Zip Zip Hooray!

On the most part, the Roadrunner/Wile E. Coyote cartoons are very enjoyable, with many charms and much entertainment. One can go far to say that the best of them are brilliant.

Sadly from the mid-late-60s, when budgets got smaller and deadlines tighter, the quality of Looney Tunes/Warner Brothers cartoons in general declined, quality was cheaper in animation and music, the humour was tired, repetitive and not very funny save for one or two amusing gags in some, Roadrunner was annoying and Coyote while faring much better wasn't as interesting as before.

'Zip Zip Hooray' is neither among the best or the worst of the Roadrunner/Wile E. Coyote cartoons. It departs from the usual formula, with trying to answer what has been on our minds every time we watch a cartoon of theirs which it does with giving Coyote the rare ability to speak. It is certainly an interesting cartoon and idea, but while it could have been executed far more cheaply than it turned out 'Zip Zip Hooray' doesn't completely work.

It could have benefited from more laughs and less talk. Neither component are done disastrously, far from it (individually they are done pretty reasonably), just that the balance could have been more even. The gags are quite amusing, timed well and the animation is good enough, though they're not among the most hilarious and imaginative of the series, due to there being more of it in the first half (the cartoon's concept gets slightly in the way in the second half) the first half is funnier. Likewise, Coyote's explanations are cleverly written and delivered brilliantly in a suitably distinguished voice by Mel Blanc, but as well as being introduced a little weirdly and jarringly takes up too much of the second half which renders 'Zip Zip Hooray' a little too talky.

The very abrupt ending is another big issue, the gag was reasonably rushed and predictable to begin with and then just ends, a shame to have a cartoon with this sort of concept peter out just like that. Roadrunner is basically a plot device character that's not as interesting, fun (his funniest bit is at the end, and even for him it was predictable) or as easy to root for as Coyote in the cartoon. And while a good deal of the animation is good (ironically so it is especially so in the re-used footage) there is some odd editing here and there and some will and have done use the use of reused animation, something that tends to cheapen a cartoon but actually it wasn't so bad in 'Zip Zip Hooray', as a strike against it.

However, there is some simple but colourful and very nicely drawn and detailed animation, and a great job is done on Coyote's wide range of expressions. Milt Franklyn's music is vibrantly orchestrated, used cleverly and with boundless characterful energy, adding a lot to the action if not quite enhancing it quite as effectively as Carl Stalling does. The cartoon does entertain, just wish there was more, and all the explanations of Coyote justifying his actions and such is clever stuff and quite informative, the two components as said are done quite well individually it just comes over as imbalanced.

Coyote is a lot of fun, his classic personality comes through very strongly and you do feel sympathy for him (a good thing as that is somewhat a rule that Coyote is the character that one sympathises with). Mel Blanc does a characteristically brilliant job, and the two boys achieve the balance of not being annoying or cloying, in fact they are cute and amusing while careful not to steal the show from Coyote.

All in all, uneven but decent that could have been better with a few more laughs and a less talky second half. Not a classic, but light years away from being a series low-point. 6/10 Bethany Cox

I can understand why fans will not like this Road Runner vs. Wile E. Coyote cartoon, since the Coyote talks. He normally only does this in the Bugs Bunny cartoons and therefore it doesn't really belong to the other cartoons from the series. Still, I think it is very good. Every question you could ever have about the series is answered, I think.

The cartoon is sort of interrupted by two young boys who talk in front of the television while watching the cartoon we see as well. One of them feels sorry for the Coyote and thinks he should catch the Road Runner for a change. The other boys says that it would mean the end of the series and he is right. Why the Coyote always want to eat the Road Runner is also answered. He himself explains that, talking, to the viewer and I can understand if you don't like it, but I had a great time.

One of three shorts that were made out of a failed pilot for a Road Runner TV series. The best of these was To Beep or Not to Beep. This one is enjoyable on its own but better as a part of the longer pilot. The biggest problem with this one is the abrupt ending and the fact that it's more talky than a Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote short should be. Yes, Wile E. Coyote talks in this one, speaking to a couple of kids watching him on TV who don't understand why he wants the Road Runner so bad. He explains it's because of the Road Runner's taste, including showing a chart that shows how every different part of the bird has a distinct flavor. Anyway, the two kids are funny and the animation is nice for the time. Seek out the original pilot if you can.

Just watched this on YouTube. I just found out this was an edited version of a longer cartoon called The Adventures of the Road Runner which would explain the abrupt ending. Despite that and some reused animation, I found this a quite enjoyable short with some amusing scenes like those two boys talking in a monotone while watching the cartoon commenting on the action. It's soooo funny when one of them imitates the Road Runner by saying, "Beep-beep, zip-tang!" And then when one of them asks why the Coyote wants to eat the bird and then that character stops the action by talking directly to them as he gets out a cooking book that points out the various ways to enjoy a Road Runner meal, well, that was quite amusing too. Like I said, the way things end makes Zip Zip Hooray! a little uneven. Still, I'd recommend it if you can't find the longer version I mentioned at the beginning...

Now of course, I give the original 1962 "Adventures of the Road-Runner" segment a 10 out of 10. But this only deserves a 9.

Now, all of this is basically recycled animation from the above-mentioned cartoon. It stars the Road-Runner and Wile E. Coyote (my favorite Looney Tunes character), of course, but it also has Ralph Phillips and his friend/brother/cousin/whatever. Ralph Phillips is the little boy from two of Chuck Jones's cartoons; "From A to Zzzzz..." (1954, Ralph daydreams while in class) and "Boyhood Daze" (1957, Ralph daydreams while he is grounded).

It features the scene with the road-sign shaped like the WB shield, the beginning of Ralph and the other boy's conversation, the commercial for Acme Bat-Man suit (old animation recycled from "Gee Whiz-z-z-z" (1956), the boys talking about how bad daydreaming could be, and to top it all off, the Coyote explaining (in his fine, British voice; the same one heard from the Bugs Bunny/Wile E. Coyote cartoons) about the delicious flavors inside the Road-Runner and the cooking opportunities.

The only thing new is the sub-main titles, which do not credit Chuck Jones for some strange reason. It has music from the intro for the "Adventures of the Road-Runner" cartoon.

But the strangest thing of all in this cartoon is the opening and closing sequences. Instead of using the traditional rings-and-WB-shield logo, since this was "made" in 1965, it features the bizarre "Abstract WB" opening and closing titles, with the weird, "modern" version of the Looney Tunes theme. It uses the Merrie Melodies version of the opening (though recent TV airings edit the logo a bit so it says "Looney Tunes"). However, Chuck Jones introduced this logo on his abstract, "artistic" 1962 Looney Tune "Now Hear This." Overall, if you have never seen "Adventures of the Road-Runner," an interesting toon and you should check it out!