It is nice to see the Coyote and Roadrunner return to the screen with this 3-D CGI film. However, there are two serious problems with this worthwhile project. First, it was shown before a horrible full-length film which few would endure in order to see "Coyote Falls"! Currently, "Cats & Dogs 2" is in the IMDb's Bottom 100 list--hardly an auspicious place to display this film! Second, at only about three minutes, it's just too short--especially as the average non-CGI version of the duo was usually about 7-8 minutes. Still, it's a nice START and I sure hope to see more in the future--more Looney Tunes shorts and hopefully a lot longer than 3 minutes! What I did see, however, was very good--much like the 1950s-60s version updated with state of the art modern animation.
12 Reviews
Surprisingly really good for a such a late cartoon
TheLittleSongbird30 May 2016
While much of the Roadrunner/Wile E. Coyote series was so enjoyable, the best of them some of the best and funniest Chuck Jones and Looney Tunes ever made once deadlines became tighter and budgets smaller there was a significant nosedive in quality which made the 1965-1968 output largely disappointing.
More were made after, but while better than the 1965-1968 cartoons the glory days for the two characters were sadly long gone. 'Coyote Falls' is along with 'Chariots of Fur' and 'Little Bo Beep' one of the better "modern" Roadrunner/Wile E. Coyote cartoons, and while it's nowhere near classic Chuck Jones level it is closer to that than to Rudy Larriva dud territory.
There is not much wrong here with 'Coyote Falls'. It's not quite wild or looney enough perhaps, and at a meagre 3 minutes it's far too short when the cartoons in the series on average is between 6 and 7 minutes. It is proof though that the latter Roadrunner and Coyote cartoons shouldn't be completely dismissed, and yes it is infinitely superior to the feature film that succeeds it (didn't completely hate 'Cats and Dogs 2' but really cannot lie and say it was good either).
In 'Coyote Falls', the CGI animation comes off surprisingly well and looks great. There was the worry as to whether the CGI would have depth and whether because of the different animation style that the cartoon will once again feel too different to the series' classic era. The animation however is vibrant and colourful, with very richly detailed backgrounds and nothing looking cheap or stiff (even the character designs). Refreshingly, the music is closer in spirit and in how it fits with the action to the lively and lusciously characterful work of Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn than the cheap canned, repetitive and discordant sounds of Bill Lava, really appreciated that it adhered to a more classical cartoon style rather than infuse it with modern popular music which can be repetitive and generic and would have made the feel far too different.
'Coyote Falls' could have been more wild and looney, but it is still a highly entertaining cartoon and executes its humour very well. The gags and traps are not the most original or visually imaginative, but they are beautifully timed and very funny, plus they look good in the animation. Nothing tired or repetitive here. The story has its charm and moves quickly without feeling too rushed, it's formulaic (as was most of the series) but not painfully so. Roadrunner thankfully is closer to the amusing and reasonably cute character of the Jones cartoons rather than the badly drawn and incredibly annoying one seen in the Rudy Larriva shorts. Coyote, as has been said many times already, is the funnier and more interesting of the two, and he remains cunning, incredibly funny yet sympathetic for the audience which is what has always made him so appealing as a character.
All in all, for a late/modern/contemporary Roadrunner/Wile E. Coyote cartoon 'Coyote Falls' was surprisingly really good. 8/10 Bethany Cox
More were made after, but while better than the 1965-1968 cartoons the glory days for the two characters were sadly long gone. 'Coyote Falls' is along with 'Chariots of Fur' and 'Little Bo Beep' one of the better "modern" Roadrunner/Wile E. Coyote cartoons, and while it's nowhere near classic Chuck Jones level it is closer to that than to Rudy Larriva dud territory.
There is not much wrong here with 'Coyote Falls'. It's not quite wild or looney enough perhaps, and at a meagre 3 minutes it's far too short when the cartoons in the series on average is between 6 and 7 minutes. It is proof though that the latter Roadrunner and Coyote cartoons shouldn't be completely dismissed, and yes it is infinitely superior to the feature film that succeeds it (didn't completely hate 'Cats and Dogs 2' but really cannot lie and say it was good either).
In 'Coyote Falls', the CGI animation comes off surprisingly well and looks great. There was the worry as to whether the CGI would have depth and whether because of the different animation style that the cartoon will once again feel too different to the series' classic era. The animation however is vibrant and colourful, with very richly detailed backgrounds and nothing looking cheap or stiff (even the character designs). Refreshingly, the music is closer in spirit and in how it fits with the action to the lively and lusciously characterful work of Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn than the cheap canned, repetitive and discordant sounds of Bill Lava, really appreciated that it adhered to a more classical cartoon style rather than infuse it with modern popular music which can be repetitive and generic and would have made the feel far too different.
