Rabbit Rampage (1955) User Reviews

Bugs Bunnys "Duck Amuck"

[Betelgeuse-19 · 8/10 · 1 June 2002]

If you have seen both this and "Duck Amuck," you'll probably say that they are basically cousins. At that point you're correct.

I'll start off by telling you that this is _NOT_ superior or equal to "Duck Amuck" in any way or form, but still manages to hit the nail on the head pretty well despite a few flaws. Although the jokes aren't the same, their theme is identical in some ways. For example: in "Duck Amuck," Daffy Duck is crudely painted by his animator, and later on is redrawn to wearing a baby's garnet, having a flag for a tail that shows a screw and a ball, and walks on his arms and legs; while in "Rabbit Rampage," Bugs Bunny has his ears redrawn into a humans and later on the ears are redrawn into very long, dragging ears. What I mean is: character doctoring, but here, it still manages to give some laughs.

Overall, despite over-copying themes to jokes from its superior cousin, "Rabbit Rampage" still holds up as a good package.

8/10

A fun successor to Duck Amuck

[Rectangular_businessman · 9/10 · 14 July 2022]

While not as iconic as Duck Amuck, Rabbit Rampage it's still a pretty great short on its own, being very funny to watch from beginning to end.

The gags are pretty effective and clever, and while the similarities with its predecessor are more than evident, but the formula still works here.

It's not uncommon for many artists to revisit some of their old ideas, giving them a new spin; rather than a "rip-off" it's more like another alternative take of the Duck Amuck premise.

"Well anyway, I finally got even with that scwewy wabbit"

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 26 May 2010]

Even before reading the reviews on here, I could see a number of similarities to Duck Amuck. Duck Amuck is definitely superior to Rabbit Rampage; I consider Duck Amuck not only one of the Daffy's best cartoons but also one of the best Looney Tunes cartoons in general, while for Bugs I would put What's Opera Doc?, Broom-Stick Bunny, Rabbit Seasoning, Rabbit Fire, Rhapsody Rabbit and Water Water Every Hare over this.

In general, the animation was not too bad, Bugs himself looks somewhat odd, but the colours, backgrounds and visual tricks are very nice. In fact, like Duck Amuck what actually made Rabbit Rampage were the visual gags, they were clever and funny. That and Elmer's last line at the end, which I was not expecting. The music is also a nice touch, the dialogue is amusing, Mel Blanc is superb and the pacing is secure enough. Overall, not Bug's best by all means, but worth watching. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Wabbit Wampage

[slymusic · 29 March 2009]

"Rabbit Rampage" is an excellent and fairly unusual Bugs Bunny cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. Bugs is completely taken advantage of by the artist, thus making this one of the few cartoons in which Bugs cannot retaliate from getting picked on. Believe me, the artist gives it to him good! In a sense, then, "Rabbit Rampage" is a remake of "Duck Amuck" (1953), which features Daffy Duck as the artist's victim.

My favorite moments from this cartoon: The artist draws a cavalcade of chapeaus on Bugs' cranium, with appropriate musical accompaniment from Milt Franklyn. With an anvil tied to his tail, Bugs takes a nasty fall onto the pavement; after cussing like Yosemite Sam, Bugs' head is then transformed into a pumpkin.

I remember seeing "Rabbit Rampage" on TV when I was a kid, and it can now be found as one of the bonus cartoons on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 6 Disc 1. Whenever Bugs Bunny loses, he loses BIG TIME!

A great sequel to an already great short

[mitsubishizero · 9/10 · 15 July 2019]

This short seems to get a bit of flak for not being as good as Duck Amuck which I don't really understand. I feel like this's a pretty good sequel. It is a little disappointing to see Bugs not be in control of his own environment like usual. Instead it's a sadistic cartoonist who proceeds to give Bugs a taste of his own medicine. That cartoonist is later revealed to be Elmer Fudd. It may not be as funny as the former short but there're still hints of creativity in terms of the animation. Seeing Bugs at the mercy of the cartoonist's still a fun concept. I'd say check it out.

"I've got a good mind to tell the Warner Brothers on you!"

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 12 July 2016]

Trying to replicate his success with Duck Amuck, Chuck Jones returns to the "breaking the fourth wall" routine with this short. Here Bugs Bunny fights with his unseen (until the end) animator, who has a grudge against him. It's not a bad cartoon and I don't really fault Chuck Jones or writer Michael Maltese for ripping off their own idea. After all, ideas were (and still are) recycled all the time in cartoons. But this one does suffer by comparison, as well as the fact that, as other reviewers have mentioned, the plot is more suited to Daffy than Bugs. No one watches a Bugs short to see him frustrated and one-upped at every turn. We like to see him get the upper hand and outsmart his foes. At one point Bugs even mimics Yosemite Sam by using the word "idjit." Still, there are some amusing bits here and there. The animation, music, and voice work are all top notch. On a related note, there was a video game for the Super Nintendo called Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage that was released in the 1990s. It was obviously inspired by this short, both in title and plot. I haven't played it since I was a kid but I recall liking it.

Karma strikes for Bugs!

[YouHaveAShortMemory · 9/10 · 4 June 2011]

In this semi-sequel to Chuck Jones's excellent "Duck Amuck", Bugs Bunny, the mastermind behind Daffy Duck's systematic breakdown in the previous film, is struck by karma when another mastermind pretty much does to him what he had done to Daffy two years prior.

