Pink Pranks

The Pink Panther wants to visit Rome but is somehow ejected from the airplane and parachuted into the Arctic, where he befriends a lonely seal pup. The young seal wants the Pink Panther's company but when the panther wants to leave the Artic for Rome, a hunter is also the seal for its fur. So, it's a race for the panther to save the seal before the hunter gets to him.

It's a fun little cartoon; the seal pup is adorable and very friendly. He's a good helper to Panther, trying to get him to Rome with his fast flippers. And, the panther trying to outwit the hunter and pit him against an aggressive polar bear is entertaining. One of the best Pink Panther cartoons out there!

Grade A

The Panther is in a big jet, traveling to Rome when the "fasten seat belts" sign changes to "arrivederci" and our guy is dumped from the plane! At least his seat has a parachute and he lands in Alaska, two miles from Nome, with nothing but ice and water around him.

This turns out to be more of a "cute" than funny episode as a little seal becomes attached to the Panther, and follows him. The PP tells him to go home and the little pup is heartbroken. However, when a hunter comes by, our hero goes back and saves the little guy. Then a bear confronts the PP.....on and on with those four characters, this being more of a sentimental story of the Panther and the Little Pup than the normal comedy fare.

It isn't boring, though, and it's a nice story but not what Pink Panther fans, I assume, are expecting. I am not complaining; nothing wrong with sentimentality.

There are much funnier Pink Panther cartoons around, there are a few comic moments but they are more raise-a-smile amusing than laugh-out-loud funny. Even with that said, I cannot bring myself to dislike Pink Pranks because while it's different there is a real charm to it, starting with that there has not been a Pink Panther cartoon personally seen so far as cute and touchingly sweet as Pink Pranks. The cute moments are sentimental but in a genuinely touching and heart-warming way than mawkish. The animation is as expected very simple(a lot of the Pink Panther cartoons' animation style is and it's part of the charm) but it is also well drawn and the colours used are elegant and not too flat or bright. The music is jazzy and sly, with the justifiably classic theme tune as catchy and winning as ever, one of those that appeals even after hearing it umpteen times. The story is one of the least predictable of the Pink Panther series and is never dull, even when not as funny as other outings and cuter than usual. Pinky is cool and charismatic as well as more sympathetic than usual, the adorable and endearingly friendly seal almost steals the show and the hunter is a good adversary, one that's easy to hate. The three interact beautifully with one another. In conclusion, very sweet while not overly so as long as you don't mind the change of pace, which shouldn't be a detriment. 8/10 Bethany Cox