'Coyote Falls' could have been more wild and looney, but it is still a highly entertaining cartoon and executes its humour very well. The gags and traps are not the most original or visually imaginative, but they are beautifully timed and very funny, plus they look good in the animation. Nothing tired or repetitive here. The story has its charm and moves quickly without feeling too rushed, it's formulaic (as was most of the series) but not painfully so. Roadrunner thankfully is closer to the amusing and reasonably cute character of the Jones cartoons rather than the badly drawn and incredibly annoying one seen in the Rudy Larriva shorts. Coyote, as has been said many times already, is the funnier and more interesting of the two, and he remains cunning, incredibly funny yet sympathetic for the audience which is what has always made him so appealing as a character.
All in all, for a late/modern/contemporary Roadrunner/Wile E. Coyote cartoon 'Coyote Falls' was surprisingly really good. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Decent CGI Looney Tunes short
Rectangular_businessman19 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Like I said before, I think these Looney Tunes CGI shorts did a pretty decent job adapting the classic characters into a new updated format.
Sure, at first glance it might be a little weird to see characters like Daffy or Sylvester with realistic textures, but in general terms, the essence of the characters were captures pretty well.
In the case of Daffy's Rhapsody or I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat, both shorts were helped by being based on Mel Blanc's songs recordings from the 50s. By contrast, the 4 Coyote and Road Runner shorts made by Matthew O'Callaghan are brand new material, but the execution is still serviceable enough.
My opinion on them is more and less the same: Effective, though not as hilarious as their classic counterparts. Still, its brevity allows them to work well without overstaying their welcome.
Sure, at first glance it might be a little weird to see characters like Daffy or Sylvester with realistic textures, but in general terms, the essence of the characters were captures pretty well.
In the case of Daffy's Rhapsody or I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat, both shorts were helped by being based on Mel Blanc's songs recordings from the 50s. By contrast, the 4 Coyote and Road Runner shorts made by Matthew O'Callaghan are brand new material, but the execution is still serviceable enough.
My opinion on them is more and less the same: Effective, though not as hilarious as their classic counterparts. Still, its brevity allows them to work well without overstaying their welcome.
Though Mr. Wile E. Coyote purchases Acme Company bird seed and bungee cord here . . .
cricket3018 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
. . . that's so totally counter-intuitive that such a fiasco should NEVER happen, even in a cartoon. The running time of COYOTE FALLS could have been trimmed by at least a minute or two IF only Mr. Coyote had purchased an Acme military-style assault rife, along with a generous helping of Acme banana-clip magazines, perhaps with an Acme bump stock (given that Wile may be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, what with his advanced age of 340 or so in coyote years). So after you've slogged through COYOTE FALLS, why not become part of the solution by generously supporting your local chapter of BANGS (Broke Americans Need Gun Stamps)?
Positively surprised here
Horst_In_Translation18 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"Coyote Falls" is an American 3-minute cartoon from 2010 made by Matthew O'Callaghan and Tom Sheppard and both of them are fairly experienced in animation filmmaking, so maybe I should not be surprised that this very brief movie turned out nicely. No filler material, just one joke following the next as Coyote still has it for Road Runner. I must even say that I am not the very biggest fan of the old cartoons starring these two as gadget based animation is not exactly my favorite kind of comedy, but this new one here worked out pretty well. The scenes with the truck were about as funny as the bungee rope not being long enough and the ending is a nice tribute to the old days. It may not ooze greatness, but I thought this was quite a funny watch and the whimpering sound by Coyote near the end was almost heartbreaking. I always liked him more than Road Runner. No surprise at all this one got nominated for two prestigious awards (Annies, Visual Effects Society). It deserves the attention. Go see it and hopefully you will like it as much as I did.
At Last - A Hi-quality Road Runner and Coyote Cartoon!
Benjamin_40620 September 2010
When I heard that Warner Bros. Animation were producing a trio of 3-minute Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote theatrical shorts in CGI, I pondered how many Looney Tunes fans would prefer the classic Chuck Jones versions over the Friz Freleng and Robert McKimsversion and the lackluster 2003 short film, "Whizzard of Ow". But when I watched "Coyote Falls" in front of "Cats and Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore", I became totally astounded in a positive fashion as I noticed its qualitative merits.
