While Cat in the Act is not perfect, it is still very enjoyable and one of the better later Herman and Katnip cartoons (with Mousetro Herman being the best).
Like most Herman and Katnip cartoons, Cat in the Act is rather formulaic and one-sided, it is very clear from the get go who wins because it's the same in all the Herman and Katnip cartoons and the story is not all that surprising. The nephew doesn't have much to do and ends up being a little irritating in alternative to cute, as someone who normally enjoys Mae Questel's work the voice does become a little shrill and cutesy.
The animation is very good however, some of the later Herman and Katnip did suffer from lower budgets but the vibrant colours, colourful detailed backgrounds (apart from one scrappy, sparse one about four minutes in) and smooth drawing make it one of the better-looking Herman and Katnip cartoons. The gags are amusing, if not hilarious, timing is crisper than it tended to be in their cartoons and they don't veer on being too cruel (not even the final gag, despite the danger of it being, certainly not to the extent of the endings of Mice Meeting You, Northwest Mousie or Hide and Peak which were quite mean-spirited). The dialogue is also thankfully not as repetitive as it could be.
Herman has more to do here than in the previous cartoon Hide and Peak and manages to amuse, while Katnip conflicts and contrasts with him very well as a fun and menacing antagonist, their chemistry does gel and Herman's reason for outwitting Katnip makes sense. The voice acting is strong, with the only reservations being for Questel. Arnold Stang as Herman especially voices with a lot of spirit. The star here though is the music, which is characteristically outstanding and like the heart and soul of the cartoon. The energy it has is infectious and the orchestration is both beautiful and clever.
Overall, a well-done cartoon for Herman and Katnip, and one of their better later ones from a somewhat hit and miss series. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Like most Herman and Katnip cartoons, Cat in the Act is rather formulaic and one-sided, it is very clear from the get go who wins because it's the same in all the Herman and Katnip cartoons and the story is not all that surprising. The nephew doesn't have much to do and ends up being a little irritating in alternative to cute, as someone who normally enjoys Mae Questel's work the voice does become a little shrill and cutesy.
The animation is very good however, some of the later Herman and Katnip did suffer from lower budgets but the vibrant colours, colourful detailed backgrounds (apart from one scrappy, sparse one about four minutes in) and smooth drawing make it one of the better-looking Herman and Katnip cartoons. The gags are amusing, if not hilarious, timing is crisper than it tended to be in their cartoons and they don't veer on being too cruel (not even the final gag, despite the danger of it being, certainly not to the extent of the endings of Mice Meeting You, Northwest Mousie or Hide and Peak which were quite mean-spirited). The dialogue is also thankfully not as repetitive as it could be.
Herman has more to do here than in the previous cartoon Hide and Peak and manages to amuse, while Katnip conflicts and contrasts with him very well as a fun and menacing antagonist, their chemistry does gel and Herman's reason for outwitting Katnip makes sense. The voice acting is strong, with the only reservations being for Questel. Arnold Stang as Herman especially voices with a lot of spirit. The star here though is the music, which is characteristically outstanding and like the heart and soul of the cartoon. The energy it has is infectious and the orchestration is both beautiful and clever.
Overall, a well-done cartoon for Herman and Katnip, and one of their better later ones from a somewhat hit and miss series. 8/10 Bethany Cox
