Fritz the Cat

Believe it or not, there once was an innocent time (1972 to be specific) when an animated cat penis would earn you an "X" rating. While Ralph Bakshi's groundbreaking debut "adult cartoon" wouldn't necessarily share a double bill with a Disney feature today, post-Monicagate viewers will find it to be a reasonably tame kitty. Based on characters created by legendary underground comics artist R. Crumb, Fritz the Cat offers an episodic chronicle of the eponymous tabby's odyssey from NYU student to dabbler in sex, drugs, rock and roll and anti-authoritarian high jinks (the animal cops here are--naturally--pigs). As in later, more polished efforts by Bakshi, such as American Pop, the urban landscape here (especially Harlem) is a character in its own right, and this dated effort still sings when capturing the gritty look of neon-lit, semi-deserted streets in the wee hours of the night. Beyond that, however, the enjoyable pickings are--sans recreational drugs--pretty slim. In fact I tend to agree with--and certainly can't improve on--DVDVerdict.com's Judge Patrick Naugle's brilliant closing statement: "If you were bummed out that The Little Mermaid didn't include a scene where Ariel got naked and screwed a lobster, well...Fritz The Cat is for you." Sporting a so-so transfer and nada in the way of extras, this is an optional purchase, at best. (R. Pitman)