Powerful

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Foghorn Leghorn, The (1948) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Henery the Chicken Hawk wants to prove to his father that he's big enough to catch a chicken but the only problem is that he doesn't know what a chicken looks like. Foghorn tries to teach the kid but he's just too stubborn to listen and ends up trying to catch a dog. This is a pretty good short from the Merrie Melodies lot as it contains some minor laughs and some good action. I think what works best is all the action between the dog and Foghorn who keeps getting blamed for everything that happens. Henery is cute enough to work, although I didn't laugh at him too much.

Prior to Robert McKimson's 'The Foghorn Leghorn', the title character had made two previous appearances. By this, his third appearance, it was clear McKimson had a star on his hands and he went on to direct every one of the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons. Originally a supporting player in what was intended as a star vehicle for Henerey Hawk, Foghorn stole the show so blatantly that it was the little chicken hawk who was subsequently reduced to the role of supporting player to the rooster's verbose antics. The Foghorn cartoons represent some of McKimson's best work and this short, which christened the rooster, is among the best. While the previous two Foggy shorts had involved him trying to prove to Henerey that he wasn't a chicken, 'The Foghorn Leghorn' flips the situation as Foghorn tries desperately to prove to a skeptical Henerey that he is a chicken. McKimson's direction is excellent adding extra hilarity to a fresh and funny setup. Mel Blanc's voice characterization for Foghorn is priceless ("I almost had a joke, son") even at this early stage. While there would ultimately be a few tedious entries in the eventually repetitive Foghorn Leghorn series, 'The Foghorn Leghorn' is certainly not one of them. A classic.

I'll admit I love the look of Foghorn Leghorn but I hate his cartoons. Come on, they are ALL the same. It'll start out a normal day on the farm then that annoying bird will come along and say 'I'm a chicken hawk' a hundred times. Foghorn will pretend to not be a chicken but get clobbered anyway. The impartial barnyard dog will get involved and they'll repeat the same unfunny joke over and over until the 7 minutes are up. Am I right or am I right?This was the routine EVERY Foghorn Leghorn cartoon followed and I have never liked, even when I was a little kid. This cartoon is notable for being the first appearance of the Rooster but for no other reason.

Foghorn Leghorn was on of the lesser stars at Warner Bros., but he was still one of the biggest cartoon stars from the mid '40's for the next 20 years. In this, his third short, once again Henery Hawk can't get it straight on what a chicken is supposed to look like, and anyone who has seen one of these classic Robert McKimson Fogorn/Henery cartoons knows the drill, and the gags in this one are very much par for the course. Also included is the Barnyard Dog, while not indispensable to this particular series, added a lot to them with his gruff matter-of-fact attitude. Besides, he was the only one who never failed to see Foghorn for what he really was, a loudmouth shnook.