Chilly Willy's best cartoons were perfect examples of how a potentially one-joke character and concept could end up actually being a perfect mix of the cute and the funny with a lot of colour and good comic timing to go with it.
After the previous three very good to great Chilly Willy cartoons, 'Fish Hooked' was a disappointment somewhat. It is always enjoyable seeing Chilly and Smedley together, they work so well together, it is good to see Chilly having a different purpose from the norm and 'Fish Hooked' is better than most cartoons directed by Paul J. Smith, the worst of which not being being good at all. Chilly and Smedley have just done much better, that's all.
'Fish Hooked' is a rather predictable cartoon, the outcomes of every gag and the ending can be seen from ages off, and the action between Smedley and the porpoise was amusing at first but got on the repetitive side. On top of being predictable, the story also lacks variation which gives it a repetitiveness.
Outside of Chilly, Smedley and a few of the colourful fish characters, not all the characters are particularly memorable. The animation has been better in previous Chilly Willy cartoons, the drawings never were the most refined but other than some nice bright colours a lot of the drawing looks rushed and ugly.
However, the music is full of lively bounce and character, with luscious orchestration. It not only adds to the action and visuals but enhances them too.
Really enjoyed the aquarium setting, which was colourful and the humorous narration did a good job entertaining and teaching, one does learn a lot about the different types of fish.
Some of the gags are hurt by the lack of variety but most are amusing and are timed well. The chemistry between Chilly and Smedley sparkles, and it is always remarkable at what Chilly has up his sleeve and how he does it. Underneath all that irresistible cuteness he is one clever, funny and at times fairly brutal penguin.
Chilly is adorable and is also a lot of fun, with his actions speaking far louder than words. He may be a nuisance to his opponents but he wins the viewer over with his cuteness and timing. Daws Butler (in his distinctive Huckleberry Hound voice) delivers some solid voice acting as Smedley, the slightly funnier and more interesting character.
In summary, decent but not great. 6/10 Bethany Cox
