On the most part, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises' output was very interesting and enjoyable to watch, with their best period being the 60s. Their various theatrical series were mixed, are a few were very good, a few were average at best or below and a few were in between. The Hoot Kloot series, made up of 17 cartoons produced between 1973 and 1974, is one of the in between ones like Roland and Rattfink. Not as good as prime-Pink Panther, The Inspector and the Ant and the Aardvark series, but better than those of Tijuana Toads, The Blue Racer and Crazylegs Crane.
'As the Tumbleweeds Turn' unfortunately is not one of the best of the Hoot Kloot cartoons. Actually put it somewhere in the bottom end. Is it a terrible cartoon? No it isn't and there is worse in the series. Is it great? No, don't really consider it particularly good either. There are good things here, but somehow 'As the Tumbleweeds Turn' didn't feel like a Hoot Kloot cartoon or a scenario that Hoot Kloot fitted like a glove in and like it was lifted out of somewhere else.
There are good things. There is some nice animation, with the character animation actually being some of the best of the latter half of the series being not as scrappy. There is also a wider range of colours without being sickly, with a predominant use of blue, while the abstract backgrounds don't look simplistic. The music is full of character, has so much rhythmic energy and has a real Wild West vibe to it.
While Hoot Kloot is a funny and compelling character, the best character here in 'As the Tumbleweed Turns' is the dog. He had fun comic timing and had an interesting anarchic personality that contrasted well with Hoot Kloot's brashness. Bob Holt voices terrifically, even in the weakest Hoot Kloot cartoons he was never an issue.
However, the character of Widow Watley wasn't as interesting, the only interesting thing about her is that she is literally a doppelganger for the character of Granny in the Sylvester and Tweety cartoons. Except Granny had more personality and one that didn't irritate or bore, even when underused. Widow Watley is an okay moving the plot along sort of character but not an awful lot more in my view. Didn't think there was much here that was funny and there was next to nothing that was imaginative, the best parts (all from the dog and some of Hoot Kloot's dialogue) were mildly amusing at best and the gags, not enough, felt more reminiscent of gags you find in a very late-50s/early 60s Looney Tunes cartoon.
Furthermore, there could have been more momentum with the cartoon having some dull stretches when it runs out of steam. The story didn't really come to life in my view and is too derivative of late Looney Tunes, plus it's a scenario that somehow Hoot Kloot seems out of place in. This is the sort of premise that works a lot better in a Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry cartoon but just doesn't gel in this series. Fester is underused and to me the ending was for the series uncharacteristically cruel and jarred with the rest of the cartoon.
Summing up, one of those one time watchable watches but quite average. 5/10.
