Chariots of Fur

By 1976, Jones had returned to work under Warner Brothers, and reunited with the cast of characters that made his name. These works were primarily TV compilations or in-between segments for films like The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie. Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner first came back to prominence under Chuck Jones’ guiding hand in the late 70s/early 80s in a series of shorts for The Electric Company.

In 1994, before Richie Rich no less, Jones and his eternally warring creations returned to the big screen in this short. Perhaps it’s that Jones created these two in 1949 and he knows how they operate best, or maybe it’s the larger budget he had to work with, I can’t say for certain, but this feels more akin to his classic works than anything else. The jokes are rapid-fire, and, more importantly, consistently amusing. Wile E. Coyote getting throw off a cliff by a spring, only for it to pull the boulder down on top of him feels like a gag from one of the 50s shorts, and I mean that as a compliment.

The ludicrous products from ACME, a well-known gag for the Looney Tunes in general but this series in particular, continue here, with increasingly improbable offerings. A roll out highway, lightning bolts in a box, and the standby of a giant mouse trap. The gags pile up on top of each other as we barrel towards the climax, which is perhaps a little underwhelming. It’s forgiven as everything that came before it radiates with mirth, charm, and a naughty grin.