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Misterjaw Blu-ray Review

“Misterjaw” is a forgettable 70’s animated series.

In this 1976 animated series (which was from “The Pink Panther Laugh And A Half Hour And A Half Show”), the story revolves around Misterjaw (a shark with a German accent, a black top hat, a purple vest and a bow tie) and his catfish pal named Catfish (who wears a brown bowler hat). Over the course of the 34 episodes (which tend to run 6 minutes each), viewers can expect to see plots involving time travel, a magic lamp, ghosts, decoys, a seahorse, a sea monster baby, Harry Halibut, a motorcycle, ice, a cannery, an aquarium, Misterjaw trying to catch food (namely smaller fish), a giant, robots, aliens, Fearless Freddy The Shark Hunter, a treasure trove of tuna, show business, a beach resort, holiday trips, swallowed objects, cats, intimidating fish, Misterjaw trying to lose weight and get in shape and Misterjaw trying to break world records.

After the popularity of “Jaws,” it’s easy to see why DePatie/Freleng Productions (who are best known for “The Pink Panther” toons) rushed a shark centric cartoon in production to capitalize on its success. Unfortunately, “Misterjaw” feels like a rushed product.

While the animation work is colorful and well made, the show itself is one note and formulaic. Each episode sees Misterjaw and Catfish teaming up to do something which doesn’t go particularly well. Add in canned laughter, lots of movie and TV spoofs (like “The Godfather” and “The Six Million Dollar Man”), and lame catch phrases like “Gotcha” and “Hey, boss” and you know what you’re getting. “Misterjaw” is the type of show that feels like it has run its course after a couple episodes in due to the lack of story variety (and character depth for that matter).

Speaking of the characters, they feel like slapped together creations. A shark with a German accent? A catfish with a bowler hat? It’s dopey stuff and it feels like a product of its time. Now, I’m sure there are many folks who grew up in the 70’s that will have a great fondness for this. In that case, this Blu-ray release is certainly for them (and for vintage animation junkies as well).

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.33:1 1080p. How does it look? However one may feel about the animated series, there’s no denying that this Blu-ray release boasts an impressive transfer of the episodes. The colors really pop here.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The sound f/x, dialogue, and faint laugh track (ugh) sound adequate.

Extras: * Commentary on 11 episodes featuring commentators such as Greg Ford, Mark Arnold, Jerry Beck, and William Hohauser. Jerry Beck’s commentaries are the best and most informative. * “Chips Off The Old Blockbusters”- A documentary on the movie spoof cartoons (namely “The Dogfather” and “Misterjaw”) and Robert McKimson that features a whole host of interviewees. * “Tales Of Production (And Production Overload)”- Interviewees talk about the DePatie/Freleng cartoons and production company.

April 15, 2018 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Animated Series, animation, Cartoons, Jaws, Kino, Misterjaw Blu-ray Review, Sharks, The Pink Panther