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Hong Kong Phooey DVD Review |
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Ready to capitalize on the popularity of Kung Fu, Hanna-Barbera created a new cartoon featuring a dog with “kunk fu powers” – Hong Kong Phooey.
DVD Details:
DVD Release Date: August 15, 2006
Released By: Warner Bros.
Versions Available: 2-Disc Full Screen
Version Reviewed: Same
Framing: Full Frame
Genre: Saturday Morning Cartoon
Era: 1974
Hong Kong Phooey DVD Review
In the 1970’s, Kung Fu was becoming popularized because of Bruce Lee and the show Kung Fu. Always ready to capitalize on a hot commodity, Hanna-Barbera created a new cartoon featuring an inept “superhero” dog with “kunk fu powers” – Hong Kong Phooey.
Nearly 32 years after the cartoons release, Warner Bros. has released the Hong Kong Phooey – The Complete Series – DVD, which contains all 31 episodes of the popular Saturday morning cartoon.
The Story
Hong Kong Phooey follows the adventures of a dog who believes he is a superhero. However, like Inspector Gadget (which came later), this superhero only succeeds through his klutzy innocence and the help of a well-placed sidekick. In this case, Hong Kong Phooey’s sidekick is Spot, a striped cat who helps Phooey out of all sorts of tough situations. Known as Henry, when not Hong Kong Phooey, the crime-fighting dog works at a police station where his klutzy acts aren’t just for show. Working at the police station allows Henry to know when there’s a crime he needs to solve. And when that time comes he shoots into his secret lair (through a vending machine that opens to a room) and into the filing cabinet where he changes into his kung fu disguise.
The DVD
The packaging of Hong Kong Phooey is really nice. My only disappointment was that Disc 1 is one sided with the other side containing artwork and disc 2 is two-sided. It would have been much more user friendly to create three nicely labeled DVDs. Those who have seen a two-sided disc realize they can’t be labeled (since the DVD player has to be able to read both sides). So it looks funny having Disc 1 labeled, but not the second disk.
The two-disc Hong Kong Phooey DVD collection contains a few special features, including The Phoo-Nomenon, which contains several interviews with people involved with the series. You learn a lot too, particularly about the closeness of the writing/animating team and how they worked more as one than as individuals. You can also hear commentary from the Creative Producer (Iwao Takamoto), Layout Unit Manager (Willie Ito) and a historian (Scott Jeralds) on three of the episodes. For people who like to view things from conception to completion, another feature shows the complete storyboard from the episode “Batty Bank Mob”, episode 8, played side-by-side with the actual finished episode..
All in all there are 31 episodes on both disks and two features, plus commentary.
Conclusion
Those who remember growing up watching Hong Kong Phooey may enjoy a trip down memory lane with this DVD series or families with kids may want to add it to their babysitting… er… entertainment collection.
Side Notes
Interestingly enough, when watching Hong Kong Phooey, you can start to see where many of the concepts for the Inspector Gadget series came from.
When you compare the animation drawings from past cartoons like Hong Kong Phooey to modern cartoons, you have to ask yourself “what happened?” Sometimes technological advances don’t really “advance” artistic expression.
Back of the Case
Just who is “America’s secret weapon against crime?” As his catch theme informs, he’s a number one super guy, quicker than the human eye!” Disguised as a mild-mannered police station janitor, Penrod transforms into the powerful pooch who the girls love to smooch by leaping into the bottom drawer of a filing cabinet – and emerging as Hong Kong Phooey in a bright red karate outfit!
He gets most of his criminal tips from Rosemary, the miniskirted dispatcher with a New York accent straight out of a ‘40s screwball comedy. And starting with his very first episode (Car Thieves), he uses his Phooeymobile – and Kung Phoo dumb luck – to dog, collar and put his famous Hong Kong Phooey karate chop on crooks. With all 31 series episodes in this cool 2-disc set, it would be a crime not to take it home!
DVD
