Review: Pat a Mat kutí (Part I)

All of the newest Pat & Mat episodes are out, so it's time to take a look at each one of them and the series as a whole. This two-part post will feature my comments about the series, mini reviews and tidbits. All of the episodes will be available on the official YouTube channel by Monday - all episodes have already been aired on Poland's TVP ABC.

I would generally describe Pat a Mat kutí as: okay to good. I stand by my comment that it's the series I enjoyed most from the three produced from 2018 to 2020 and there are several reasons for it. By and large, I was indifferent towards the first series (my opinion has changed for some episodes, though), more pleased with the second and even more pleased with the third. However, I would understand if some people prefered the second or first series because this is the most inconsistent of the three - it often felt like hit-and-miss and it's a mixed bag: there were some episodes I truly enjoyed, some I enjoyed less and some I did not like. Overall and in this context, this variety is to me more interesting than most episodes being on a similar level and not overly ambitious. As always, your opinion in the comments would be appreciated.

The title, Pat a Mat kutí, is basically saying Pat and Mat do handymen stuff. That's understandable as the title is more a placeholder than anything else. The series is just Pat and Mat. However, it's interesting then that this particular series is not that much about DIY at all. A more apt title would have been Pat & Mat: Food (and else) as only five of the episodes don't have anything to do with food or drinks. I don't have a problem with that as long as the episodes are entertaining and for the most part, they are. Conversely, the first series had no episodes explicitly about food.

Pat and Mat making dough

This series had the highest percentage of animation produced in Czechia (6/13 episodes - almost half). That's a big plus for me as even though the Chinese animators (Update, July 2020: Info on the Chinese studio, Steamworks Studio, has come up - click here for details) handled the series mostly OK up to this point, they can't replace two animators who have a combined 55 years of experience on the show. Also, the Czech episodes from this series were visually much more pleasing than those from the first due to their lighting (the Chinese have a distinct purplish hue). The first series definitely looked way too bright and overblown. Compare two pictures from the website, first and third series:

This series features a nicer array of colors that look more balanced, even if the series as a whole still looks, as a friend noticed, sterile compared to pre-2014 episodes, as that's when a drastic change to the lighting was made, presumably due to new equipment. I also found the music in this series to be the most enjoyable. I especially liked Zdeněk Zdeněk's tune that plays near the end of Palačinky, Potrubní pošta and Chleba (and probably some others) when the two think they are approaching a solution. As such, I would rate this series the best in the context of the three 13-part "seasons". Not on the overall level of Pat a Mat na venkově, but continual progress is present.

I have to say a bit about my episode order: The listing on the studio's official website is a mix of episodes with 2019 and 2020 copyright dates. Whichever site goes on to make a filmography of these episodes will surely list episodes with a 2019 date before those with a 2020 date. I've then made a compromise and combined the list on the website and the production years. As such, in my order 2019 episodes go first, followed by 2020 episodes while keeping track of the studio's listing. Is the order on the studio's website the way the episodes were written or storyboarded? Perhaps, but I don't think so. All in all, I think the studio doesn't mind the ordering much as they sell the series as a package and probably had three or four episodes in production at the same time - it's something just for us hardcore fans.

As for the filming, production was finished early in 2020, probably January. The 2019 episodes were obviously completed first as they all appear in the Kutilské trampoty movie. The trailer for that movie, released on November 1, 2019, also features scenes from Výroba ledu and Garážová vrata, which would mean those two episodes were probably completed by then as well. Automyčka was being filmed in February 2019, as this picture shows, a photo from the filming of Potrubní pošta was published in November and a photo from the filming of Pizza (but marked as archive) in December. If I had to bet, I would say Potrubní pošta might have been the last episode filmed, but that's just a hunch based on animation work. I would love to know more, but the studio is mostly unresponsive to my emails. Oh well. Also of note is that parts of Výroba ledu were definitely filmed before Barbecue, as that episode features an orange pool whose construction was seen in V. ledu.

Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly in the studio (photo: Patmat film)

Now, let's get to the individual episodes. As for the animation credits: these are not official in any way, but are my own views. I would be very surprised if I got any of them wrong, though, as I've come to know the animators on this series pretty well.

1. Palačinky / Pancakes

animated by Jan Smrčka

This episode is neatly listed as the first as it's a good representation of the whole series: it's about food and it's a nice episode with some fun moments. Several fellow ajetologists really dig it. I would have liked a more messy ending (the pancackes fall on the floor or something), but that would not be in line with new episodes that always try to end on a neutral or positive tone. Overall, the structure of the story was sound. One thing I've noticed is that Czech episodes have a tendency to have more props in Czech language (milk here, for instance). 

