Hägar the Horrible

"Hägar the Horrible" is a one-time 23 minute TV special that I saw when it debuted. However, I can barely remember it and decided to see it again when I saw it on YouTube.

Hägar the Horrible has been abroad sacking Europe for the last two years. When he returns, he's horrified to see that his son, Hamlet, is a bookish nerd and his daughter, Honi, is marrying some minstrel instead of a nasty Viking. So, he's determined to get to the bottom of this and set things right.

The first thing I noticed is that the animation was perfect for this show. It's because the animation looks like the comic strip...which is best. The second is that the family dynamics were pretty sweet. Instead of Honi and Hamlet fighting their dad, they tried hard to be more Viking-like. And, their dad really did love his kids. Overall, a cute show...not one which will change your life, but enjoyable and worth seeing...particularly if you are a kid.

This version of Hagar The Horrible captures the spirit of the comic in a half hour cartoon that has great potential as a prime time animated series. The humor, while keeping with the comic and not being overtly dirty does have the feel of a family sitcom with a few jokes aimed at the older viewing audience. I have heard this compared to the Flintstones, but I think it is a different beast. While Hagar is a primitive sort of being his family dynamic and social situation are quite different. Fred Flintstone is much more of a modern man happy and accepting of the time he lives in. Hagar is on the crux of change, his son is reading and his daughter loves a man who is not a proud viking warrior but a wimpy musician. As society is growing more intelligent in it's behavior Hagar struggles to come to terms with all of it.This makes for good comedy. This is on DVD along with 10 Beetle Baily Shorts and a Betty Boop TV special called Beetle Bailey / Hagar The Horrible / Betty Boop. Buy it today, you will not regret it.