Cock-a-Doodle Deux Deux

This is one of the wilder story lines I've seen so far in this collection of "Inspector" cartoons. It's so ridiculous it's funny and is going to sound strange just describing. Our Two Heroes have to go to the Marquis' château to find a stolen diamond, which is the biggest you've ever seen - guaranteed.

Since the Marquis has hired nothing but chickens as servants, our famous detective must question the chickens. Of course, he has to learn their language first and then use his chicken disguise. Then he tells one "suspect" a joke to get in the chicken's good graces. I can't go on - this is too crazy! Suffice to say this certainly is an "original" story and I enjoyed the absurdity of it.

Speaking of that, the ending is really absurd and is so abrupt, it leaves you saying, "huh? That's it?" The ending is either totally weak or genius, depending on how you view it.

Really did enjoy The Inspector cartoons when much younger, mainly for the humour and characters. Decided to watch them again after many years of having forgotten about it, and while The Inspector series, comprising of 34 cartoons, is not a consistent one with not every cartoon working for me, did find myself entertained by enough of the cartoons whether marginal or very. If you like the Pink Panther cartoons, belong in this camp, those of The Inspector should appeal just as much.

'Cock-a-Doodle Deux Deux' may not be one of the best The Inspector cartoons, and it is not what one calls great. It is well made, very enjoyable and one of the wildest and strangest. Just by the premise alone and also by the endearingly silly title. As far as the cartoons up to this point in the series go, with 'Cock-a-Doodle Deux Deux' being the sixth cartoon, it is somewhere in the middle with only one cartoon being disappointing ('Napoleon Blown-Aparte').

Even with the premise, the story despite being one of the more original ones of the series is on the formulaic side at times, not entirely to blame here as The Inspector series is formulaic. It can be a touch too bizarrely silly, especially at the end.

The biggest problem for me was the ending, which agreed is far too abrupt and the absurdity as said is overdone here.

However, the animation is just fine. The sceneries are beautifully rendered, fairly simple in terms of drawing but never ugly, while the somewhat abstract backgrounds have nice attention to detail, more so than the Pink Panther cartoons (not a knock at all on the animation of that series), and don't look sparse. But it is the deep and rich colours that stand out in this regard. Like the jazzy slinkiness of the music, it fits and it doesn't sound cheap.

In terms of physical humour, it is wonderfully silly on the most part and doesn't feel tired or distasteful. Just as good is the verbal humour, the irony is delicious, as are some of the most amusing mumblings for any cartoon character and the word play. Really like The Inspector and Deux Deux's chemistry and their well contrasted personalities help make it work expertly. Pat Harrington Jr voices both The Inspector and Deux Deux and does wonderfully in providing the necessary energy and managing to differentiate the two voices that is important in making the contrast between the two believable. The supporting characters are colourful.

Summarising, good fun though others may find it too strange. 7/10

. . . by twisted sects anomalies, to the exclusion of all else. The Inspector and Sgt. Dodo are assigned to guard Plymouth Rock, the most precious gem known to Man. Plymouth Rock is so big that it needs to be wheeled in a cart behind its "wearer." When it is stolen, its two bodyguards swiftly pinpoint the culprit. However, knowing that these ineffectual bumbling law officers are French, the criminal mastermind is easily able to throw them off his trail by distracting them with a sleazy sects show. The pitiful salacious policemen are sidetracked to the point that one of them actually tosses the priceless stolen goods BACK onto the wily thief's mountain of ill-gotten loot.