Customer Reviews

Looney Tunes - Back in Action (Widescreen Edition)

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

"Looney Tunes: Back In Action" is the perfect marriage of live action and animation. To complete this picturesque scenario, it takes a "humanized" all-star cast (Jenna Elfman, Brendan Fraser, Timothy Dalton, including others), along with some zany Looney Tunes charcters (yes, most of them are here, folks, from Bugs Bunny [that "wascallwy wabbit"] to Yosemite Sam), with all of the above combined to make one colossal motion picture for everyone aged seven to seventy. Everyone's out to recover an artifact that could wind up causing universal damage (a pricey gem known as "The Blue Monkey"). Its dastardly, evil "owner" (Steve Martin) wants to make certain the world is freed from all human existence, and prefers to "monkey around" with evolution, so to speak. It's a race against time, as our female assistant (Elfman), son of a movie star (Fraser), Bugs, Daffy Duck (and an all-star cast of "Tunes" attempt to free a senior movie star (Dalton) from the clutches of one mad scientist (Martin), who is the head of ACME Corporation. When I say "LT:BIA" is a "universal" motion picture, I am not just speaking in tongues, as the gang literally spans the globe to search for clues. This journey stretches from Las Vegas to Paris, France, to the wilds of Africa (FACTUAL NOTE: The Nevada Desert does not contain any species of various cacti - just shrubs of tumbleweed and tons of sand. The saguaro cactus plants were there to provide a backdrop for Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner to make their spectacular entrances). All of the elements that were featured in the classic Warner Bros. cartoons are here: classic character lines (ex: "What's Up Doc", "What In Tarnation", etc.), various sight gags (ex: automated device running out of fuel inches before touching ground, the positioning of Daffy Duck's beak, etc.), including others not mentioned here. Bill Goldberg (another wrestler turned actor) gives a masterful performance as one of the bad guys as well. Even the brief cameo of Michael Jordan is worthy of a look-see. Also, besides the too-brief appearance of Speedy "The Fastest Mouse In All Mexico" Gonzales, the only thing really missing, is Speedy's slow-footed cousin Slowpoke Rodriguez. If only this journey included a visit to Mexico (including Speedy's and Slowpoke's mouse buddies), then "Looney Tunes: Back In Action" would have netted a five-star rating for sure. As it is, it earns all four stars for its directorial and animation qualities (not to mention a fine human and not-so-human main and supporting cast), which makes it a must-see motion picture. As Porky Pig would say: "TH-TH-THE-THAT'S ALL FOLKS!!!".

When I walked into the theatrer opening night to see this movie, I was filled with good thoughts for the film. And it turns out it was more than what I expected. LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION had everything a movie lover would like: action, adventure, and, well..comedy!
The film had many funny scenes that anybody, age 5 or 45, would like, including a Wal-mart in the middle of a desert, and a car chase through Las Vegas in a spy car and Jeff Gordon's NASCAR car. Plus the cast really did an excellent job. Steve Martin as the ACME chairman really shot out in the movie, whereas Jenna Elfman's and Brendan Fraser's rivalry/love really was humorous. And the Looney Tunes characters were great, especially Bugs Bunny acting out the "Psycho" shower scene re-make, in which Jenna Elfman opens the curtain and Bugs screaming with chocolate syrup-like blood going down the drain.
Warner Brothers did an excellent job with this movie overall. It is the perfect movie to see with your family during the holidays. I totally recommend anyone, children or adults, to see LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION.

This is one of the few animated movies that can compare with Pixar! For a Looney Tunes fan like me, it doesn't get much better than this.

BUGS BUNNY-- Bugs wasn't surprised much in this film, it looked as though he had the whole the thing planned. The only time he really was caught unexpected was when he was put in a suit in the spy car. Bugs singing: "VIVA LAS VEGAS" is hilarious.

DAFFY DUCK-- Great! Rather than trying to imitate Chuck Jones' Daffy like every other show with Daffy does (not that that's bad, I LOVE Chuck Jones) it appears rather like it was inspired by Bob Clampett.

D.J.-- Played by Brendan Fraiser, D.J. is quite likable. It's hilarious when D.J. talks about how he was in the mummy movies more than Brendan Fraiser.

KATE-- Rather than goofy, Kate is rather no-nonsense. But she's still funny.

THE EVIL LEADER OF ACME-- Steve Martin is hysterical on this, he's as nutty as humans come.

There are many other supporting characters, like: Elmer Fudd, Marvin the Martian, Tweety, Sylvester, Granny, The Tasmanian Devil, Wile E. Coyote, Foghorn Leghorn, The Warner Bros. and Yosemite Sam. And there are hundreds of cameos, like: Beaky the Buzzard, Pepe Le Pew, Ham, Ex, Porky, Speedy Gonzalas, Egghead, Sam Sheepdog, Ralph Wolf, Road Runner, Batman, an Instant Martian, Foghorn's Dog Arch-Enemy, the Russian Dog (on HARE RIBBIN') and Buddy! This beats Space Jam by a long-shot.
I just can't comprehend the fact that people would rather watch a movie as bad as Shrek instead of a great movie like this.

The Looney Tunes Back in Action widescreen DVD is definitely better than when it was playing in theaters. It's easier to enjoy it when you don't have dozens of people laughing at funny moments in the film. The special features are pretty well made. If you need a few good laughs, curl up on your couch with your family or with a nice big bag of peanut m&m's and watch Looney Tunes Back in Action. I was amazed to find out that Brendan Fraser, one of the stars, made some of the voices of the characters.

