The Volcano

Unlike "Smokescreen" or "Turned Turtle", which were just illogical oddities to watch, "Volcano" was massive boredom. The much better "Land of the Lost" show was full of mystery and suspense, while "Valley" is just endless "Don't go there, Butler! Don't do that, Butler! Don't breathe the air there, Butler!" What could have been a creative interesting idea of using science to intermingle with a primitive way for accomplishing such tasks, done in a more serious (!) matter than "Gilligan's Island" or "The "Flintstones" showed, instead results in uneasy tedium. Growing totally fed up with the plot of "Don't Go Near the Volcano, Butler!" I checked out the families themselves; clearly paired up buddy-buddy with the kids in romantic unions. I've done watched this cartoon twice and still can't get into the weak plot. Like old movie serials, the cave family speak like old movie indians. They are like listening to the Tonto family, but then, save for the father Garak, they are all bohemian blondes, like some surfer family. Sadly this doesn't emerge as even a good joke in bad taste. The Butler family, on the other hand, is an odd cartoon composition of Race Bannon (Mike Road does Poppa Butler's voice and the Jonny Quest bodyguard's voice), Dr. Quinn Darian off of Godzilla and Susan Partridge from "The Partridge Family in Outer Space" making little quips and glib comments that aren't remotely worth chuckling at. Having watched "Smokescreen" a week earlier, I was taken by how this cartoon would end very similarly, with the little cave girl musing over her pet stegosaurus.