platonism's Full Review: Stars of Space Jam - Road Runner and Wile E. Coyo...
This collection of Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner cartoons was released in the wake of Space Jam (I have also reviewed the Tasmanian Devil collection), a feature film in which all of the most famous Looney Tunes characters made an appearance alongside ex-NBA star Michael Jordan. The sole drawback of this collection (and the reason I give it four stars instead of five) is that it is very short: it offers only six cartoons throughout its 40-minute running time. But it remains a must-have because 1) Chuck Jones' Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner cartoons are some of his most lasting works, and 2) the selection is very good, since it includes the best film in the series and spans a total of twelve years. The six cartoons included are: Fast and Furry-ous (1949), Gee Whiz-z-z-z (1956), Zoom and Bored (1957), Hook, Line and Stinker (1958), Hot-Rod and Reel! (1959), and Zip 'n Snort (1961). The first is a masterpiece, and the remaining five are also very good.
A brief Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner history
The Coyote and Road Runner were both created by Chuck Jones (1912-2002) for 1949's Fast and Furry-ous; the cartoon featured the Coyote's failed attempts to catch (and eat) the Road Runner in a sparse desert setting, despite unending supplies coming from a firm ironically called ACME (in Greek, acme means “the highest point”, “peak”). At that time, Jones didn't plan to start a series with it, but he did reuse the Coyote – now called Wile E. – as Bugs Bunny's antagonist in Operation: Rabbit (1952). Later in 1952, a second Coyote/Road Runner pairing was released, and Jones was to direct Wile E. in three different series over the next twelve years: in a speaking role with Bugs, as Ralph Wolf opposite Sam Sheepdog, and with the Road Runner. The acting analogy is deliberate: most of Warner Bros' cartoon characters assumed various (and sometimes conflicting) identities depending on when – and by which director – they were used.
After the 1964 closing of the Warner Bros. animation department, the team of David DePatie and Friz Freleng produced thirteen more, all but two directed by Rudy Larriva; they were interesting but did not hold a candle to Jones' works. In 1994, Jones made one last Coyote/Road Runner cartoon, the great Chariots of Fur.
Sparse, abstract and beautiful
One of the most striking aspects of this collection's six films is how sparse and abstract they are. Wile E. Coyote is clearly an incarnation of Sisyphus, whose perpetual trials have been recounted in a myth. There is no narrative in the Coyote/Road Runner films, as the sequences do not follow a clear progression that would lead from the “beginning” to the “end” of the chase. Situations and gags come one after the other. The almost silent nature of these films brings them close to pure abstraction at times.
The cartoons do follow a pattern: after the opening credits, Jones temporarily stops the action and offers close-ups of both characters while parodic Latin names appear below them; the image then regains its normal speed. And almost all the films end with an exclamation point. Such openings and endings are purely artificial however, because the chase is always in progress; every pause is superficial, imposed by Jones to respect the seven-minute time frame he has to use.
Chuck Jones and self-reflexivity
The most fascinating characteristic of Chuck Jones' cartoons is probably their self-reflexivity. In one of his best-known films (and possibly his best overall), Duck Amuck (1953), Daffy Duck is constantly assaulted by an unseen director; settings change without his consent, his own appearance goes through several transformations, etc. Duck Amuck can be seen as the opposite of Jones' The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950), a film in which Daffy went so far as to invent and narrate a tale whose starring role was his... whereas in Duck Amuck he was merely a puppet.
While none of the Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner cartoons come close to this extreme degree of self-reflexivity, the whole series can be said to open with a self-reflexive moment: the very first image of Fast and Furry-ous is the title-card, which is used as a sign in the background; this sign is immediately pulverized by the Road Runner's extraordinary speed. The same fate awaits the last two signs of the opening credits, and this pattern would reappear in subsequent films. In Gee Whiz-z-z-z, it's the Coyote who interacts with the credits – he first hides behind the title-card, and soon after, he is crushed by a bus which is also the second part of the credits. The fatal blow ironically comes when he is stunned by the "Direction: Charles M. Jones" sign.
Most of the series' self-reflexive moments involve communication. This communication has two modes, one direct (actual utterances), the other indirect (written signs). The sole utterances heard throughout the films are the Road Runner's characteristic “meep meep” and Wile E. Coyote's occasional fatigue sounds, cries of pain or laughs. The signs are used by both characters. Most of the Road Runner's are addressed to the Coyote, with the exception of Zoom and Bored's “I just don't have the heart”. As for Wile E.'s messages, they are not only intended to the Road Runner, but also to the audience... and to the director himself. Think of them as more laid-back versions of Daffy's irate complaints in Duck Amuck. During the last fall of Gee Whiz-z-z-z, Wile E. looks at the viewer/director and holds this sign: “How about ending this cartoon before I hit?” As an iris isolates him on the screen, foreshadowing the cartoon's conclusion, he shows another: “Thank you.”
The best film in the series
As I have alluded to earlier, my favorite cartoon in the series is Fast and Furry-ous; Gee Whiz-z-z-z is also one of the very best. It has sometimes been suggested that to see one Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner cartoon is to see them all; this implies that the films as a whole are undifferentiated, interchangeable. I don't agree with this. If you watch them repeatedly, you should gradually notice that the most successful among them have their own identity and quirks.
The very first Coyote/Road Runner cartoon, Fast and Furry-ous looks extraordinary. Its budget was higher than that of any subsequent film in the series, and it shows – compare it with the more rudimentary Hook, Line and Stinker and you'll see what I mean. The backgrounds are bolstered by beautiful blue and brown tones, whereas the later films would be dominated by yellow textures. The characters are huge, the colors are vibrant, and Wile E. Coyote has never been more expressive... and hungry. A lot of care has gone into the precision of his movements and reactions. Memorable moments are numerous – Wile E. trying jet-propelled shoes and a superhero costume; the refrigerator gag; the intricately abstracted chase that closes the cartoon (with the characters represented by dots). The film also introduces Jones' spirited skewing of reality with a trompe-l'oeil painting. Jones did not have to refine his craft in the following shorts, because everything was already honed to perfection.
Meanwhile, Gee Whiz-z-z-z is often included in best-of-Warner Bros. lists, and it is easy to understand why. The introduction and conclusion are both brilliant, as the characters (especially Wile E.) interact with both the audience and director throughout. It also features two of most famous of all Chuck Jones gags: when Wile E. puts on a green Bat-Man suit, and when a fired bullet becomes confused and changes direction.
* * *
This is a short but very satisfying collection: its six films are effective in a myriad of ways, and showcase the strange wonders of a truly unique cartoon series...
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