Speedy Gonzales (1955)

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

I wanted to but couldn't!

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Despite the title, this is Speedy Gonzales' SECOND appearance, after Robert McKimson's Cat-Tails for Two. This is, however, his first time in the costume and design we know him from. In this short, after another mouse gets done for in trying to get cheese past the guard-Sylvester, Speedy accepts the challenge. The red-nosed cat is ready for the "fastest mouse in all Mexico" but gets defeated at every turn. This Oscar-winning cartoon from Friz Freleng gives us another classic Warner Bros. character that lasts for decades despite some PC controversy that almost got Speedy gone for good. Turns out many Hispanics consider Mr. Gonzales a hero for his exploits and don't find anything offensive about him. I certainly don't and I never understood why anyone would either. Anyway, while I don't consider this a great cartoon, it's certainly another highly enjoyable outing from Mr. Freleng.

An apparent criticism of the Speedy Gonzales cartoons is that they stereotype Mexicans as sombrero-wearing wackos. I guess that this one - actually called "Speedy Gonzales" - basically does that, but it's still a really funny cartoon, as the Fastest Mouse in Mexico gets hired to snatch cheese out of a factory (presumably across the US-Mexico border) guarded by Sylvester.If in fact it's the US-Mexico border, then the cartoon raises the immigration debate. We see the people - or mice - in our southern neighbor needing to get into our country for better opportunities (as far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as an illegal immigrant). Then again, maybe I'm reading way too far into the cartoon; it was probably intended as nothing more than silly entertainment. If so, then it succeeds. Worth seeing.He's the friend of everybody's sister. Speedy certainly seems like he could be a playboy.

Man, I hope I'm in the majority here. But I gotta be honest, this mouse is so highly, extremely irritating. Does he ever shut up? Not only that but the whole character is kind of xenophobic and un-PC. Now I am certainly NOT one for being PC but I still find Speedy kinda offensive.In this cartoon he asked by his Mexican mouse pals to cross the border into America in bring them back cheese as they are all starving. Is there subtext here or am I reading too much into it?Sylvester is there to stop him. Or at least try. The usual Cat and Mouse hijinks follow. It's not really funny and I'm amazed it actually got an Academy Award.

This cartoon won the Oscar in the same year that "Legend of Rockabye Point" and "Good Will To Men" were eligible, which atonises me no end! While it's a good cartoon, either of those two run rings around this enjoyable, but unexceptional piece of work. I have no idea why it happened, but it is one of the more surprising flubs in the Animated Short category's history. *sigh* Oh, well. A pleasing and enjoyable cartoon anyway and well worth watching.