All the previous Hoot Kloot cartoons ranged between average ('The Shoe Must Go On') and good ('Pay Your Buffalo Bill'). Am not a fan of Crazywolf, it was down to the material being as good as it was that made 'Pay For Your Buffalo Bill' one of the better cartoons in the series, but Hoot Kloot has a fun larger than life personality and Fester has always been a very funny and more likeable character that has also been rootable in some situations.
Of the Hoot Kloot series, which is an uneven but generally worthwhile theatrical series that is one of the middling theatrical series of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (so neither one of the best or worst), 'Ten Miles to the Gallop' is one of the weakest outings. To me, it is the series' first disappointment and first below average cartoon. That is semi-watchable and has a few good things, but suffers primarily from tiredness and not being very funny (as well as Crazywolf).
'Ten Miles to the Gallop' has good things. There are lively colours and the backgrounds are strikingly abstract and not too simplistic. The music is characterful and full of life, there is a lot of it but it never felt too much to me.
Bob Holt brings a lot of enthusiasm to both Hoot Kloot and Fester, especially Hoot Kloot where he is suitably loudmouth but doesn't make the eardrums bleed.
Larry D. Mann however overdoes it badly as Crazywolf and the maniacal laughter and over the top high-pitched voice really grate. Which sadly badly takes away from enjoying Crazywolf as a character, if there was a contender for the most annoying character of the series he is a strong contender. While the colours and backgrounds are fine, the drawing for the characters is very rushed looking throughout and at its worst it's quite ugly to watch.
Furthermore, the story is paper thin and lacks any kind of imagination, everything here feels tired and predictable. Sure, the story was never a strong suit with the Hoot Kloot cartoons, but this was barely existent retread territory. The pacing lacks the energy that most of the previous cartoons in the series had and comes over as quite routine. Even the wordplay lacks the sharpness and wit it had before and the gags are too few and none of them really are funny or inspired. These may sound like not many things to give 'Ten Miles to the Gallop' a below average rating but these things were very big problems and brought the cartoon down significantly in my mind.
Overall, below average and disappointing. 4/10
Of the Hoot Kloot series, which is an uneven but generally worthwhile theatrical series that is one of the middling theatrical series of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (so neither one of the best or worst), 'Ten Miles to the Gallop' is one of the weakest outings. To me, it is the series' first disappointment and first below average cartoon. That is semi-watchable and has a few good things, but suffers primarily from tiredness and not being very funny (as well as Crazywolf).
'Ten Miles to the Gallop' has good things. There are lively colours and the backgrounds are strikingly abstract and not too simplistic. The music is characterful and full of life, there is a lot of it but it never felt too much to me.
Bob Holt brings a lot of enthusiasm to both Hoot Kloot and Fester, especially Hoot Kloot where he is suitably loudmouth but doesn't make the eardrums bleed.
Larry D. Mann however overdoes it badly as Crazywolf and the maniacal laughter and over the top high-pitched voice really grate. Which sadly badly takes away from enjoying Crazywolf as a character, if there was a contender for the most annoying character of the series he is a strong contender. While the colours and backgrounds are fine, the drawing for the characters is very rushed looking throughout and at its worst it's quite ugly to watch.
Furthermore, the story is paper thin and lacks any kind of imagination, everything here feels tired and predictable. Sure, the story was never a strong suit with the Hoot Kloot cartoons, but this was barely existent retread territory. The pacing lacks the energy that most of the previous cartoons in the series had and comes over as quite routine. Even the wordplay lacks the sharpness and wit it had before and the gags are too few and none of them really are funny or inspired. These may sound like not many things to give 'Ten Miles to the Gallop' a below average rating but these things were very big problems and brought the cartoon down significantly in my mind.
Overall, below average and disappointing. 4/10
