thin and routine. Much of the cartoon is Pink and the conductor trying to outsmart one another, not much different from other Pink Panther cartoons actually, and it is one of those that has some amusing moments later on but it's never hilarious and the fun is not consistent or sustained throughout really.
Did also find the conductor to be annoying and lacking in personality, which did affect the chemistry between him and Pink. The cartoon is a bit of a slow starter with not much to the material.
However, there are many good things. Pink is still cool and fun, and still a strong character to carry his cartoons. The animation is crisp and clean and elegantly coloured, while the music is still catchy and upbeat, fitting with the antics wonderfully. The theme tune for one so iconic is also infectious.
While the first half didn't have an awful lot to it, the cartoon does pick up a good deal in the second. The ending is very cute, laugh out loud funny and unlike other endings of the Pink Panther cartoons, and it was nice to catch a glimpse of Henry Mancini in the audience.
Overall, fairly enjoyable but could have been a lot better. 6/10.
