Out and Out Rout

This is a huge disappointment for anyone familiar with the classic Warner Brothers shorts directed by Chuck Jones. Rudy Larriva takes the reliable formula honed by Jones, and changes it for no good reason. The biggest violation, by far, is the background music: what used to be spare and subtle has become ever-present, intrusive and annoying. I have no desire to watch this short ever again.

Although I find most of the Road Runner cartoons directed by Rudy Larriva entertaining enough they do no belong to my favorites. This one is a little better than his others. The Coyote tries to catch the Road Runner using a skateboard, a bird that has to hunt the Road Runner, a sailing boat and two little doves attached to his own feet to name a few.

Like I said this cartoon is a little better than most other from the sixties. The sequence where he has the two doves attached to his feet is pretty funny. Although it seemed they used some material from earlier cartoons (the shots from the sky) it was not that obvious. Although some of the gags make you think (why want the Road Runner when there are two doves on your feet or an even bigger hunting bird on your arm,) they will make you smile.

Expecting nothing more than another cheap Sixties Road Runner cartoon, `Out and Out Rout' offers some pleasant surprises and a heavy dose of hippie sensibility: doves of peace, drag racing, the only thing missing is a surfboard (While E. uses a skateboard instead). At one point the Coyote is almost saved from another deadly drop down a canyon by flower power. Almost but not quite.

Wile E. uses a hunting bird who won't let go of him, and inspired by "The history of speed', ties two doves to his feet to be like Mercury. This gag is actually quite well executed, even if it is milked a bit too much. It also makes you wonder why he doesn't simply eat these other birds instead of the Runner.

After a visit to the dump the Coyote builds his own dragster (already glimpsed during the credits). The fact that all the stuff Wile E. uses comes from the junkyard instead of Acme is a nice touch (he probably ran out of money). It ends with another variation of Road Runner driving a vehicle, always a cop out. Why on earth does that bird need a drivers license anyway?

6 out of 10

One of the better Rudy Larriva Road Runner & Coyote cartoons, which is pretty much like saying one STD is better than another. Still, it is amusing in spots, which is more than you can say for most Larriva shorts. In this one Wile E. Coyote uses a skateboard, a falcon. two doves tied to his feet to make him fly, a souped-up hot rod, a wind sail, and the old "glue in the road" bit. I particularly enjoyed the bird gags as they were more creative than most of the gags I've come to expect from Larriva's shorts. The ending gag is the worst and most predictable. The animation is flat but colorful. The music is not great but less repetitive and annoying than most of the other Larriva Road Runner series. It's worth a look but only if you've seen all the Chuck Jones cartoons.

It is nothing great mind you, but it is funny, even with the predictable story, uneven pacing and one or two moments of rushed editing. The animation does at least look nice, the music is good not repetitive or annoying, the sight gags and traps are original and clever. Both characters are effective as well- Roadrunner is a character you either love or hate but he is suitably bombastic while Coyote acquits himself even better being as devious and as cunning as he always is and you do kind of feel sorry for him when his traps backfire.

Overall, Out and Out Rout is one of the better '60s Roadrunner vs. Coyote cartoons without being entirely exceptional. 7/10 Bethany Cox