Good, The Bad, and Huckleberry Hound, The (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: May 17, 2024
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Bob Goe, John Kimball, Charles A. Nichols, Jay Sarbry, Ray PattersonRelease Date(s)
1988 (February 20, 2024)Studio(s)
Hanna-Barbera (Warner Archive Collection)- Film/Program Grade: B+
- Video Grade: B+
- Audio Grade: B
- Extras Grade: F
Review
During the 1980s, Hanna-Barbera was in full swing with any number of TV shows, including their previous hits which were in constant rotation in re-runs. However, a return to the classic characters of old in some new adventures was definitely needed, and from 1987 to 1988, they produced ten syndicated made-for-TV feature films starring many of their most popular stars, including Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Huckleberry Hound, Top Cat, and many others. This series eventually became known collectively as Hanna-Barbera’s Superstars 10, and 36 years later, the folks at the Warner Archive Collection have released all of the films on Blu-ray for the first time.
Premiering on May 6, 1988, The Good, The Bad, and Huckleberry Hound opts for a Western setting this time around. A “mysterious, steely-eyed, silent type stranger,” Huckleberry Hound, rides into Two-Bit, Californey, a tiny town with a big problem: the Dalton gang. Made up of Dinky, Pinky, Finky, and Stinky, these dastardly brothers-in-crime bully and rob their way across the open West, that is until they meet Huckleberry Hound, who has recently (and reluctantly) been appointed sheriff of Two-Bit. Meanwhile, Huckleberry has recently met the beautiful and sweet Desert Flower, whom he plans to settle down with and live a quiet life, raising a family on a small plot of land with goats and pigs. But before he can marry her, he must stop the Dalton brothers with the help of the town, while proving himself to Desert Flower’s stubborn and reproachful father.
One of my personal favorites, this sixth animated film does what the Superstars 10 series does best (at least thus far), which is to do something radically different than the last, by making an old-fashion Western. Huckleberry had appeared in Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose, but here he gets his own show, with guest stars that include Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo, Hokey Wolf, Snagglepuss, and Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Looey (finally!), with surprise appearances by Magilla Gorilla and Peter Potamus. It’s a very endearing story that feels almost like it could have easily been a Bugs Bunny cartoon in some respects, mostly in the humor, but Huckleberry is his usual Southern-fried, well-mannered, laid-back self, eager to help the local townsfolk get crime under control while aiming to raise a family with Desert Flower. It’s perhaps the most charming and care-free of the six made-for-TV features so far, possibly of them all.
The Good, The Bad, and Huckleberry Hound was animated and finished on 35 mm film at the aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Warner Archive brings the film to Blu-ray on a BD-50 disc, maintaining its original television aspect ratio. The film’s Western setting certainly lends itself more to the presentation at hand with various desert landscapes and structures, and like the previous Blu-ray releases, attractive bitrates are maintained that hover between 30 and 40Mbps. All of the linework and cel dirt inherent in the image is intact, and it’s perhaps the sharpest presentation so far, with a couple of random shots appearing soft—likely due to inconsistencies in the original animation. Everything appears organic with pleasant color and contrast, and no leftover visual flaws to speak of.
Audio is presented in English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. It’s another satisfying presentation that gives good support to dialogue, score, and sound effects. Everything is balanced well, and outside of very minor hiss, it’s clean without any distortion, dropouts, or other anomalies.
No extras have been included with this single-disc release of The Good, The Bad, and Huckleberry Hound, but for people of a certain age who saw these films when they originally aired on TV, or rented them on VHS through Worldvision Enterprises, seeing them in such high quality is a real treat. Thankfully, Warner Archive realized that not everybody may like every film in this series, and they’ve given them the opportunity to purchase them individually, or pick them all up in the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 Blu-ray boxed set; which, if you’re planning on getting all of them, is the better bargain. Regardless, it’s great to see these films finally make it past the DVD format.
- Tim Salmons
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