A Dopey Hacienda

There was a little potential in 'A Dopey Hacienda', with a somewhat endearingly silly title and plantation/dwelling settings are always interesting to watch. None of the previous cartoons in the Tijuana Toads series did it for me, with only 'Going for Croak' rising above mediocre and that was only just, and the series overall is one of the weaker DePatie-Freleng Enterprises theatrical series. The premise is also nothing special on paper.

Which to me also applies to the execution of the premise for 'A Dopey Hacienda', another lacklustre at best cartoon in a mediocre theatrical series. Once again it is semi-watchable if one wants to see all the cartoons in the series and if you want to see all the DePatie-Freleng Enterprises cartoons and all their theatrical series. As well as my love for animation, my main reason for rewatching since a while 'A Dopey Hacienda' was completest sake.

'A Dopey Hacienda' has a lot of problems. Apart from one moment, El Toro and Pancho don't appeal as lead characters. They have always come over as annoying and they are mostly here, and they are too broadly stereotypical. Worse though is the cat owner, an unbearable stereotype that one hates from the start and that hate worsens as the cartoon wears on. The voice acting is not good, Don Diamond and Tom Holland try too hard while Anthea Lorde is reduced to scream distasteful insults to a character that does not deserve that kind of abuse.

Once again the animation is less than great, it's not the worst looking cartoon in the series as the beginning doesn't look too bad but on the most part it's too sparse, over simple and rushed-looking. The dialogue always sounds awkward and is pretty generic. The gags are stale rehashes basically and the kicking the cat out of the house gag wore thin the second time and was too mean-spirited. Surely we don't need to see El Toro and Pancho relaxing with more of the same poses (recycled animation?) uttering equally samey dialogue in every cartoon as well? The story is dull and does nothing new with a familiar scenario, also feeling too repetitious.

Doug Goodwin's score though has a lot of character and charming flavour and the opening titles sequence is upbeat and well animated. The cat character was both fun and also one that one feels sorry for, because of the cruel way he's treated throughout the cartoon. That is up until the end where he shows a more antagonistic side. Did feel sorry for the goldfish too.

When it comes to singling out individual parts, the highlight by far is the ending, both amusing and unexpected, where one sees a different side to Pancho in his shining moment of the whole series and sees that he does care for El Toro. My reaction to seeing him like that was similar to El Toro's.

Summing up, didn't do it for me again. Great ending, but oh my goodness that cat owner is nearly on the same level of the beetle character in 'Hop and Chop'. 4/10.