smetin
My nostalgia trip is going full-force. This year alone I have gone through the Flintstones, Top Cat, Scooby-Doo and numerous other Cartoon Network classics. Hong Kong Phooey was another one off my list, but I have to say I do not have many memories of it as a child. With so few episodes it is easy to understand why, but I was willing to pay the small amount to try and re-live my childhood.Let's get this straight; Hong Kong Phooey comes from a simpler time when cartoonists had much more slack from censorship. The title alone is enough to stir controversy today. Add to that a stereotypical goofy robe and faux karate moves (with plenty "Hiyaaahhh's") and you have a cartoon that wouldn't even get past pre-pre- pre-production today! However, as I said, it is a reflection of the time it was created in.Penry, a lowly janitor of a police station, forms the basis of Hong Kong Phooey's alter ego. He is clumsy and incompetent and yet somehow clings onto his job. His superhero counterpart is equally as useful, but his trusty sidekick gets the job done whilst Hong Kong Phooey gets the praise. It is a simple formula that forms the basis of every episode. For the first few episodes it was entertaining, however it grew somewhat repetitive and many episodes seemed to merge into one. Perhaps this is why I had so few memories of this as a child. Although I have mentioned many negatives, I did enjoy watching this short series, although I do rank other Hanna-Barbera classics much higher. The villains in some episodes were hilarious in their own right. I mean, a guy with a contraption that makes it rain uses it to sell umbrellas...genius, right? Also, the racial stereotypes themselves made me laugh but not in the way they were originally intended. It was more like a "I can't believe they got away with this" kind of way! If you have some spare time and cash, you might want to give this show a watch. It is short, will fulfil your nostalgia trip and is probably about as close as we are going to get to time travel. Despite its obvious flaws, Hong Kong Phooey remains a Hanna- Barbera classic for a reason.
TheLittleSongbird
Hong Kong Phooey is not my favourite of the Hanna Barbera shows, but I quite like it. It is interesting enough, and keeps me amused. It is just a shame though that the show only lasted as long as it did, it had potential to do even better than as it started off. True, one or two of the supporting characters are scrappily animated, bland or annoying, but Hong Kong Phooey is not without its charms.The animation isn't the best looking of the Hanna Barbera cartoons, but with some nice colours and decent backgrounds it is reasonable enough. The theme tune is also quite catchy, and I also liked the simple, fun story lines and quirky, amusing one-liners. The main characters are great. Sergeant Flint is a great character, who reacts to Henry/Hong Kong Phooey. But it is the title character who makes the show work. Brilliantly voiced by Scatman Crothers, he is hugely entertaining.Overall, interesting and worth a watch despite its limitations. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Sinistar_8085
"Hong Kong Phooey" is one of the greatest cartoons ever made! Like "Sailor Moon","Duck Tales" and 'Pokemon",this cartoon was worth watching! These days,kids have cartoons that are plot less,annoying,worthless and animated VERY cheaply(like "Billy and Mandy" and "Codename Kids Next Door"). "Hong Kong Phooey" does not rely on snot jokes,farting,puking or unfunny material that the garbage cartoons of today(like "Squirrel Boy","Ed,Edd and Eddy" and "Billy and Mandy") shove down kids' throats. If you want your kids to see what REAL cartoons are,just show them tapes of "Hong Kong Phooey"(along with "Pokemon" and "House of Mouse" and "Lilo & Stitch " series) and watch their faces light up!
dootuss
In the mid 1970's Hanna-Barbera began to make cartoons that were based on real-life trends. From "Devlin" (Evil Knevil), to "Jabberjaw" ("Jaws"), and "These are the Days" ("The Waltons"), they were great concepts (execpt "Jabberjaw" that one sucks). But the best show they did at this time was a show that focused on martial arts, and that show was "Hong Kong Phooey".This show was cool for so many reasons: First off, we have Penrod who's just a janitor dog, but he also has a double life as a martial arts crime fighter who along with his sidekick a cat named Spot, would always stop criminals in a way that inspired other toons like "Inspector Gadget" (In which someone else solves the crime, but the hero gets all the credit when he/she does nothing but bumble) but in a different kind of way in which our feline sidekick isn't pleased that he doesn't get the credit he really deserves since he solved the crimes himself!I got to admit, this is up there with many of H-B'S other greats ("Scooby-Doo", "Flinstones", "Jetsons" etc.). Hopefully, Cartoon Network will get it together, and air all of the 16 eps again like they used to.10/10
