The Hep Cat

Bob Clampett's cartoons often were high in energy and fun and displayed a uniquely wacky visual style that one can recognise immediately. Missteps were not that many...

Unfortunately, 'The Hep Cat', despite some moments is an example of a Clampett cartoon that doesn't work.

There are definitely things that save it. The animation, while not as wacky as most of Clampett's other cartoons, is colourful, eye-popping, rich in detail and high in imagination. Carl Stalling's energetically high-voltage, luscious, rousing, dynamic and action-enhancing music score and inspired arrangements of pre-existing music shows off his genius.

And the same applies for the voice talents with the most memorable contributions being from Bea Benaderet and Mel Blanc. The final minute and a half is entertaining and imaginative and the chase displays the most energy 'The Hep Cat' gets.

However, 'The Hep Cat' is let down by a thin story, that lacks energy and makes the cartoon feel stretched and too long (and it's only 6 minutes or so), and an even thinner script that doesn't have enough laughs and what there is is not that funny with out of place and out of date hip language.

Pacing is pretty limp until the last minute and a half, and much of the cartoon is high on predictability and apart from some of the animation, the music, the voice talent and the last minute a half low on energy and imagination. All the characters are forgettable and lack the likability or fun factor.

Overall, disappointing though watchable. Expected much better from Clampett. 5/10 Bethany Cox