Hey gang, Valkor here. And I'm back with another classic from the folks at Warner Home. This little guy – and he's very little, is one of the more obscure Hanna-Barbera characters that if you mentioned his name to people, they'd probably shrug their shoulders, not knowing who he is. And rightfully so, there were only so many episodes of "Inch High Private eye". Now those episodes have been gathered onto a single collection and have been given the Warner Archive Collection treatment. Prepares yourselves for the "Inch High Private Eye: The Complete Series DVD".
It's funny, just this evening I switched over to Cartoon Network and happened to catch "Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law" where Inch High was featured; and for some reason he always showed up in Harvey's pants. Is that to say Harvey is uhmmmmm lacking? That may be why Gigi gets down and dirty with everyone else but him. Hmmmmm…
Anywho, to catch you up on Inch, he's a tiny private detective who works for the Finkerton Detective Agency. Now a guy of his stature can't possibly work alone. So he enlists the aid of his niece Lori, his beefy sidekick and master of disguise Gator, and his trusty yet lazy companion of a dog Braveheart who's anything but brave. Their boss, Mr. Finkerton will put Inch and co onto some cases, but in reality he really wants them gone. Finkerton even goes so far as to follow Inch wherever he goes to ensure the job gets done, but he ends up getting mixed up in all the zaniess. Though Inch makes a few stumbles along the way, he always gets his man. The series comes on two discs with 13 episodes in total. Highlights include:
Super Flea – A Finkerton scientist invents a flea, half the size of Inch that's capable of listening from moderate distances, plus take stills on its super small camera without the loss of detail. This makes Finkerton happy because with the super flea he can finally get rid of Inch. However when the flea gets stolen he puts Inch and co on the job. Can our miniscule private eye find the flea and protect his job in the process?
Counterfeit Story – Banks and people all over town are discovering their money is being replaced with counterfeits. After a stint in jail for trying to confiscate real money from an iron forger, Inch deduces that the culprit behind the counterfeiting is none other than Mr. Midas.
Diamonds are a Crooks Best friend – Mrs. Gotrocks, owner of the Gotrocks diamonds, calls on the Finkerton Detective Agency to protect her goods when a shadowy figure attempts to steal her precious jewels. Inch is on the job, but when he asks to see where the gems are stored, they get stolen. Now Inch is on the case to find the gems before they're gone for good.
The Return of Spumoni – Dr. Spumoni first appeared in the episode "The Doll Maker" and was once Inch's tailor before being arrested for using his dolls to steal furs. Now he's back with his dolls to steal the "Pichelangelo" that's being guarded by the Finkerton Agency.
This set is "short" on extras (pun intended), leaving us with our next order of business – the TOV Breakdown!
The Good:
I nearly wanted to stop watching Inch after the first episode – I wasn't exactly sure what the heck was going on. But I stuck it out and things got a lot better. The stories are standard Hanna-Barbera silly with much of the jokes wrapped around Inch, his height, and how he interacts with the full size world - it's just plain silly fun. Like Inch counting money, walking on a moving steering wheel, or living in the barrel under his Saint Bernard Braveheart, who also happens to be my favorite character of the bunch. That dog is always at the right place, but at the wrong time. The stories are straightforward and a lot of fun, though at times it can be a little too off the wall even for my crazy taste. The thing is, Inch is really a clueless detective and yet this little guy has the biggest ego you've ever seen. He swears he's the greatest and yet he'll overlook the truth, even when it looks him smack dab in the face. It's just too funny and at the same time it makes you wanna rage. In the end the antics of Inch High and his cohorts will keep you thoroughly entertained.
The Bad:
I had to rewatch and few of the episodes as the pacing on these toons can drag some. They're only 20 minutes, but some of them seem so much longer.
The Ugly:
N/A
Inch High Private Eye: The Complete Series DVD will be available on May 24th and if you're a fan of classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, then Inch and co is just what the doctor ordered. It's zany, it's wacky, it's off the wall, but also entertaining and fun. I highly recommend it. And out of TOV 5 stars, I'm giving Inch High a 3.5 and it's been Valkor Viewed, TOV Approved.