Chuck Jones' classic feel of the Road Runner and Coyote animation has been successfully translated into the CG realm, thanks to a Chuck Jones-dedicated film director Matthew O' Callaghan bent on bringing any cartoony style into CGI. Also, there are musical cues of Carl Stalling, in which everyone can recognize them right when they grow up with the Looney Tunes. Even stereoscopic 3-D is used effectively on gags, timing and pacing, aside from depth of field.
When it comes to Friz Freleng or Robert McKimson on directing the Road Runner and Coyote shorts from the mid-1960s, he ignored the original RR&C template by Jones and chose to go onto a different take: A central idea of the cartoon as an gag instead of the other way round and Coyote's occasional successes on capturing his feathered nemesis. The result: those shorts turned out to be unfavorable and forgettable. But when it comes to Matt O' Callaghan, he did a tremendous job on not only centering a gag without breaking the true and original RR&C premise, but more importantly bringing a 3-minute RR&C cartoon (not 6 or 7 minutes as usual!) to the rank of Jones' RR&C cartoons as we all know. (If you don't believe me, just check out "Daffy Duck for President" and "Porky and Daffy: the William Tell Overture" and see the differences.)
There are still more Road Runner and Coyote shorts, coming to theaters and the 2010 revamp of "the Looney Tunes Show", so let's hope they can be good as or better than "Coyote Falls"!
Chuck Jones' classic feel of the Road Runner and Coyote animation has been successfully translated into the CG realm, thanks to a Chuck Jones-dedicated film director Matthew O' Callaghan bent on bringing any cartoony style into CGI. Also, there are musical cues of Carl Stalling, in which everyone can recognize them right when they grow up with the Looney Tunes. Even stereoscopic 3-D is used effectively on gags, timing and pacing, aside from depth of field.
When it comes to Friz Freleng or Robert McKimson on directing the Road Runner and Coyote shorts from the mid-1960s, he ignored the original RR&C template by Jones and chose to go onto a different take: A central idea of the cartoon as an gag instead of the other way round and Coyote's occasional successes on capturing his feathered nemesis. The result: those shorts turned out to be unfavorable and forgettable. But when it comes to Matt O' Callaghan, he did a tremendous job on not only centering a gag without breaking the true and original RR&C premise, but more importantly bringing a 3-minute RR&C cartoon (not 6 or 7 minutes as usual!) to the rank of Jones' RR&C cartoons as we all know. (If you don't believe me, just check out "Daffy Duck for President" and "Porky and Daffy: the William Tell Overture" and see the differences.)
There are still more Road Runner and Coyote shorts, coming to theaters and the 2010 revamp of "the Looney Tunes Show", so let's hope they can be good as or better than "Coyote Falls"!
Absolutely marvellous
neil-4765 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
It may be arguable that a 3 minute film does not merit a review: Coyote Falls puts the lie to this.
The Road Runner cartoons are misnamed - the Road Runner itself is merely a maguffin, because the cartoons are about the Coyote, and his indefatigable pursuit of an unachievable goal, and his unshakable resolution never to give up in the sure and certain knowledge that, even if he came up with the perfect plan, his personal universe would change reality so as to foil him. This was the very highest of high concept and, coupled with Chuck Jones' sublime visual sensibilities, created a series of traditional hand-drawn animation single reelers which offered a seemingly endless series of sight gags, without dialogue, all of which were variations on a theme. When Jones packed them in, Warner Bros turned out a few more in widescreen and with a drastically different design sense and approach to music. They didn't work. And so things remained.
Now we have this new 3 minute Road Runner / Coyote short, in which Jones' design models have been translated into 3D CGI. The film is essentially a number of variations on, and consequences of, a single "plan" by the coyote, lovingly rendered into a beautiful CGI version of Jones' Road Runner universe, and delivered with the Jones panache accompanied by musical cues in the Carl Stalling style.
And it makes full use of cinematic 3D.
Now, if only it wasn't just 3 minutes! Somewhere in heaven, Chuck Jones is smiling.
The Road Runner cartoons are misnamed - the Road Runner itself is merely a maguffin, because the cartoons are about the Coyote, and his indefatigable pursuit of an unachievable goal, and his unshakable resolution never to give up in the sure and certain knowledge that, even if he came up with the perfect plan, his personal universe would change reality so as to foil him. This was the very highest of high concept and, coupled with Chuck Jones' sublime visual sensibilities, created a series of traditional hand-drawn animation single reelers which offered a seemingly endless series of sight gags, without dialogue, all of which were variations on a theme. When Jones packed them in, Warner Bros turned out a few more in widescreen and with a drastically different design sense and approach to music. They didn't work. And so things remained.
