Spring, Schau & Hör

Though there are some funny Sylvester vs. the kangaroo shorts, this really isn't one of them. In fact, the best parts are when the kangaroo wanders around town before the cat even shows up. Plus, Sylvester looks particularly mangy here.

Don't get me wrong, I love Tweetie, but I'm so used to associating Sylvester with Tweety that I find it good to watch cartoons with Sylvester and different characters once in a while.

This particular Looney Tunes episode features a joey kangaroo, in a zoo, who manages to hop out of his mother's pouch, out of the zoo cage and into the big wide world. After one or two scrapes with humans, the joey arrives at Sylvester's house, where the cat is using a fishing rod to pick up mice (yes, very strange...). Finding the place where the mice live, the joey tugs on Sylvester's line and soon he's up against one big mouse!! At least, he thinks it's a mouse...

I enjoyed this episode because of some of the remarks from Sylvester, the very cute joey and the way the cartoon turns out in the end. The episode was quite slapsticky and predictable in places but I liked it all the same.

I recommend this episode to people who love Sylvester, to people who like a mixture of slapstick and verbal jokes in Looney Tunes and to people who like Looney Tunes in general. Enjoy "Hop, Look and Listen"! :-)

For my money, the best Sylvester cartoons which didn't have Tweety are the ones with the character who makes his debut in this cartoon, Hippety Hopper. For those who don't know, Hippety Hopper is a young kangaroo who is mistaken by Sylvester for an extra large mouse. Robert McKimson, director of this short, created the character and would find some clever ways to rework the same jokes over the years so they stayed funny. This first one is pretty simple and not the best of the bunch but it is good. Hippety escapes from a zoo and makes his way to Sylvester's house, where the cat is terrified by the sight of "a giant-sized mouse." Mike the bulldog gets in on the act and forces Sylvester to try and fight the mouse, due to "professional pride." The animation is colorful with well-drawn characters and backgrounds. The music is upbeat and jaunty. The legendary Mel Blanc handles the voice work and does a fantastic job, as always. The dialogue and gags are funny and the characters are likable. A must-see for Sylvester fans.

While I am not the biggest fan of the Sylvester vs.Hoppity cartoons, there have been some that I have liked very much and Hop, Look and Listen is one of them. Sure some of the cartoon is very slapsticky and predictable particularly in the middle and Sylvester's character animation lacks consistency here. However, the colours and backgrounds are very nice and colourful, and I loved the quirkiness and energy of the music. Sylvester has some very witty and funny quips, and Hoppity the baby kangaroo is very cute and has the more entertaining visual moments towards the beginning. Mel Blanc does a fine job with the voice characterisations and he always did. In conclusion, a very nice and entertaining cartoon. 8/10 Bethany Cox