Pink Da Vinci

We are at the home of the great Italian artist Leonardo Da Vinci. He is trying to put just the write smile on Mona Lisa's portrait. We see several funny options. When he's happy with the final results, he literally bounds away in joy.

Meanwhile, the Pink Panther walks by his studio, spots the painting through the window and has the nerve to walk in and change the smile!

That's the one-joke story for this cartoon: Leonard and the Panther keep going back-and- forth changing the smile, expect Da Vinci doesn't know how his painting keeps changing. The Panther uses a few clever ways to change the smile each time without being detected. Overall, however, this wasn't all that humorous because the joke wore thin about halfway through. However, added attraction here were the great drawings on the Italian village, the houses and the countryside. We also got a history lesson about the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

The story, although the concept is a great one and works very well here, isn't all that surprising(though that's common actually with the Pink Panther cartoons) and it does run out of steam too early, it's a one-joke cartoon that didn't quite sustain itself enough through to the end. Pink Da Vinci however is still thoroughly entertaining and is a fair bit better than the five Pink Panther cartoons before it. The ending lets things down somewhat in terms of humour, but most of the cartoon is very funny, the best moments hilarious, which is just great. You learn a fair bit as well, youngsters will love the Leaning Tower of Pisa history lesson which is incorporated cleverly. The animation is bright and colourful as well as elegantly drawn, making Pink Da Vinci a visually appealing cartoon which always helps. The incidental music is jazzy, giving it a slightly seductive element while not slowing the story down or becoming repetitive. The theme tune is still a classic, and hasn't gotten old for me for a theme tune so iconic and that is played and played many times. Pinky is still immensely likable, he is still funny and very cool. The diminutive man assuming the great painter Leonardo Da Vinci is a good foil for Pinky and you do feel some sympathy for him in his battles. All in all, colourful and funny, a one-joke cartoon that mostly works. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Leonardo da Vinci, or somebody with the same talent and name, paints the Mona Lisa and struggles to decide on the right smile. Ultimately, he decides to paint a frown on her face, and thinks that would create the ultimate masterpiece. However, the Pink Panther sees this and decides to correct and turn the frown upside down, creating the now iconic Mona Lisa smile.

It was actually entertaining seeing Leonardo and Pink battle it out with their paintbrushes and painting over the smile and frown again and again. The Pink Panther is the one with brilliant ideas and cleverness here and it was great seeing him be the outwitting one.

Grade A