Dial 'P' for Pink

Pink Panther Odyssey Part IV

Back on form after the strangely meandering and confusingly titled "stamp" mall run, this brilliantly deft burglar v a random safe-dwelling panther is gloriously explosive fun with a fantastically witty ending. A very consistent one and a serious lark.

I seem to be alone in thinking that the Pink Panther cartoons are fairly awful. This one does little to convince me otherwise, with predictable gags and horrible animation. In Dial P for Pink, a burglar tries to break open a safe, but doesn't realise that it is home to The Pink Panther, who isn't happy about being disturbed.

Why is The Pink Panther living inside a safe, especially one in which the top and sides open like doors, rendering it totally useless? Who knows, but this idea leads to lots of weak jokes in which the panther is able to nip in and out of the safe to cause all sorts of problems for the burglar. The gag in which the burglar mistakes a radio for the safe is lifted straight out of one of the Pink Panther movies.

This is a great, slick Pink Panther cartoon - one of his earlier ones - where he outsmarts a bumbling robber who wants to take away the panther's safe in his apartment.

From constantly having the safe fall on him from being blown away by a bomb, the robber hilariously falls for the panther's slick tricks.

There's no dialog or laugh track in this short, and the music score is perfect - classic Pink Panther that what makes these earlier cartoons funny, exciting and full of substance.

Overall, great little cartoon. Wished all robbers could be outsmarted like this.

Grade A

These first Pink Panther cartoons all had the same thing: the panther driving someone nuts! In this case, it's a second-story burglar. Just inside the window is a safe and the little man is there to crack it. Unfortunately, the Pink Panther is inside. Why? We have no clue, but the fact is that he's there and he drives the totally befuddled thief insane by constantly changing locks, opening the top door and pushing him back out the window, etc.

For all but the last 50 seconds of the cartoon, the burglar doesn't know the Panther is inside the safe. When he discovers, some really strange scenes occur. It's amazing how many gags they produce in less than a minute!

There is much to love about the Pink Panther cartoons. He is a very iconic and likable character, and his cartoons make for at least amusing viewing. If you love Pink Panther, you'll love Dial "P" for Pink. The story isn't much of a surprise but at least it's never dull. And it helps that the gags are so great, all of them especially the ending range from funny to hilarious. The animation is simply designed, especially the background art, without being too simplistic. The colours are very nicely done. The music is the epitome of cool and catchy, the main theme is the most memorable and irresistible themes. Pinky still is a very likable character, while his foil matches him very well.

Overall, great and any Pink Panther fans will enjoy it. 9/10 Bethany Cox