Now we have this new 3 minute Road Runner / Coyote short, in which Jones' design models have been translated into 3D CGI. The film is essentially a number of variations on, and consequences of, a single "plan" by the coyote, lovingly rendered into a beautiful CGI version of Jones' Road Runner universe, and delivered with the Jones panache accompanied by musical cues in the Carl Stalling style.
And it makes full use of cinematic 3D.
Now, if only it wasn't just 3 minutes! Somewhere in heaven, Chuck Jones is smiling.
The Good Book says that a beep from the grave . . .
pixrox129 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
. . . is worth a thousand pictures, something the COYOTE FALLS animators take to heart. With a running time of about 179 1/2 seconds, this animated short consists of roughly 4,308 paintings (assuming the standard film sprocket feed rate of 24 frames per moment). Released approximately 15 years after the only credited cast member (Paul Hull) beeped his last, this Works Progress Administration muralist is more infamous for starving a coyote than for feeding a family. Film professors consider COYOTE FALLS to be Paul's best work since he created the backgrounds for DEMENTIA 13.
Looney Tunes from the 1930s through the 1960s . . .
oscaralbert23 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
. . . at least could be counted upon to last six minutes, be constructed by fewer than ten credited people, and feature Mel Blanc's two cents worth. COYOTE FALLS is copyrighted 2010. It's shorter than three minutes, but has three slides listing hundreds of mostly indecipherable (even on freeze-frame and zoom) names with corresponding job titles, and there's not a peep out of Mr. Blanc. (It's as if the animators of a Golden Age Looney Tunes decided to tack on a credits list of every person EACH ONE OF THEM had met in their lives, on the theory that if any of that horde had rubbed out an animator, the cartoon may have gone unfinished.) COYOTE FALLS begins with a slide listing the number "345180." Is this supposed to be its "Vitaphone Listing?" If so, who has the time to watch hundreds of thousands of shorts, even IF half of them are as brief as COYOTE FALLS?! There's little to note of the substance of these 179 seconds. It's said that some films, such as light bulb inventor Thomas Alva Edison's ELECTROCUTING AN ELEPHANT (1904, available at the U.S. Library of Congress web site) are "short but sweet." COYOTE FALLS can be best described as "short but sour."
Good--But Too Short
Hitchcoc1 May 2019
Imagine everything that could go wrong with Wile E. Coyote trying to use a bungee cord and a high bridge to capture the Road Runner. As is always the case, what can go wrong, goes wrong. The problem with this is that three minutes is way too little time. We needed a few other Acme products come from UPS and allow our boy to further destroy himself.
The return of Looney Tunes to the big screen
Elvis-Del-Valle18 February 2024
Although the Looney Tunes cartoons have been around for quite a few years, their value in the world of animation is undeniable. Taking advantage of the releases of several children's films on the big screen, Warner Bros. Decided to make this type of CGI animated short films that maintain the essence of the original cartoons. In this short film we see Wile E. Coyote doing his thing again to catch the roadrunner. We all already know what it's about, but it's a short film that pretty much fulfills what a person would expect to see from Looney Tunes. The CGI animation is quite masterful in this short film, making it an excellent update to the characters. Furthermore, this short film earns a lot of credit for being the first Looney Tunes short film to be brought to the big screen after many years. The original short films always used to be broadcast in cinemas before television was born and this short film revives that formula. It is thanks to this short film that later others emerged that were seen in the cinema along with some premieres. So, Coyotes Falls is a great short film that revives that animated franchise that marked many generations. My final rating for this short film is a 9/10.
Nice, but RR's etiquette has been violated
storminorman2518 August 2011
It was nice to see this short. And it is short. Less than three minutes as opposed to the normal seven that shorts were from about 1929 onward. Fine direction and animation for the most part. However, there is a fatal flaw. With the Road Runner in the past there was always a gray line concerning his participation in the Coyoyte's mishaps. Unfortunately during this short the Roadrunner directs sticking out his tongue at the Coyote, which he never did in the past. This is a conscious misstep by the director and a shame. Innocence is lost in the Roadrunner's character when he becomes a willing participant. Poor choice in an otherwise delightful short.
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