Hong Kong Phooey

As a child growing up watching the likes of HKP and other Hanna Barbera classics (yes they were) I cannot remember ever getting bored of them. They were simply animated perhaps but as a kid did I ever stop and think, "hhhmm I think the animation is a bit cheap looking" - NO I DIDN'T and the reason - because I was a child and it was good fun, with funny scripts and characters. OK so they're not as funny perhaps when you watch them again as a 30 something year old (or whatever) but don't forget they were made for kids after all. I look forward to showing the likes of Hong Kong Phooey to my son when he grows up a bit along with a few other classics thrown in for good measure.

Hong Kong Phooey is another one of my Hanna-Barbera favorites! This series is about a mild mannered janitor Penry who works at a police station commanded by Sergent Flint. When ever there is crime around Penry jumps into a file cabinet and comes out as Hanna-Barbera's number one super guy, Hong Kong Phooey who is a martial arts superhero! This show got 16 episodes in 1 Season. This show deserved more than 1 season and 16 episodes! Plus one thing I thought was cool about this Hong Kong Phooey was his martial arts moves and how he knocks the bad guys. Plus I thought the whole way Penry changes into Hong Kong Phooey was funny when he goes into a file cabinet and then he is Hong Kong Phooey.

User Rating: 7/10

BOTTOM LINE: HONG KONG PHOOEY IS HANNA-BARBERA'S # 1 SUPER GUY!

The appeal of Hong Kong Phooey can be summed by one name, Scatman Crothers. One of the most talented individuals ever hired by Hanna Barbera to do voice overs. He pretty much carried this cartoon during it's scant 16 episode run. Quirky one liners and his constant talking to the audience seperated Hong Kong Phooey from the rest. Hanna Barbera ruled the seventies TV cartoon market. IF Cartoon Network would get off the anime band wagon(FAT CHANCE)they would have time to show some American classics such as this. Great Theme Song.

Hong Kong Phooey is classic oldie humor, like Huckleberry Hound and Snagglepuss. I watched it when I was little, and I still think it is funny. I have yet to meet a kid who thought it was racist or acted that way because of it; in my opinion, it is a whole lot better influence than the current violent Anime shows. Not that you have to respect characters for a show to be worthwhile, but I have far more respect for Hong Kong Phooey and the gang than I do for people who post comments about drugs and lacing others' drinks with toxic substances on a site about a movie that young adults watch. No one expects cartoons to be classic dramatic works of art. Hong Kong Phooey is a light-hearted comedy that is safe for kids to watch and funny for adults, too. Lighten up and just enjoy it!

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.