The Honduras Hurricane

In the late 1930s, MGM bought the rights to the Katzenjammer Kids comic strip. They entitled the series 'The Captain and the Kids' and the series turned out to be a mistake...as they only made a few cartoons and they did not do well despite the strip being quite popular. I think much of it is because the chemistry of the comic strip just isn't evident in the cartoons...and it's as if the cartoonists never saw the strip.

In the case of "The Honduras Hurricane", it's directed by Friz Freleng...a man known more for his work with Looney Tunes after leaving MGM. And, like most non-Disney cartoons of the 1930s, it's in black & white.

In this cartoon, a pirate and his crew arrive and take the Captain prisoner. They then force his fighting rooster, The Honduras Hurricane fight against their champion chicken...knowing the scrawny Hurricane will lose. Well, to help out the Captain, the kids substitute a baby eagle for the chicken midway through the match...and no one seems to notice.

The cartoon is well animated but bad because it simply ISN'T like the comic strip. In the strip, the kids torment the dopey Captain and his dopey friend...but here they are out to help him, which makes no sense. Despite this, it's not a bad cartoon...but I can see why audiences disliked it as it just wasn't what they expected or wanted to see.

The "Honduras Hurricane" is a black and white MGM A Captain and The Kids cartoon. Long John Silver has the Captain tied up and over a saw. He wants the Captain to agree to a cock fight. It's not much of a choice. Silver has a ruthless fighter while the Captain has a scrawny chicken. The Captain could lose his house. Silver declares that he will eat the boxing ring if he loses. It's a massacre until the Kids get involved. The Captain and The Kids is not one of my favorite series, but I do like this one. It's a simple fight. I love the Bond villain opening. I like the roosters. It has plenty of action. It's fun.

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons. Actually appreciate it even more through young adults eyes, due to having more knowledge of it, various animation styles, studios, directors and how it all works.

'The Honduras Hurricane' is not one of Friz Freleng's best cartoons by any stretch, in an uneven "still evolving" period of his long career, and he was yet to be in his full prime and not yet found his style properly. For a relatively early effort, 'The Honduras Hurricane' is above average but not great or a Freleng classic, he would do much better later. It is never what one would call hilarious (but is never unfunny), Freleng's later efforts show more evenness and confidence in directing and the story is flimsy and fairly tame up to the end.

It is fairly predictable story-wise and at times could have had more oomph, which would have been solved if the cartoon was a little shorter.

However, the titular character and the captain are fun characters and the chemistry between the characters elevates 'The Honduras Hurricane'.

The cartoon is amusing and it generally goes at a lively and energetic pace, apart from parts that could have done with more oomph. The dialogue is witty and clever.

Animation is excellent, it's fluid in movement, crisp in shading and very meticulous in detail. The music is lovely on the ears, lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, adding to the action if not quite enhancing.

Voice acting from Mel Blanc and Billy Bletcher is terrific and full of character.

Although, above average but nothing mind-blowing. 6/10 Bethany Cox