Clampett's one and only foray into TV animation still holds up surprisingly well. Anyone hoping for cartoons on par with his theatrical masterpieces made at Warner Bros. in the 1940s are likely to be disappointed, though. However, in the realm of made-for-TV animation of the 1960s, these are very well done. Despite the limited budgets, these cartoons have any energy and cartoony style that sets them apart from other studios' output which was usually stiff and lifeless. Clampett's influence is clear, as these shorts feature lots of Warner Bros.-style visual slapstick gags. They also feature lots (I mean lots) of really awful puns. In fact, I think it's safe to say that your enjoyment of the cartoons may depend on your tolerance to corny puns. Yes, I have to admit that I get a kick out of them. The cartoons may not be anything groundbreaking, but they are a lot of fun for what they are.

For those who aren't familiar, the show stars propeller cap-wearing youngster Beany and his pal, Cecil the Sea-Sick Sea Serpent. The duo travel the globe (and beyond) in search of lost treasures with Beany's uncle, Captain Huffenpuff. Each seven-minute short takes them to a new setting where they encounter an array of crazy characters (in this volume, these include robots Venus the Meanest and Venice the Menace, Tear-Along the Dotted Lion, Davey Cricket, Beepin' Tom, Alfred Hamhock, and Ping Pong the giant ape... did I mention this show had lots of puns?). Tagging along on most of these journeys is the show's villain and all-around "dirty guy" Dishonest John, an over-the-top mellerdrama-type villain with a trademark laugh ("Nya ha ha!").

The centerpiece of the DVD are the twelve animated cartoons. Highlights include the army of robotic singing picnic ants in "Invasion of the Earth by Robots"; Dishonest John attempting to catch little Beepin' Tom in "Strange Objects"; Cecil falling in love in "Cecil Meets Cecilia"; a parody of the then-current Davy Crockett craze ("Davey Cricket"); and a cute musical one-shot starring Ben Hare and his genius son, Harecules. A rare alternate version of "Beanyland" (Clampett's infamous spoof of Uncle Walt's theme park) is also included. It varies only slightly from the original version of the same cartoon (which was included on Volume 1). Picture quality is excellent overall, but the cartoons are unfortunately riddled with DVNR during fast action scenes.

Like the first volume, this DVD is jam-packed with bonus features. Two episodes of the original Time For Beany puppet show are included. There's also a wide array of interviews and galleries covering every corner of Bob Clampett's career. The "Lost Work" section features rarely seen scripts and artwork from projects Clampett never got off the ground. As interesting as some of these features are, chances are you won't be rewatching them very often. After awhile, it almost becomes a chore to sift through everything. I kind of wished that more actual B&C cartoons were included on the DVD instead. The 12 included left me wanting more. Here's hoping a complete B&C collection is on the horizon someday gathering all 26 half-hour episodes (78 individual shorts).

One bonus feature sure to be of interest to animation buffs is the rare "lost" theatrical cartoon Clampett made for Republic Pictures in 1947. After leaving WB, Clampett formed his own studio and signed a six-cartoon deal with Republic Pictures. The series was to star a new character named Charlie Horse (basically Mortimer Snerd as a horse). Unfortunately, only one cartoon (the beautifully animated "It's a Grand Old Nag") was made. Sadly, the print used is in rather rough shape (likely the only source material available for this rare cartoon). I really enjoyed being able to watch the cartoon with the option of also viewing it with the original storyboard and pencil test as well. Like Thad Komorowski has said on his blog, this cartoon gives you an idea of the type of cartoons that Clampett would likely have been making at Warners if he hadn't left.

Being released on a smaller label and with a higher-than-usual price tag, it's obvious that Beany and Cecil, Vol. 2 is aiming for a niche audience. Chances are most people willing to spend the $24.95 for a single-disc DVD are either already Beany and Cecil fans or diehard Clampett collectors. If you fall into either of those categories... this DVD is worth every penny! While worth a look for animation fans, I am a little hesitant to recommend it to everyone. You may want to rent before purchasing. Of course, if you wait too long, down the road this $24.95 may look like a bargain (since the value of Volume 1 on the secondary market has skyrocketed since it went out of print).

IMPORTANT NOTE: At the time of this writing (Aug. 2009), the official Beany and Cecil website is selling a VERY LIMITED number of copies of the rare Volume 1 DVD in a bundle with the new Volume 2 for $54.95 + shipping. If you missed out on Volume 1, don't miss this second chance! Visit http://www.beanyandcecil.com/ for more information!