Before I review the cartoon proper, I'll mention that when I first saw these shorts on "The Pink Panther Laugh and a Half, Hour and a Half Show" on Saturday mornings on NBC in the late '70s, the series of these particular shorts were called the Texas Toads with the leading amphibians named Fatso and Banjo speaking in Western accents. Don't particularly know why. Anyway, they're in their original names and accents here. A crane is intent on disturbing the frogs' peace in their pond when he's accidentally knocked out and loses his memory so they convince him he's one of them. Meanwhile, a snake now wants to also eat those frogs but he's now being helped by the crane. I'll stop there and just say that while not hilarious, this was quite amusing especially when the end comes. So on that note, Snake in the Gracias is worth a look.
2 Reviews
Thinking like a frog
TheLittleSongbird21 July 2021
Regardless of my mostly negative thoughts on the Tijuana Toads series, it was interesting for having a few firsts. In that it introduced a few characters that would later have theatrical series of their own. First being Crazylegs Crane as a recurring antagonist then reduced to an annoying lead character in his own series. It also introduced the offensively stereotypical beetle character that would become a recurring character in the Blue Racer series, while the Blue Racer also debuted as a supporting character in the series.
'Snake in the Gracias' was his first cartoon and his only appearance in this particular series, and Crazylegs' second (not seen since 'Go For Croak') of six. Actually think, despite flaws, that it is one of the better cartoons for both characters in all the series they featured and starred in put together and proof that neither were always bad characters. Which is saying a lot as somebody who doesn't like most of the Blue Racer cartoons, with a few exceptions, and hates the Crazylegs Crane ones. 'Snake in the Gracias' is also one of the better Tijuana Toads cartoons, though for other things other than El Toro and Pancho.
Am going to start with the bad. The animation is not appealing to look at, almost all of it outside of the colour of the water is very sparse and flat and the characters are very rushed looking. DePatie-Freleng Enterprises had an abstract animation style, but before the Tijuana Toads cartoons the abstract-ness was elegantly done whereas it was done cheaply here. The gags are too few and almost all of what was there was unorginal and forgettable. Apart from one exchange, the dialogue sounded awkward.
Did think too that the whole "acting like a frog" concept was overdone and became too silly, Crazylegs was actually at times quite crafty in his first cartoon 'Go For Croak' but to see him so easily fooled in 'Snake in the Gracias' made him too over the top dim-witted. El Toro and Pancho on the whole didn't appeal to me as characters, too annoying and cruel as well as too broadly voiced.
Larry D. Mann however does better in the voice acting stakes, do tend to find him too oafish-sounding for Crazylegs but that quality fitted within the concept here. The best voiced character though is Blue Racer, also voiced by Mann, gelling very well with the character design and the crafty personality and he didn't sound too exaggerated. 'Snake in the Gracias' is a case of the supporting characters being better than the leads, it did amuse seeing Crazylegs in frog mode at first but the strongest personality was Blue Racer. Both proving that they fare better as supporting characters than as leads.
There is more energy than usual, especially when the conflict kicks in with Blue Racer. There are a couple of amusing moments, with the highlight of the cartoon being the ending and the most inventive one (well by the series' standards) involving the telephone. The exchange between the toads when inside Blue Racer and a couple of Blue Racer's lines did make me smile. The music is the best aspect, very charming and upbeat.
Concluding, watchable and one of the better Tijuana Toads cartoons. 5/10.
'Snake in the Gracias' was his first cartoon and his only appearance in this particular series, and Crazylegs' second (not seen since 'Go For Croak') of six. Actually think, despite flaws, that it is one of the better cartoons for both characters in all the series they featured and starred in put together and proof that neither were always bad characters. Which is saying a lot as somebody who doesn't like most of the Blue Racer cartoons, with a few exceptions, and hates the Crazylegs Crane ones. 'Snake in the Gracias' is also one of the better Tijuana Toads cartoons, though for other things other than El Toro and Pancho.
Am going to start with the bad. The animation is not appealing to look at, almost all of it outside of the colour of the water is very sparse and flat and the characters are very rushed looking. DePatie-Freleng Enterprises had an abstract animation style, but before the Tijuana Toads cartoons the abstract-ness was elegantly done whereas it was done cheaply here. The gags are too few and almost all of what was there was unorginal and forgettable. Apart from one exchange, the dialogue sounded awkward.
Did think too that the whole "acting like a frog" concept was overdone and became too silly, Crazylegs was actually at times quite crafty in his first cartoon 'Go For Croak' but to see him so easily fooled in 'Snake in the Gracias' made him too over the top dim-witted. El Toro and Pancho on the whole didn't appeal to me as characters, too annoying and cruel as well as too broadly voiced.
Larry D. Mann however does better in the voice acting stakes, do tend to find him too oafish-sounding for Crazylegs but that quality fitted within the concept here. The best voiced character though is Blue Racer, also voiced by Mann, gelling very well with the character design and the crafty personality and he didn't sound too exaggerated. 'Snake in the Gracias' is a case of the supporting characters being better than the leads, it did amuse seeing Crazylegs in frog mode at first but the strongest personality was Blue Racer. Both proving that they fare better as supporting characters than as leads.
There is more energy than usual, especially when the conflict kicks in with Blue Racer. There are a couple of amusing moments, with the highlight of the cartoon being the ending and the most inventive one (well by the series' standards) involving the telephone. The exchange between the toads when inside Blue Racer and a couple of Blue Racer's lines did make me smile. The music is the best aspect, very charming and upbeat.
Concluding, watchable and one of the better Tijuana Toads cartoons. 5/10.
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