Part of me really thought on first watch that this would be an improvement over the previous six cartoons. Seeing that it is the first cartoon in the Blue Racer series to not have the beetle in it, which on paper already makes one feel it would be better. And also because the idea of the story was a change from the "same story times six" formula seen in the previous six cartoons. Also thought to myself that no supporting character could be worse than the beetle.
Sadly was proved wrong on the whole. It is different in plotting to the previous six cartoons and the setting is different, but the quality hasn't really improved all that much (although Blue Racer shows more personality here). The usual flaws are still here, a couple like the animation faring worse here, and the supporting characters here are very close to being on the same level of annoying as the beetle. This is all being said with regret.
Doug Goodwin's music is the best thing, really love its liveliness and it has an energy that wasn't there anywhere else. The theme tune is catchy. The opening credits is another one of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises' winners, it definitely grabs the attention. Blue Racer's character animation is nicely done.
Blue Racer's craftiness is stronger here than in the previous six cartoons and while he is quite one-note he does have more personality. Larry D. Mann's voice work as the character has improved a lot since the first cartoon in the series, which had a not sure how to voice quality to it whereas the voice fits the design and personality like a glove. There is one funny gag, the adam's apple one.
However, most of the animation is not very good. Especially the character designs for the hen and rooster, which had a drawn in haste look. Even in poultry form, they are also given stereotypical mannerisms. The colours tend to look on the washed out rather than vibrant side and the backgrounds are too simple even for abstract. Didn't care for either the hen or the rooster, the hen served little point and while the rooster is not near as annoying as the beetle the character is a predictable one from being a variation of the familiar cliche of protective larger than life character (i.e. Spike from Tom and Jerry) and is caricaturish too due to his mannerisms. Not as offensively so as the beetle though, as voice actor Mako actually was Japanese instead of Tom Holland channelling Mickey Rooney's 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' character.
Excepting one part, the gags are too few and are not particularly amusing let alone funny. Nothing fresh about them either, in fact they were the sort of gags one would find in past prime Looney Tunes but gone stale. Other than the setting and that the formula is different, the basic scenario had already been done to death elsewhere and with so little variation and not much energy from being very thin the cartoon felt fatigued. As well as repetitive, one knows from the outset that Blue Racer's efforts would all fail because they always do in all his cartoons. The only surprise is right at the end but it didn't feel like it belonged somehow in the cartoon.
Overall, really did think it would be better than the previous cartoons but there is not much improvement other than a stronger personality for Blue Racer and that the beetle isn't in it. 4/10.