Not all the Herman and Katnip cartoons are great, a good deal of them are pretty mediocre actually, but even the weaker ones are still watchable in some way or other. Mousetro Herman is not just one of Herman and Katnip's best, but also their best since Herman the Catoonist.
Pretty much its only problem is the rather over-familiar interplay between Herman and his cousins, the beginning and the dialogue are very repetitive with most of it exactly the same as previous Herman and Katnip cartoons. Despite this, Mousetro Herman feels fresher than most Herman and Katnip cartoons but it's in a unique setting for them, like Of Mice and Magic was with the theatre and the magic and Herman the Catoonist with the imaginative use of art-work, and makes absolutely terrific use of it. The timing is crisp, after seeing a number of their cartoons recently that had some slow timing, and the gags are some of the funniest and most imaginative of the series, especially with Katnip being turned into a record and using Katnip's tail for a snake charmer.
The animation is good, not always as smooth as the early Herman and Katnip cartoons, but the colours are vibrant, there's a good deal of detail in the backgrounds and everything is nicely drawn. Herman is resourceful and a lot of fun, the mice are sweet and it is easy to identify with their situation and Katnip is amusing, appropriately dim-witted and with a touch of menace. The voice work is fine, but the real highlight here is outstanding music score by Winston Sharples, not just the catchy theme tune(the original instrumental one this time, not the equally catchy Skiddle Diddle Dee song, have always personally preferred the former despite most of their cartoons having the latter) but it's also beautifully orchestrated and so energetic and characterful in rhythm, fitting with and even enhancing the action brilliantly.
All in all, a great Herman and Katnip cartoon, one of their best and the best since Herman the Catoonist. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Pretty much its only problem is the rather over-familiar interplay between Herman and his cousins, the beginning and the dialogue are very repetitive with most of it exactly the same as previous Herman and Katnip cartoons. Despite this, Mousetro Herman feels fresher than most Herman and Katnip cartoons but it's in a unique setting for them, like Of Mice and Magic was with the theatre and the magic and Herman the Catoonist with the imaginative use of art-work, and makes absolutely terrific use of it. The timing is crisp, after seeing a number of their cartoons recently that had some slow timing, and the gags are some of the funniest and most imaginative of the series, especially with Katnip being turned into a record and using Katnip's tail for a snake charmer.
The animation is good, not always as smooth as the early Herman and Katnip cartoons, but the colours are vibrant, there's a good deal of detail in the backgrounds and everything is nicely drawn. Herman is resourceful and a lot of fun, the mice are sweet and it is easy to identify with their situation and Katnip is amusing, appropriately dim-witted and with a touch of menace. The voice work is fine, but the real highlight here is outstanding music score by Winston Sharples, not just the catchy theme tune(the original instrumental one this time, not the equally catchy Skiddle Diddle Dee song, have always personally preferred the former despite most of their cartoons having the latter) but it's also beautifully orchestrated and so energetic and characterful in rhythm, fitting with and even enhancing the action brilliantly.
All in all, a great Herman and Katnip cartoon, one of their best and the best since Herman the Catoonist. 9/10 Bethany Cox
