The premise is a good one and different to the previous three Hoot Kloot cartoons, with politics having not taken centre stage before. Despite his loudmouth brashness, Hoot Kloot is a lot of fun as a lead character and Fester is every bit as funny (and more likeable). If you are somebody that either doesn't care for Crazywolf or can only take him in small doses, the fourth cartoon of the Hoot Kloot theatrical series 'A Self-Winding Sidewinner' is not going to change the mind.
'A Self-Winding Sidewinner' is another above average effort and one of the better Hoot Kloot cartoons generally. Is it is a great cartoon? Not exactly. Does it have a lot of good things? Yes it does. There may not be much that is original, then again originality is something that shouldn't be expected watching a Hoot Kloot cartoon, but to me 'A Self-Winding Sidewinner' is one of the funnier earlier outings in the series and the premise stands out.
Quite a lot works here. A good deal of the animation is good (although other Hoot Kloot cartoons did better in this aspect), the colours are very easy on the eyes and the abstract backgrounds are not too simplistic. The music has a lot of characterful energy and has a very Western action-y vibe. Bob Holt excels as Hoot Kloot and Fester (less so as Crazywolf, with him filling in for Larry D. Mann). Hoot Kloot is amusingly crusty and his abrasiveness doesn't get overbearing. Fester is underused but is memorable at the end.
Dialogue brought a smile to my face and was clever and sharp, the writers did have fun talking about the dirty politics here. The gags here are plenty and they are just as funny as the dialogue. There is even more of a Looney Tunes influence here than in the previous three cartoons, with the standout gags being with the poster coming to life, the cigars and the sawing of the stage. Once it gets going, 'A Self-Winding Sidewinner' is very energetic and the ending was surprising.
Crazywolf still doesn't do an awful lot for me here, while more tolerable than in 'Kloot's Kounty' as there is less manic laughter he is still pretty annoying, even for a character meant to be the obnoxiousness is overkill. And Holt (his voice work at a lower pitch than Mann's) doesn't bring anywhere near the same amount of energy he brought to Kloot and Fester and sounds odd. The cartoon takes a little too long to get going with the first half being a bit draggy.
Even though the story is one of the series' more eventful ones and less predictable than usual, it is still a bit too simple and thin hence why the pace wasn't so strong to begin with. The drawing at times is a bit too scrappy, the character drawing for Hoot Kloot is very rushed looking in spots.
In summary, above average if not mind-blowing. 6/10
'A Self-Winding Sidewinner' is another above average effort and one of the better Hoot Kloot cartoons generally. Is it is a great cartoon? Not exactly. Does it have a lot of good things? Yes it does. There may not be much that is original, then again originality is something that shouldn't be expected watching a Hoot Kloot cartoon, but to me 'A Self-Winding Sidewinner' is one of the funnier earlier outings in the series and the premise stands out.
Quite a lot works here. A good deal of the animation is good (although other Hoot Kloot cartoons did better in this aspect), the colours are very easy on the eyes and the abstract backgrounds are not too simplistic. The music has a lot of characterful energy and has a very Western action-y vibe. Bob Holt excels as Hoot Kloot and Fester (less so as Crazywolf, with him filling in for Larry D. Mann). Hoot Kloot is amusingly crusty and his abrasiveness doesn't get overbearing. Fester is underused but is memorable at the end.
Dialogue brought a smile to my face and was clever and sharp, the writers did have fun talking about the dirty politics here. The gags here are plenty and they are just as funny as the dialogue. There is even more of a Looney Tunes influence here than in the previous three cartoons, with the standout gags being with the poster coming to life, the cigars and the sawing of the stage. Once it gets going, 'A Self-Winding Sidewinner' is very energetic and the ending was surprising.
Crazywolf still doesn't do an awful lot for me here, while more tolerable than in 'Kloot's Kounty' as there is less manic laughter he is still pretty annoying, even for a character meant to be the obnoxiousness is overkill. And Holt (his voice work at a lower pitch than Mann's) doesn't bring anywhere near the same amount of energy he brought to Kloot and Fester and sounds odd. The cartoon takes a little too long to get going with the first half being a bit draggy.
Even though the story is one of the series' more eventful ones and less predictable than usual, it is still a bit too simple and thin hence why the pace wasn't so strong to begin with. The drawing at times is a bit too scrappy, the character drawing for Hoot Kloot is very rushed looking in spots.
In summary, above average if not mind-blowing. 6/10