This wasn't a hilarious episode, but I didn't think it was trying to be one anyway, but rather provide casual fun that's good for the whole family. In that sense, it's interesting to notice that it carries an introductory story credit for Tereza Benešová, Marek Beneš's daughter and yet another member of the family working on the series.

2. Létající stroj / Flying Machine

animated by Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly & Jan Smrčka (only the short scenes inside the house)

I was very disappointed by this episode: as it progressed, I liked it less and less. It is definitely a waste of potential. The opening is unlike anything seen on previous episodes. The episode starts in medias res with Mat flying off the roof into the unknown. 

However, after that, the episode slowly becomes more and more dull. The gags just fall flat as the two go through an overabundance of gadgets intended to make them fly (at one point, five drones stitched together). I feel less would have been more here and a more cohesive story was needed. You are left unfulfilled when the ending approaches and the whole things feels like a poor rehash of Skokani, whose ending had excitement, shock and great timing, none of which are present here. Even the handshake seems misplaced as our heroes didn't accomplish anything. This episode was probably the most frustrating to watch as it could have been much better.

3. Popcorn

animated in China

Definitely the funniest episode this series. I said all I needed to about it in my lengthy recent post, link here.

4. Nábytek / Furniture

animated in China

I was immediately skeptical as soon as I saw this title come up in the episodes list and my skepticism was proven right. An episode with the same title was already made in 1989 and you can't help but feel that you have already seen the second part of the episode, with Pat and Mat destroying their furniture in various ways. What I liked in the episode was the recklessness with which they got rid of their previous furniture, where Pat almost literally throws everything but the kitchen sink outside. There's even a moment where the saw cuts off a pipe and nothing happens. I found this plot side-track, rather than foreshadowing, which is sometimes not executed well in the new episodes (Odpad comes to mind), to be an interesting take.

The rest is not that interesting and the episode just doesn't feel inspired at all. I've mentioned how Chinese episodes, due to multiple animators working on them, often have continuity problems. Here, Mat orders more furniture and the new cardboard furniture behind him disappears.

5. Automyčka / Car Wash

animated by Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly

I wrote about this episode when it came out back in March.

When it came out, I wanted to see more of the series and I still think it's a pretty good episode, my only slight annoyance being the slow pacing at times. This episode had some very nice physical comedy and the home-built car wash was smart.

6. Sklizeň / Harvest

animated in China

I liked this episode. It had a nice tempo and some good slapstick. I laughed out loud at the improvised rake hitting the window and fooling the viewers into thinking Pat and Mat were going to cut down the tree was also interesting. Even the chaotic ending was a nice surprise, but the animation should have been faster and used much more punch in that scene. Actually, the animation was not up to standard during the whole episode and especially lacked fludity. This was where the Chinese episodes, presumably under time constraints, started cutting corners.

It's interesting to look at the plot as it's mainly a combination of elements from two old episodes: Jablko (Apple) for the first part and Vinári (Winemakers) for the second. However, there are enough new elements to make a new coherent whole which doesn't feel that much as a retread, but more as an hommage.

where have I seen this?

ah, yes...

7. Fotopast / Phototrap

animated in China

I did not enjoy this episode at all and it is easily my least favorite from this series. It made me laugh only once - when Pat gets splashed with the garden hose, which has nothing to do with the plot. And the plot is very... unusual. Pat and Mat lose more and more apples every night and try to catch the thief who is "robbing" them. The actual phototrap doesn't come in until the last minute of action and then, cue the most predictable ending ever, it turns out they were eating the apples themselves.

I suppose the creators were going for something different, an episode with a mysterious tone that feels almost like a whodunit. Even the music score is guitar-heavy and features some cues not heard anywhere else. However, the whole thing turns out to be very tedious and doesn't feel like an episode from this show, which is why I was surprised that it had a writing credit for cameraman Jan Chvojka. It just doesn't work for me - Pat and Mat don't do anything purposeful. Also, a lot of the episode is a retread of Bodygárdi, which I actually like very much. I won't be rewatching this episode (I barely held on the first two times) and I would not mind if it didn't exist, which is a pretty damning assessment from a big fan of the show. The Dutch title of the movie was Experimenteren er op los, which I see is something akin to Experiments on the loose, and this one didn't land anywhere.

Part II continues here.