I have heard a lot of reviews criticize this movie because it's plotline is ridiculous, or at least count this as a downside to the movie. These reviews are missing the point. Of course the movie is ridiculous: it's Looney Tunes. Yes, the Chairman's plot to use the Blue Monkey diamond is silly and unrealistic: it is supposed to be!If the Looney Tunes are going to save the world, they should save it from something silly. You want serious and deadly, go watch Batman. Moreover, the movie is extremely accurate with the personalities and personal styles of each of the cartoon characters as they have been portrayed in the original cartoons. All of this is not to even mention the multiple movie references and commentary that this movie dishes out. As a matter of fact, "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" is the only movie that I have ever seen that actually makes fun of it's own product placemnt. All in all, this is a movie that is remarkably funny and remarkably true to the spirit of the original "Looney Tunes" cartoons.

What might have happened if, back in the day, the heads at WB had let the cartoon dept make a full feature, with no restrictions? They could very well have come up with something like "Back In Action", lampooning everything imaginable, with an outlandish plot not unlike Marvin the Martian's attempts to blow up the Earth.

Of course, technology of the time would have kept them from effectively blending humans in the cartoon world so seamlessly, so they would have made up new characters instead. Can you imagine what Steve Martin's villainous character would have been? Well... ya hafta employ humans somewhere these days... :)

This was a heckuva movie, a major improvement on Space Jam, and maybe better than Roger Rabbit. Can't wait for the DVD!

Amazingly, "Looney Tunes - Back in Action" manages to capture the zany, "we'll-make-fun-of-ANYTHING" humor of the classic cartoons. It's got the wisecracks and the anarchy. There are setpieces (the chase through the Louvre is a classic), kidding of pc sensitivities (such as why Yosemite Sam's henchmen won't throw the dynamite out the window during a car chase through Las Vegas), a great jab at movie product placement (kudos to the company that let themselves be used for this!), jokes about classic horror films ("Them!" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" for two) and so on. The whole cast of toons is on hand, seamlessly combined with live actors (even the casting is a joke sometimes -- check out the Acme board of directors). Don't ask if the plot makes sense (it doesn't); just sit back and laugh.

Daffy Duck has had it with constantly playing second fiddle and fall guy to Bugs Bunny. He demands to be featured in the next Looney Tunes movie, but new President of Warner Brothers Comedy, Kate (Jenna Elfman), fires him instead. Daffy attaches himself to security officer/stunt man DJ Drake (Brendan Fraser). They arrive back at Drake's house, which he shares with his father Damien, only to find that the elder Drake (Timothy Dalton) has been kidnapped. Seems he was searching for the Blue Diamond, trying to keep it out of the hands of the evil ACME Corporation and their chairman (Steve Martin).

Meanwhile, the executives aren't happy about Kate firing Daffy. She has the weekend to track down the duck. So she teams up with Bugs Bunny and sets out to bring him back. Can they do it? Will DJ save his father? And just how many cameos can they fit in this movie?

This movie is absolutely hilarious. I'm not a Looney Tunes fanatic but have enjoyed them when I have seen them. Still, I found myself laughing the entire way through. While I caught many of the references, I'm sure there are lots more that die hard fans would love. Every Looney Tunes characters shows up at some point, adding to the fun. The human actors do a great job of reacting to their cartoon counterparts, and the animation, while two dimensional, fits incredibly well in the real world.

This movie is perfect for the young and young at heart who love to laugh at stuff that's completely off the wall. It entertains the entire way through, keeping the laughs flowing.

There are few crimes more reprehensible then the dumbing down of the Looney Tunes in a failed attempt to appeal to today's, presumably dumb, children. Fortunately, director Joe Dante, writer Larry Doyle, lead voice actor Joe Alaskey, and composers John Frizzell and Jerry Goldsmith have created a truly fine work that is able to stay true to the personalities and comedic sensibilities of the original characters.

Actually the credit goes to the entire cast and crew of Looney Tunes: Back in Action. These days, seeing a movie where Steve Martin is actually funny is enough of a gift from the Hollywood Heavens. But, I singled out Dante, Doyle, Alaskey, Frizzel, and Goldsmith for their outstanding efforts. Dante is a brilliant director. The success of this film hinged on his dedication to what made the 'toons classic to begin with: really great timing, and convincing character interaction. Larry Doyle made a name for himself on the Simpsons and this movie is evidence that he was one of the GOOD writers. Simply put, he understands and actually respects the subject matter. I can't say enough about the quality of Alaskey's voice work. He performs the film's two main animated characters, Bugs and Daffy, as well as Tweety, Sylvester, and Marvin the Martian. I don't care what the nitpickers have said, he emulates Blanc almost perfectly. But his skill lies not in mere impersonation, but a genuine understanding of the cadence, timing (again), and personality of the characters. Finally the pace is perfectly frenetic and that's due in large part to the score provided by Frizzel and Goldsmith. They've seamlessly blended the recognizable, classical pieces used in old Looney Tunes shorts with stings referencing Dante's past work, other films, and their own new material. There's not enough room here to mention everything I liked about this movie. Fraser, Elfman, Martin, Cusack, and the rest are great. The script is filled with too many gags to catch in one viewing. Insider film references abound, just like in the old shorts. This is simply the funniest movie I've seen all year.

I was worried this film would fall apart; now, after finishing it. I saw a couple jokes that could have been better. A few things slightly predictable, but I thought it was excellent. Seriously, when you're putting every Looney Tune into a live film: (thank God without rubber masks!) ...there's a lot of high exceptions and low exceptions. I think this movie did just about as well as it could possibly do. Going from live comedy to Looney Tune insanity and back for both at once. I give it Two Dynamites Up.