After two particularly good cartoons in the Hoot Kloot series, 'Stirrups and Hiccups' and especially 'Pay Your Buffalo Bill', the series had its first below average disappointment in 'Ten Miles to the Gallop' (if anybody disagrees that's fine though). The Hoot Kloot series was in the in between category when ranking the studio's theatrical series, one that was worthwhile if never quite clicking completely (like Roland and Rattfink). With some good cartoons but no classics also some average or less ones.
Luckily, the Hoot Kloot series is back on track with one of its better faring cartoons 'Phony Express'. One where Hoot Kloot's worst enemy is him himself and not having a literal adversary in the same vein as Crazywolf and Billy the Kidder (this one being a thief), true with some of the other cartoons as well, which did make it interesting. 'Phony Express' isn't a great cartoon, but it is a big improvement over 'Ten Miles to the Gallop' and sign that the series had not tired enough yet which was evident in the latter outings.
'Phony Express' has a lot of good. Mostly the animation is colourful and the abstract-ness doesn't come over as too simple or cheap. The music is rousing and full of Western character, it adds a good deal to the action rather than working against it and even more so to the atmosphere. Hoot Kloot carries the cartoon with a lot of zest and entertaining brashness. Fester has some typically great lines where he shows a good deal of feistiness to the thief and is likeable.
Bob Holt voiced all the characters in a lot of the Hoot Kloot cartoons, he does here and does really well at making each character individual from each other. He especially has fun as Hoot Kloot. While it is not much that is hilarious in 'Phony Express', a lot of the lines are witty and bring a smile to the face and the gags while not original (similar have been seen before, especially with the bear) are well timed and amuse, especially in the section with the thief. Much of the story has great energy with the cartoon going at a quick clip, if not quite enough to be wacky.
It is not hard to figure out how things are going to end though in what is quite predictable and what feels like a few short encounters in one cartoon. Too much of the drawing, especially at the beginning, is scrappy.
Other than the thief, who is quite derivative of similar characters that have more menace, none of the supporting characters stand out. Not even the bear.
Concluding, good fun. 7/10
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