Kein Mittagessen für Kojote

Chuck Jones's 'Going! Going! Gosh!', the third cartoon in the Road Runner series, has the invigorating feel of a series coming to life. 'Fast and Furry-ous' established the characters and 'Beep Beep' experimented with different forms and lengths of joke but 'Going! Going! Gosh!' feels like the first classic Road Runner. The quality of gags has risen significantly in this outing and the animation is also a cut above. There are a couple of reused gags even at this early stage but the sheer vivaciousness of the animation and direction breathe new life into them. This may be my favourite example of the oft used logic-defying painted landscape gag, for instance. This is Road Runner as it is most fondly remembered: quick fire, fast paced and very funny, even when you can see the punch line coming a mile away. 'Going! Going! Gosh!' provides an equal amount of gags where you go "I knew that was going to happen" and ones where you go "Oh, I didn't see that coming". It keeps the viewer on their toes, ensuring there's never a chance to get bored. It's the thrilling moment that the Road Runner series really found its feet.

Early Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote short, directed by Chuck Jones with a story by Michael Maltese. As you might expect from this series, there isn't much of a plot, just Coyote trying and failing to capture Road Runner over and over. The gags are funny, though. Some of the methods used by Coyote this time include a dynamite arrow misfire, quick-drying cement that isn't quite quick enough, and the old standby "fun with boulders." But the best and my absolute favorite bit from the whole cartoon (and one of my faves from ANY Road Runner cartoon) is when the Coyote dresses up in drag as a female hitchhiker. The animation is beautiful, with well-drawn characters and backgrounds and exciting action scenes. Really love the colors in this, too. Carl Stalling's music is energetic and fits the action perfectly. A fun cartoon that will surely please fans of the series. The gags are great and the animation is creative, which is all you can ask for from a Road Runner and Coyote short.

Still this is why he watch. Review of this cartoon from 16 comparing Coyote to Trump hasn't aged well. Rush Limbaugh was right Coyote is like never Trumpers trying to stop Trump. Even out of the White House Trump still commands tremendous support. I feel bad for Coyote getting trapped in manhole with grenade. Yet the futility of his chase parallels with unworkability of Globalism. Great music too.

The third pairing of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner is still good and features many gags that work, including the Coyote dressing up as a woman hitch-hiker, a hot-air balloon, and the old paint a road gag. The ending is a tad too much like the ending to the first cartoon, but I can simply watch ANY cartoon with the pairing of these two and be endlessly entertained every single time. It's something that I can't truly explain to anyone who isn't a fan. But those who get it know what I'm talking of. This animated short can be seen on Disc 2 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2.

My Grade: A-

This is not the best Roadrunner vs. Coyote cartoon, but it is not the worst as there is fun to be had. The ending is not the best there is I admit, but there is enough to enjoy. Also while there are one or two predictable gags, there are some that do completely take you by surprise. The animation quality is colourful and crisp, the music doesn't fall into the danger of being repetitive and annoying, the pacing is fine and Coyote is once again devious and cunning.

Overall, it isn't a masterpiece of a cartoon, but it works well enough and has enough interest to maintain possible re watches.

8/10 Bethany Cox