I am a total unabashed fan of the old Warner Brothers cartoons. Note the word ‘old.’ I’m talkin’ about the old-school, slam-bang, rootin’ tootin’ cartoons that came out of the famous Termite Terrace. Directors and animators like Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Robert McKimson and Tex Avery. In other words, all the guys that could animate rings around almost any ‘animator’ living today…even with one brush tied behind their backs. Very few of today’s animators come close to the talent and creativity these guys had. That’s why it is sometimes difficult to see the old Warner Brothers characters in new productions, they hardly seem the same. When I first heard about “Looney Tunes Back in Action”, I really had little desire to see it. I remembered the atrocity that was “Space Jam” a few years back. I cringed most of the time I watched “Space Jam” because there was simply so much wrong with it.

Its star, Michael Jordan proved with every breath that he was not only NOT an actor, but had the screen presence of a wet dishrag. The voice work for the characters was close to the originals, but sounded enough ‘off’ to be distracting. And the comedic timing? No where to be found my friend. I loathed the thought of my favorite cartoon characters being screwed up again.

I skipped “Looney Tunes Back in Action” when it hit theatres, but when word got out that it was being released on DVD, my curiosity got the better of me. I suddenly wanted to see it, just to see if Warner Brothers could actually ‘get it right.’ Or at least get it close. I popped in the DVD on the day it arrived and something funny happened. No, I mean it. Something FUNNY happened, then something else, and something else, and something else. Before I knew it funny things were happening all over the place and “Looney Tunes Back in Action” won me over.

Brendan Fraser stars as DJ Drake, a wannabe stunt man working as a security guard on the Warner Brothers lot. His father happens to be a famous actor, Damien Drake, but DJ wants to make it on his own. Jenna Elfman is Kate, a tough as nails Warner executive who decides to fire Daffy Duck because she feels that Bugs (Bunny that is) needs a hot new partner. When DJ is asked to escort the manic fowl off the lot, he gets more than he bargained for. Before he knows what’s happening, he finds himself in the trail of a mystical gem that could affect the entire human race, IF it fell into the wrong hands. In this case, the wrong hands turn out to belong to Mr. Chairman, the head of the infamous ACME Corporation, played by that wild and crazy guy, Steve Martin.

The first thing they got right was the casting. Brendan may not be the best actor to ever walk onscreen, but he is amongst the most likable. His performance in “Looney Tunes Back in Action” is earnest, energetic and fun. And to top it all off, he does one of the best jobs of playing opposite animated characters that I’ve seen in a long time. His timing and body language are amazing, and it just makes him all the funnier. Jenna Elfman proves herself to be quite the comedic actress, able to shed the shackles of Dharma and venture out into other roles. And Steve Martin. What can I say about Steve Martin. I miss the days of “The Jerk” and “The Man with Two Brains.” I started losing interest in his career when he started to become a ‘serious’ comedian. He was still funny, but I felt that he was funnier when he was over the top. Here he returns to the style of humor I enjoy him doing the most. He is as animated as any of the cartoon characters in the movie.

Then there was the voice casting. This time around, Warner Brothers really picked some good voice artists, who were able to capture the tones and timing of the great Mel Blanc. They still weren’t Mel, but they were close enough. I listened very closely to Joe Alaskey as he did Bugs and Daffy, and I would swear they sounded every bit the way I was used to hearing them.

As for the script and direction, much of the film felt like the old Warner cartoons. The rapport between Bugs and Daffy was as good as ever, but even better were the scenes between Daffy and Fraser. Again, Fraser did such a great job playing off of invisible actors that he sold the scenes; hook, line and sinker. The two of them were just hysterical together. Beyond that, there was a huge amount of ‘in jokes’, so many in fact that it’s doubtful anyone other than the most knowledgeable of Warner Brother cartoon aficionados will get them all. And even then, it’s doubtful they’ll catch them in one sitting. Between all the little one-liners, innuendos and background action, there’s enough trivia here to fill a book. Speaking of the background action be sure to pay close attention to the background through much of the movie as there is a lot going on.

To make the DVD even more desirable, Warner Brothers opted to put in a few cool extras. There are three featurettes, all hosted by Daffy and Bugs…sort of. One takes you on a tour of the film set, while another takes a fairly detailed look at the special effects and how they were done. This includes seeing how puppets were used for stand-ins for the animated characters in rehearsals. The third offers a look at some deleted scenes and an unfinished alternate idea for the film’s beginning. All of the featurettes are very entertaining and informative, but I say these were ‘sort of’ hosted by Daffy and Bugs, because they didn’t use any kind of new animation. All you got were some shots of the characters pulled from the movie, or these strange talking heads that dominated the lower part of the screen.

The other extra feature comes in the form of a brand spankin’ new Wiley Coyote and Road Runner cartoon. The “Whizzard of Ow” marks the first new cartoon for these characters in years. Of course, the animators had to perform miracles to try and recapture the magic of the originals, and they came really close. “The Whizzard of Ow” is pretty funny, and the timing on the gags works most of the time. But as funny as it was, it still felt ‘new’, and occasionally the humor seemed a bit forced. It was as though the animators tried a little too hard. I certainly give them a strong E for Effort for this new cartoon short.

“Looney Tunes Back in Action” turned out to be much funnier than I expected, with most of the jokes aimed at older audiences who will appreciate the mix of zany antics with good, old-fashioned sarcastic banter. It makes fun of product placement in a big way, and even goes a few rounds with self-deprecating humor.

Directed by: Joe Dante
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin, Timothy Dalton, Joan Cusack, Bugs Bunny,
Daffy Duck
Extras: “Whizzard of Ow” – an All New Wiley Coyote and Road Runner Cartoon, Behind the Tunes – Bugs and Daffy Take you on a Looney Tour of the Film Set, Bang Crash Boom – The Rabbit and Duck Perspectives on Special Effects, Looney Tunes Out of Action – Best Scenes You’ve Never Seen, DVD-Rom PC Link to Even more Deleted Scenes
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 3/2/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: PG (Some Mild Language and Innuendo)
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We'll give Looney Tunes Back in Action an A.