Going! Going! Gosh!

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.

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.

It's amazing the number of ploys that Wile E. Coyote tries - and has backfire - in just a s six- and-a-half half minute cartoon. The beating the poor guy takes each time is unbelievable, but have you seen a more determined character in a cartoon? One that doesn't let defeat discourage him? I'd like to see him win, just one time.

In this cartoon, he gets blasted by not just one, but two big trucks, along with an assortment of other things including the ever-present anvil.

For some reason, I laughed loudest at the quick-drying cement routine.

This cartoon is part of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2, and can be seen on disc 2.

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

Yet another litany of Wile E. Coyote maiming himself while trying to trap Road Runner. One of the funniest gags involves Wile E. dressing up as a woman (sure enough, Road Runner is already ahead of him). Sometimes, I wonder why Wile E. doesn't just give, knowing what always happens to him, but I realize that if that happened, the cartoons couldn't exist.

All in all, "Going! Going! Gosh!" is one of the many classic Looney Tunes cartoons showing why their cartoons from that era really set the standards. They'll always be marvellous, and you can watch them time and again and still laugh. Just great.