9/10
Another near-classic from the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote series
13 September 2015
Despite some duds in the later years (mid to late 60s), when the Roadrunner/Wile E. Coyote series was at its best it was brilliant, even with the more-of-the-same stories they're mostly well-made, are very funny (uproariously so in the case of the best gags) and Coyote is one of Chuck Jones' best ever creations.

While not one of the best of the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote series, Whoa Be-Gone! is still a great cartoon and very close to being a classic. The animation is very good, the colours are beautiful and rich, the gags and the reaction shots look great still and both characters look good, especially Coyote. The scenery and backgrounds are handsomely rendered too and there are very clever overhead shots that are both well-animated and priceless in humour. As always, Whoa, Be-Gone ! is wonderfully scored by Milt Franklyn as always, orchestration is sumptuously lush, rhythmically it's lively but never too busy, use of instruments is clever and appropriate and it's not just a good fit but adds a good deal to what's going on too.

Apart from ending ever so slightly abruptly, the sole fault of the cartoon, Whoa, Be-Gone! Is a very funny and at its best hilarious cartoon. The gags are not the most original, for this particular series they're pretty standard really, but with the imaginative they feel fresh. The tornado and especially barrel of dynamite gags are particularly strong. The story is formulaic, but very energetically paced and never feels dull or overly-predictable. The two characters fare wonderfully and work against each other just as well. Roadrunner is one-dimensional but very amusing (thankfully not annoying as one might fear), but Coyote has always been the funnier and more interesting of the two and he's on top form here, one of those characters where even just a facial expression is enough to split the sides laughing and he is easy to empathise for even for one as cunning as he is.

To conclude, a great cartoon that will be a treat for Roadrunner and Coyote fans. 9/10 Bethany Cox
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