November 17, 2003 -- It's been a long time since there was a new Bugs Bunny cartoon. It is good to see that Bugs is back in action after a long hiatus from the big screen, and I'm pleased to find that he and Daffy Duck are as feisty as ever. You had to wonder if they could recapture that old cartoon magic, since two of the legendary talents behind the Warner Brothers cartoon characters, Chuck Jones and Mel Blanc, are both dead. The magic is still there. This isn't a classic animated feature by any means, but it is funny and entertaining.

This film isn't entirely animated, by the way. It, like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” is a mixture of live action and animation. It's like “What's Up Doc?” with every cartoon character in the Warner Brothers stable thrown in. Characters include: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Pie, Sylvester, and Marvin the Martian (all voiced by Joe Alaskey, who is the new Mel Blanc), Porky Pig (voice by Bob Bergen), Elmer Fudd (voice by Billy West), the Tasmanian Devil, Yosemite Sam, Road Runner and the hapless Wile E. Coyote. Human actors include Brendan Fraser (of “The Mummy”), who plays D.J. Drake and does the Tasmanian Devil voice, Jenna Elfman plays Warner Brothers Vice President Kate Houghton, Timothy Dalton (a former James Bond) plays Damien Drake, D.J. Drake's father and super spy, Heather Locklear plays state performer and spy Dusty Tails, Joan Cusack plays Mother (a character like “Q” in the James Bond movies) and Steve Martin plays the evil chairman of the Acme corporation.

The plot has everybody in pursuit of the magical Blue Monkey diamond. The diamond has the power to turn all humans into monkeys. Acme corporation plans to turn everybody into monkeys, then use them as slave labor to produce lots of useless junk and then turn them back into people so they can buy the stuff they just made. Hmmm, it seems like this plan has already been put into effect. Anyway, D.J. Drake, Damien Drake, Kate Houghton, Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny are trying to get to the diamond before Acme Corporation can obtain it and put its evil plan into effect. The plot is pretty minimal, but the story moves along fast. Most of the obvious jokes are aimed at kids, but there are lots of movie in-jokes for older viewers, including numerous references to 1950's science fiction movies like “Forbidden Planet” and “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” In fact, a character from “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” appears in the film, still in his original black and white palette. There are also some jokes about product placement in movies, including a protracted sketch about Wal-Mart.

“Looney Tunes: Back in Action” is about what you would expect for a silly cartoon-based movie. It doesn't have a serious bone in its body. Bugs Bunny is as sassy and unflappable as ever and Daffy Duck does get his moment of glory after suffering dozens of pratfalls. Elmer Fudd is still being outwitted by Bugs Bunny. Wiley Coyote is still being destroyed every few seconds, only to make a miraculous comeback. The world is as it should be. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2003 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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