DVD Corner

Wacky Races- The Complete Series Blu-ray Review

“Wacky Races” is a memorable Hanna-Barbera series.

1968’s “Wacky Races” is a Hanna-Barbera animated series that plays like a cross between the Blake Edwards film “The Great Race” and “Looney Tunes.” The series is comprised of 17 episodes with 2 shorts per episode. The simple series revolves around racers competing for a title. The races take place all across the U.S. (from Nevada to Florida) in fictional and real locations (like the Carlsbad Caverns) as well as Mexico and Canada. The main racers are as follows: Professor Pat Pending (an inventor), Penelope Pitstop (a Southern lady), Ant Hill Mob (gangsters), Slag Brothers (cavemen), Gruesome Twosome (monsters with a dragon), Peter Perfect (a strong gentleman), The Red Max (a pilot), Sgt. Blast and Pvt. Meekley (Army soldiers), Lazy Luke and Blubber Bear (hillbillies), Rufus Ruffcut and Sawtooth (a lumberjack and his beaver pal), and, who can forget, Dick Dastardly and Muttley. A narrator calls the action to keep viewers in the know on who is leading the race. 

Although it bears a strong resemblance to the aforementioned “The Great Race” (an epic underrated Hollywood production), “Wacky Races” was a nice change of pace from cartoons of the time period. Sure, it still adheres to a formula, but the outcome of the race always differed. The races themselves are often chaotic and wild. Vehicles contain surprising features, drivers try to outwit each other, some racers put on disguises (like an Abominable Snowman), and the drivers sometimes face obstacles (like police, irate land owners, and natural disasters like an avalanche). Naturally, the villainous Dick Dastardly and Muttley also try to win by any means necessary with traps, diversions, sabotages, road sign changes, a gorilla, and so forth. Most of the time their plans backfire.

On the subject of Dick Dastardly and Muttley, they are easily the best of the oddball characters. Yes, Dick Dastardly is essentially Wile E. Coyote, but the scheming baddie and his laughing dog sidekick Muttley steal every episode. It’s no wonder they received their own spin-off one year later with “Dastardly And Muttley In Their Flying Machines”. The Gruesome Twosome were a close second. A lot of “The Munsters” vibes there especially with the dragon.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.33:1 1080p. How does it look? The remastered series features rich, bright colors that makes this an upgrade to ride home about.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? From the sounds of the automobiles to the narration, this is a clean 2.0 track.

Extras:
* “Wacky Facts Trivia Track”
* “Spin-Out Spin-offs”- An archival 11 minute featurette about the spin-off series.
* “Rearview Mirror: A Look Back At Wacky Races”- A near 20 minute retrospective with interviews, episode clips, discussions about the show’s history, and more.
* 4 commentaries on “Ballpoint, Penn., Or Bust,” “Fast Track To Hackensack,” “The Ski Resort Road Race,” and “Overseas Hi-Way Race” by Scott Shaw, Jerry Eisenberg, Earl Kress and Iwao Takomoto.

May 11, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | 60's, Cartoon, Dick Dastardly, Hanna-Barbera, Muttley, Penelope Pitstop, The Great Race, Wacky Races, Wacky Races- The Complete Series Blu-ray Review