While the whole of the Ant and the Aardvark series lasting from 1969 to 1971 is very enjoyable, it was at its best when, on top of it having the same great things in every one of the seventeen cartoons it's comprised of, it had great supporting characters. And particularly when there was a little more storyline that tried to break away a little from the basic formula, there were a few cartoons in the series that did this and very well.
One of those cartoons being 'Technology, Phooey'. It always was one of my favourite Ant and the Aardvark cartoons, and it still is one of my favourite Ant and the Aardvark cartoons. It has all of the great things of the previous outings (really liked them too) and of the series in general, yet executes the components even better than most. And the few problems that can be seen in the series, mostly the same ones, are muuch less of a problem here.
'Technology, Phooey' has next to nothing to dislike actually. Everything regarding the way the Aardvark uses his nose, being something used frequently throughout the Ant and the Aardvark series is a little on the repetitive side.
However, 'Technology, Phooey' stands out for having one of the series' best supporting characters. The computer, with a Paul Lynde-like voice, is a very inventively used character and the interaction with it and the Aardvark is worth seeing the cartoon for by itself. It also has a personality equal in interest and entertainment value to the ant and the aardvark and has a lot of funny lines. The ending is also one of the series' best, it's really quite hilarious with a priceless last exchange that one of the series' writing gems.
It is a cartoon full of great humour. The aardvark's expressions, movements and reactions look great in the animation and are expressively and inventively done. The gags while not original are still numerous and well timed. The funniest parts are actually in the dialogue, irreverent as ever. The final exchange is the standout, but the ant's line in response to the aardvark's accident with the bug spray is a gem and a very apt description of acid.
Story-wise, 'Technology, Phoeey' may not be the most original ever, but it is done with a lot of energy and it was clear that the cartoon was having a lot of fun with the concept. Didn't find myself bored. The ant and the aardvark are both beautifully characterised, especially Aardvark who has more to do, and John Byner's voice work is a joy for reasons mentioned in my reviews for the previous Ant and the Aardvark cartoons. The animation excels in many ways. The characters may look simple but they blend very well within the rich and varied in colour backgrounds, a great job is done with the Aardvark too. The music is typically outstanding, the main theme accompanying the opening titles sequence is hard to forget and is as great as the iconic main theme for the Pink Panther and the light-heartedness and infectiousness performed by some of the best jazz performers in their day is equally impossible to resist.
Altogether, great and one of the series' best. 9/10