This cartoon is not quite as good as its predecessor, mainly because Daffy generally works better as a flustered loser than Bugs does, but it's still solid stuff, thanks in no small part to its great animation and funny gags (the "shrunken head" gag in particular is priceless). In any case, "Rabbit Rampage", much like Freleng's "The Hare-Brained Hypnotist" and Clampett's "Falling Hare", is an interesting character study of how Bugs Bunny hates to lose. The real humor of the cartoon lies in that Bugs is also much more in-control here than he normally is in most other "loser Bugs" cartoons (he THINKS he is, at least), thus making his barely-contained rage and desperation even funnier in an odd way.

When I first saw this cartoon, I expected the mastermind to be either Daffy or Cecil Turtle. The decision to have it instead be Elmer, the last character you would ever expect to play such clever and cruel tricks on Bugs, is a stroke of pure Jonesian genius.

Bugs replaces Daffy

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 30 October 2008]

Sort of a re-imagining of "Duck Amuck", "Rabbit Rampage" has Bugs Bunny getting tormented by an unseen animator (whom he apparently recognizes at the beginning). Whereas the original cartoon made use of Daffy Duck's explosive personality, Bugs obviously can't do that. It seems to me that he behaves here more like Heath Ledger's version of the Joker in "The Dark Knight".

Overall, I can't quite figure out why Chuck Jones repeated the story from one of his greatest cartoons. It's not a bad cartoon, and we certainly shouldn't lower our opinions of Jones for it. But other cartoons were definitely better.

Daffy works much better in Duck Amuck (1953) but this is good entertainment anyway.

[rapt0r_claw-1 · 18 December 2003]

I think this cartoon was released to enhance the success that Daffy Duck's Duck Amuck (1953) achieved by using an even more famous and loved character in Bugs Bunny (better-loved for an unknown reason). It did not work. Though it's funny and I like it, Daffy is the kind of character that is supposed to do this kind of thing. Bugs just isn't himself when at the recieving end of torment. But I guess it shows his other side. But as always, you still get some Jones hallmarks, like the vivid use of colour, good verbal comedy and great animation and expression. The score complements all of that, but as Bugs takes on several forms through the animator's whim, he doesn't feel like Bugs except he continues to crunch his carrot even when he has been drastically modified. Duck Amuck was a better cartoon, much, much better. But this is entertainment, and a funny cartoon is a funny cartoon, I'll admit. So if you look for nothing but seven minutes of a good cartoon, I recommend this one. Good to see it's in print.

Disappointing rip on "Duck Amuck"

[ldavis-2 · 2/10 · 23 September 2005]

Although brought to you by Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese, the geniuses behind "Duck Amuck," "Rabbit Rampage" isn't half the pic that is for one reason: their refusal to follow through on the premise.

In "Duck Amuck," Daffy has absolutely no control over what happens. Here, Bugs always has some control, even when he loses his cool; he even takes the paint brush away from his "tormentor." Daffy nearly comes to blows with his twin; Bugs kicks his twins out of the frame. Daffy never learns who drove him to the brink of madness; from the start, Bugs knows who's wielding that paint brush. Elmer declares he "finally got back" at Bugs, but did he? To "get back" at someone, you must have complete control. When Bugs brings down the "The End" card, which he tells Elmer he can't stop him from doing, he takes that control and comes out on top, as usual. That decision by Jones and Maltese dooms "Rabbit Rampage" to one of the rare misfires in the Bugs Bunny canon.

There Should have been a third short! & "A 3-ring CIRCUS" times 2!

[63x927is58401 · 25 July 2011]

Warner Brothers' animation should have created an additional short! Where Daffy creates problems on Elmer Fudd! If there was one. It would have been a "three-ring circus", among Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck & third, Elmer Fudd. Duck Amuck, first of all, (as almost everyone knows), is of Bugs Bunny's animation fun with Daffy Duck. Second was Rabbit Rampage, as Elmer Fudd created numerous problems, to Bugs Bunny. If there was one created, of Daffy as a one-time animator, creating problems, to Elmer Fudd. If this had occurred, then the "revenge factor" would have been evened out as a 3-way tie! Among all three Warner brothers' animation characters, Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd & Daffy Duck! Plus there should have been a short on Yosemite Sam as an animator and was the victim, of a secret animation group, Tweetie & Grannie creating numerous problems, onto Yosemite Sam. And then, later on Yosemite Sam is the secret animator creating problems onto Sylvester, the Cat. Then next, there should have been a short of Sylvester, as secret animator, creating problems, with Granny & Tweetie!

Reasonable idea but doesn't work and Bugs isn't himself

[bob the moo · 7 December 2003]

The new Bugs Bunny script is in production, but Bugs finds that the animator on the picture is a difficult sort; he threatens to walk off the picture. However, as the saying goes, the pen is mightier than the sword and Bugs find himself at the mercy of the animator's imagination.

Ironically enough for a cartoon where the animator is (literally) the star, the actual animation here is only average. The plot is quite a good idea but it doesn't really work. The various little tricks that the animator pull just get a little dull after a while and, while it is different, it simply isn't very funny.

Worse still is the fact that Bugs isn't really himself – his personality isn't really Bugs as we have come to know him and he could easily be any character at all. In fact, given that much of the action involves redrawing Bugs (or bits of Bugs) as something else, it never really feels like him. The animator may be given a face at the end but really he is a meaningless paintbrush for the most part and fails to be a part of the cartoon.

Overall this is a good idea but nothing is done with it that works. The gags tire after a while, the animation is average at best and there is a shocking lack of character in Bugs and the cartoon as a whole. Not really worth a look.