'The Blue Racer' "The Boa Friend" (1973)
Opening thoughts: 'The Boa Friend' is one of the change of pace cartoons in the Blue Racer series. Namely because of the beetle not being here, and generally any Blue Racer cartoon that didn't have that character was already a better cartoon. Here is one of the times where he vies for love and tries to attract the opposite gender, another not novel premise for animation (actually it's one of the oldest in the book) but different for the Blue Racer series that mostly sees him getting outwitted by other characters with no chance of winning.
Have always found 'The Boa Friend' one of those mixed feelings cartoons. It is a middling effort for the Blue Racer series, not one of the best ('Blue Racer Blues') or one of the worst (most of the first six cartoons). It was nice to see Blue Racer in a different scenario for this point of the series and he is easy to root for here, but 'The Boa Friend' would have been a better cartoon if the supporting characters appealed more and if the premise was more buyable.
Good things: Quite a number of good things can be seen here. The colours are vibrant and there is some nice character animation on Blue Racer. Doug Goodwin's music has its usual vim and charm, with a memorable main theme accompanying the well designed opening credits, and the bee's song is catchy without being annoying, thanks to some nice variety in the suitably wise lyric writing.
Blue Racer has come on as a character, he is one note but he has a lot more personality than he did in his first five cartoons. Up to a point, he is rootable. The bee is suitably wise and benevolent and while his role is not large Homer's foiling amuses. There are some nice amusing lines and the voice acting is fine.
Bad things: As said though, the premise didn't work. Not because of it being unoriginal, which it is, and lacking in surprises, which it is. Just found it hard to buy, in order to buy it his love interest would have had to have some degree of appeal and been one where one can see what he sees in her. That is not the case with his love interest in 'The Boa Friend', she came over as annoying and shallow and her appeal was lost on her other than her being pretty.
Gags are too few in my view and they are not particularly amusing and are quite stale from being used and reused elsewhere. The story starts off decently but feels repetitive and over-stretched on top of not being believable premise-wise. The ending is too cruel and comes out of nowhere, everybody other than the bee coming off badly and my sympathy for Blue Racer went at this point too.
Closing thoughts: Concluding, watchable but nothing special.
5/10.
Opening thoughts: 'The Boa Friend' is one of the change of pace cartoons in the Blue Racer series. Namely because of the beetle not being here, and generally any Blue Racer cartoon that didn't have that character was already a better cartoon. Here is one of the times where he vies for love and tries to attract the opposite gender, another not novel premise for animation (actually it's one of the oldest in the book) but different for the Blue Racer series that mostly sees him getting outwitted by other characters with no chance of winning.
Have always found 'The Boa Friend' one of those mixed feelings cartoons. It is a middling effort for the Blue Racer series, not one of the best ('Blue Racer Blues') or one of the worst (most of the first six cartoons). It was nice to see Blue Racer in a different scenario for this point of the series and he is easy to root for here, but 'The Boa Friend' would have been a better cartoon if the supporting characters appealed more and if the premise was more buyable.
Good things: Quite a number of good things can be seen here. The colours are vibrant and there is some nice character animation on Blue Racer. Doug Goodwin's music has its usual vim and charm, with a memorable main theme accompanying the well designed opening credits, and the bee's song is catchy without being annoying, thanks to some nice variety in the suitably wise lyric writing.
Blue Racer has come on as a character, he is one note but he has a lot more personality than he did in his first five cartoons. Up to a point, he is rootable. The bee is suitably wise and benevolent and while his role is not large Homer's foiling amuses. There are some nice amusing lines and the voice acting is fine.
Bad things: As said though, the premise didn't work. Not because of it being unoriginal, which it is, and lacking in surprises, which it is. Just found it hard to buy, in order to buy it his love interest would have had to have some degree of appeal and been one where one can see what he sees in her. That is not the case with his love interest in 'The Boa Friend', she came over as annoying and shallow and her appeal was lost on her other than her being pretty.
Gags are too few in my view and they are not particularly amusing and are quite stale from being used and reused elsewhere. The story starts off decently but feels repetitive and over-stretched on top of not being believable premise-wise. The ending is too cruel and comes out of nowhere, everybody other than the bee coming off badly and my sympathy for Blue Racer went at this point too.
Closing thoughts: Concluding, watchable but nothing special.
5/10.