AP Gives Looney Tunes 3 out of 4 Stars

[frogboy4]

This review is encouraging. I'm not expecting it to touch anywhere near Roger Rabbit quality. (but what can really beat a Spielberg, Zemekis, Disney film with cross-over characters anyway?) This initial Associated Press review is encouraging. Some of the commercial gags look very much like Roger, but I expected that.

Review: 'Looney Tunes: Back in Action' ***
Wednesday November 12 3:58 PM ET


"Looney Tunes: Back in Action" is an act of atonement for Brendan Fraser, who makes up for his last cartoon and live-action combo, the awful "Monkeybone," with a family friendly romp that will appeal to Bugs and Daffy fans of all ages.

It's a tough goal, building a full-length movie out of wisecracks and pratfalls normally confined to cartoon shorts. But director Joe Dante ("Gremlins") and screenwriter Larry Doyle ("The Simpsons") manage to maintain a manic pace throughout. And while "Looney Tunes" lapses into stretches where maybe one in four gags actually works, the filmmakers pile them on so feverishly that the clunkers pass largely unnoticed.

Like "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "Looney Tunes" presents a Hollywood where real showbiz types co-exist with cartoon characters.

The movie opens with a Warner Bros. executives meeting where boastful windbag Daffy Duck is fired by ambitious Kate Houghton (Jenna Elfman), the studio's vice president for comedy (her research shows that while Bugs Bunny has universal star power, Daffy appeals only to "angry fat guys in basements").

Fraser plays D.J. Drake, an unsuccessful stuntman who loses his job as a Warner security guard after botching Daffy's eviction from the studio lot.

Duck and wannabe stuntman end up as road buddies on a mission to rescue D.J.'s father, Warner's super-spy actor Damien Drake (appropriately played by former James Bond Timothy Dalton), from the clutches of the evil Acme Co. boss (Steve Martin).

Bugs and Kate, realizing too late that the screwy rabbit's schtick doesn't work without fall guy Daffy, set off in pursuit, tumbling into the chairman's plot to turn people into monkeys to churn out shoddy Acme products, then convert them back to humans so they can buy the merchandise.

Advancements in visual effects and computer animation make "Looney Tunes" a more dynamic mix of live action and cartoons than Michael Jordan's 1996 Warner adventure "Space Jam." The voice work for Bugs, Daffy and other characters also is a step up from "Space Jam," with better approximations of the late Mel Blanc's original intonations for the classic old "Looney Tunes" shorts.

"Looney Tunes" piles on cameos both for live-action celebrities and all the key Looney Tunes characters, including Porky Pig, Speedy Gonzalez, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, Tweety Bird and Sylvester.

The supporting cast includes Heather Locklear as an undercover ally of Damien's and Joan Cusack as proprietor of a spy-gadgets lab.

As the stunted schoolboy villain, Martin goes for broke with his wildest and craziest movie role since "The Jerk."

Fraser and Elfman come off as likably bland heroes who, though they take a backseat to the antics of the animated characters, hurl themselves earnestly into interaction with 'toons. Fraser even does double duty, providing the voice of the Tazmanian Devil.

As for Fraser's "Monkeybone," all is forgiven.

"Looney Tunes: Back in Action," a Warner Bros. release, is rated PG for some mild language and innuendo. Running time: 83 minutes. Three stars out of four.
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/ap/20031112/106868148000.html

OPENS FRIDAY

Official Site: http://www2.warnerbros.com/looneytunesbackinaction/index.html

 

[Zack the Dog]

Hi Jamie, Did you see the flim? I had been really looking forward to it too and saw it on opening day! It was really great and Daffy steals the show! I'm a big Daffy fan so i'm very happy about that

SPOLIER WARNING!


Much of the voice work was fantastic! But like I expectied most of the other Looney Tunes made short cameos as it was really just a Bugs and Daffy movie. There were some voices that I think could have been better. Pepe Lew Pew was in the movie for like 5 seconds, but I liked his voice better in Space Jam, I also wish that Jim Cummings could do Taz's voice again, i don't know if he only does Disney stuff now, but he did a great Taz in the Tazmaina cartoon! He should have been used in Space Jam, i don't know why they got bad voice work for Space Jam? but Daffy and Slyvester voice/s in Space Jam turned me off. Brendan Fraser did an ok voice in Back in Action besides when Taz spoke the very few words he had IMOP, but Taz wasn't in the flim for very long anyways.

I know somewhat for voices that were done but not for all the characters
I know Joe Alaskey did Daffy, Slyvester and Bugs in the movie, The Space Jam Bugs was okay though, same guy did Bugs in Space Jam does a GREAT Elmer fudd in both movies.

I not sure, but did Joe Alaskey voice Tweedy in the Slyvester and Tweedy Misterys cartoon? I really liked that Tweedy voice, it sounded diffrent in Back in Action, the same goes for Marvin in this movie I don't think it's the same as in the new Duck Doggers Cartoon show, I'm not sure if Joe voices him as well in that cartoon show. Oh and even Yosemity Sam, it wasn't Joe was it? I think Joe did a great voice for the Sam cameo of Who Frammed Roger Rabbit.

Still the movie was a lot of Fun! Steve Martin was kinda goofy though, I just wish the movie could have been longer, a few parts seemed a little rushed, still it was better then Space Jam, Daffy and Bugs had a lot of funny lines! Bugs: "Look! I found Nemo!"

I remember reading about a Gremlins cameo, which would fit in with the director of the flim. Didn't think it would the CAR! LOL! It was still funny thought and they played the Gremlins theme too!

One thing i thought might have happend was Tweedy growing to be the monster Tweedy like in the Heckle and Jide cartoon, I thought this because there is a new set of Looney Tunes action figures and it had a monster Tweedy figure at Walmart. Maybe it was just Looney Tune figures in general? Not the movie, Back in action figures? LOL! That Walmart gag in the flim had me cracking up! LOL and I was with two of my Friends who LOVE Walmart! One of them used to work there! So we died laughing!

I really liked the parts when Daffy and Bugs ran off from the humans! the painting running gag with Elmmer was very funny! As well as the space chase with Marvin!

I just wished to see more! I was hoping to see more Looney Tunes villains as well and maybe a few more close calls, Not better then Roger Rabbit, and i wouldn't have wanted it to be, but still a lot of fun and I will see it again!

Zack,

 

[Erine81981]

I'm about to go and see it. I hope I like it. Knowing me I will because I just love cartoons characters. Well I'm off. I'll tell everyone how I liked it. Bye.

 

[Erine81981]

I thought it was pretty cool. I didn't catch most of it because I took my nieces. So much of it was pretty cool. Its that they always in up making all the cool characters bad guys. I didn't see Pepe Lupew. So can't say liked or didn't like but it was funny. Loved seeing Shaggy, Scooby and Mattew in the movie. I can't wait to see the sequal too. Loved that Daffy did get more air time for most parts. I'm also a big Daffy fan myself. Loved the parts when Daffy says, "I beganing to think this the spy car." and "Duck Dagers away." and keeped getting blown up. I would have to give a 4 because its one of the coolest films that I've seen w/ cartoons and actors togethers but still Roger Rabbit is the most Best of all films since it was made in the 80's and thats when films began to relise they could do things lile that. I hope to see more Looney Tunes films or anamatied ones as well. Thats my 4 cents.