Between 1964 and 1976, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises did several theatrical original cartoon series with various characters. After the most popular one The Pink Panther, the second most prolific theatrical series of theirs was that of The Inspector. Not every one of the thirty four cartoons in the series was great, or good, but on the most part The Inspector series was one of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises' better theatrical series.
There are far better The Inspector cartoons though than 1967's 'Bomb Voyage', which to me is one of the weaker cartoons in the series. It is not in any way a bomb and a long way from unwatchable (don't class any of the cartoons under that distinction), but it fails to explode in most areas, and unfortunately the most important ones, at the same time. Other The Inspector cartoons are much funnier, are more interesting and have more imagination, and that's even with a different setting for the series.
It's the animation that is the best thing about 'Bomb Voyage'. Fairly simple in terms of drawing but never ugly, while the somewhat abstract backgrounds have nice attention to detail, more so than the Pink Panther cartoons (not a knock at all on the animation of that series), and don't look sparse. But it is the deep and rich colours that stand out in this regard. Liked the jauntiness and jazzy slinkiness of the music, which didn't sound too cheap or repetitive.
Have also always enjoyed The Inspector cartoons for the characters and the interaction between them. Still do, though they are better elsewhere in the series. The Inspector and Deux Deux are strong characters and the contrast between them is nicely done. Pat Harrington Jr does a great job giving the two characters differentiating and individual personalities and Paul Frees shows why he was one of the most sought after voice actors of that time.
Sadly, 'Bomb Voyage's' gags are too few and what there are are not imaginative in the slightest and also not particularly funny. The story lacks energy, which further adds to the tired feel, and makes no attempt to do anything original with a pretty old-hat premise. The supporting characters are just as flat and the ending is easily foreseeable too early.
Would have liked sharper physical comedy and wittier verbal humour (the irony doesn't come out enough and the word play is not as inspired), which is what makes the best The Inspector cartoons work, did think that there were nowhere near enough laughs here.
Overall, average at best. 5/10