Do get a lot of enjoyment out of The Pink Panther cartoons, not all of them are great or even good with the series getting particularly hit and miss in the mid/late-70s. The best of the 60s period though, when the Pink Panther series was at its peak, are great and even brilliant, and shows why in my view The Pink Panther series is one of the best DePatie-Freleng theatrical series. Along with The Inspector and The Ant and the Aardvark. Am somewhat mixed on the others, which are not as easy to sit through in one sitting.
Found to my shock that after spending five or six years thinking that all the Pink Panther cartoons had been reviewed that that was somehow not the case, when looking through DePatie-Freleng's filmography. Being a big fan of animation and it was a little after starting my various completest quests (first watches and re-watches and reviewing them, slow but worthwhile processes) which are still happening, including DePatie-Freleng's output. Had somehow neglected 'Pink Lightning'. Re-watching it, 'Pink Lightning' is not one of the series' or studio's best, somewhat middling, but actually not bad considering it is from the series' weakest period.
'Pink Lightning' does have quite a number of good things. There are some beautiful colours in the animation, Pink doesn't look rushed-looking and his movements aren't stiff or anything. Some imaginative visuals for the car. The music is slinky and upbeat, though in general this aspect sounded recycled at this point and in some cartoons cheap (there is a feeling of the former here but not the latter). While never hilarious, the gags are amusing and there isn't a shortage of them.
The pace is lively enough, so the short length moves swiftly at least, and the premise is one of the more interesting and inventive ones of the late Pink Panther cartoons, some imaginative moments here with the cartoon starting off really well. The car is made great use of and actually appreciated seeing a different and more vulnerable side to Pink, despite missing admittedly his trademark craftiness.
However, 'Pink Lightning' still could have a little more with the premise. Because it can get very predictable and formulaic towards the end and runs out of gas at this point with a fairly abrupt ending that does not go out on a bang. The gags are amusing but not much hilarious or fresh here. So inventive concept with moments of imagination, but some of the cartoon is too ordinary in execution.
Some of the backgrounds can be very scrappy and sparse, tighter deadlines and smaller budgets show. DePatie-Freleng's style was minimalist but there were cartoons of theirs that took simplicity to extremes and 'Pink Lightning' and a lot of the mid/late-70s Pink Panther cartoons were guilty of that.
In summation, above average but there are far better Pink Panther cartoons. Namely the best of the 60s output. 6/10
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