From Hare to Eternity (1997) User Reviews

After All These Years...

[Angel-Marie · 7 October 2001]

The first time I saw this was on last year's Cartoon Network special, "June Bugs" (the three-day marathon featuring every Bugs Bunny cartoon ever made, except for 12 cartoons that were considered racially offensive by today's standards), and I've got this to say: Chuck Jones still has that twisted, fractured humor that only his cartoons during the Golden Age of Looney Tunes (1939-1964) could provide. Sure, Bugs in women's clothing is something you'd find during the Golden Age, but the way Jones delivered it sends shockwaves and a reborn sense of what comedy is/was/should be/has always been through me. The one thing I still can't believe is that he outlived Friz Freleng by seven years (Jones was born in 1912; Freleng was born in 1905) and such comic genius from this incredible man could be transferred to other shows that aren't afraid to be politically incorrect, totally bizarre, and funny at the same time ("The Simpsons", "The Critic", the late, great, "Get A Life", etc).

A sad memory of better things

[L_O_Addict · 2/10 · 8 September 2021]

The idea of a Bugs and Sam cartoon as a tribute to Friz Freleng was a worthy one. But this retread lacks everything that made the original Warner Brothers cartoons great. The jokes are tired; the story is hackneyed, and Yosemite Sam's voice is an abomination. Let's remember the good times instead.

Yuck

[utgard14 · 3/10 · 30 May 2016]

This later Chuck Jones effort (his last Bugs short) is, as you'll read in all of the previous reviews, meant as a tribute to Friz Freleng, who died the year before this was made. While I certainly admire that, it doesn't really soften my opinion on this cartoon any. Which is to say that, like 99% of the later Looney Tunes cartoons, this sucks. It's a corny unfunny parody of Gilbert & Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore with lifeless modern animation and some truly terrible voice work from Frank Gorshin. His Yosemite Sam sounds like some kind of cross between Tony the Tiger and Baloo. Greg Burson's Bugs is a decent impression. But, you know, still an impression. The jokes are really lame. I didn't laugh once. As with most of the later Looney Tunes, including the ones directed by Jones, this mostly trades on nostalgia instead of offering anything fresh. "Remember those funny old cartoons where Sam would be a pirate or a ship's captain or something? Yeah, well, we do too so here's a cartoon that tries to be like that but fails. Oh and there's a Michigan J. Frog reference because that was another thing that was funny." It's sad, really. But no one, even geniuses, stays on top of their game forever. So try to view this in the most generous spirit possible, if you must view it at all. It was made by an animation legend, even if there's nothing remotely legendary about this.

Fine for what it is and a nice tribute too

[mitsubishizero · 8/10 · 4 July 2019]

I don't have much to say other than it's fine for what it is. It's a nice tribute to Friz Freleng who passed on 2 years prior. It plays just like how you'd expect a Looney Tunes short to. The jokes are funny, the animation's updated (at least for its time) and the voice acting's pretty good. One joke I find funny is when Sam's digging he comes across Michigan J. Frog which he quickly gets rid of as he "hates singing frogs". The late Frank Gorshin voices Yosemite Sam and Greg Burson voices Bugs Bunny who both have good chemistry. I have to admit Gorshin as Sam is a little hit or miss. His voice isn't bad but it's not as explosive as Mel Blanc or Maurice LaMarche. The short's a parody of the play H.M.S. Pinafore. The songs are pretty funny and entertaining to listen to. I don't have much to say other than check it out for yourself.

A fitting tribute to Friz Freleng

[angelynx-2 · 8/10 · 8 June 2001]

Any cartoon dedicated to the memory of the late great Friz --as this is--would have to contain two things: music, and Yosemite Sam. So it's no surprise that this one is a classic seagoing squabble between Sam and Bugs (it's even set on board the good ship "H.M.S. Friz Freleng") with Gilbert & Sullivan parodies galore. Cross my heart, you haven't lived till you've seen Bugs sing "Sweet Little Buttercup" in sexy mermaid drag while flirting outrageously with the smitten Sam. More focused and funny than a lot of Jones' later work, and just plain sweet, besides.

Chuck Jones' last animated short was a fine tribute to his late colleague, Friz Freleng

[tavm · 8/10 · 2 August 2011]

This is quite a poignant cartoon in two ways: First, it was a nice tribute to the late Friz Freleng as it featured his creation of Yosemite Sam and featured musical segments which Freleng was always good at not to mention Chuck Jones' dedication to him at the end. Second, this turned out to be Jones' last work on the Warner Bros. cartoon shorts as director culminating in almost 60 years' worth of great work he helmed at his home studio starting with The Night Watchman-give or take a few periods off on his own or at M-G-M. Sam is a pirate on the S.S. Friz Freleng looking for Captain Kidd's treasure. Bugs Bunny is attached to it when he finds it. I'll stop there and just say how funny most of the thing was especially when Bugs manages to successfully flirt with Sam once more with another of his female disguises which has the latter reacting the same way Elmer Fudd did to him in What's Opera, Doc? Another in-joke to one of Chuck's cartoons was the hilarious sound of Michigan J. Frog singing "Hello, My Baby" when Sam was digging his treasure and saying something along the lines of "Not with me, you don't!" when killing him! And what about when he said, "Never take a rabbit's advice" when nearly falling to his death toward a shark after being tricked to fall on a plank? Okay, don't want to say anymore so on that note, From Hare to Eternity comes highly recommended. P.S. Greg Burson sounds fine as Bugs while Frank Gorshin fails to sound exactly like Mel Blanc's Sam but otherwise is okay as well.

Looney Tunes meets Gilbert and Sullivan

[llltdesq · 9/10 · 2 June 2002]

Given that Warner Brothers shorts emphasized music, Friz Freleng was one of the best at the framing of a cartoon around music and this is a tribute to him, it's quite appropriate that Bugs and Yosemite Sam (supposedly, Freleng and his temper inspired the creation of Sam) sing light operetta, selections from Gilbert and Sullivan. Brilliantly done, it does justice to both G & S and Looney Tunes. Good to see it available. Well worth watching. Most recommended.

G&S, Yosemite Sam, Bugs Bunny, Chuck Jones paying tribute to Fritz Freleng, Michigan J Frog- it's all here!

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 14 June 2011]

I am a big fan of Looney Tunes, I love Chuck Jones' cartoons and I grew up on Freleng's Yosemite-Bugs cartoons. From Hare to Eternity is a very enjoyable cartoon, and is a fitting tribute to the legendary Fritz Freleng(creator of Yosemite Sam). What I didn't like so much was the voice acting, I do like Greg Burson and Frank Gorshin a lot, and they do try very hard, Burson is okay but Gorshin sounds a little too forced, deep and abrasive for my liking. Also Freleng to me captures the character feel of Yosemite Sam more than Jones, he is entertaining here as is Bugs but you miss the fire and zaniness in his character sometimes here and Bugs feel underplayed. However there is much to enjoy, the animation is colourful and fluid, the music is scattered with very neat HMS Pinafore references, the writing is witty and very funny that does feel like the old Bugs and Sam cartoons I know and love especially Sam's "never take a rabbit's advice", there is an amusing cameo from Michigan(aka The Singing Frog from One Froggy Evening) and if you haven't seen Bugs in mermaid drag singing "Dear Little Buttercup" then you haven't lived. Overall, aside from the inconsistent voice work From Hare to Eternity is very entertaining. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Two (or some) of the Reviewers have don't have humor

[mawhaley-04251 · 9/10 · 9 January 2024]

No Hate on This One Everyone, So Go With Me. This is a (kinda) amazing Last Chuck Jones Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam Short Looney Tunes Short, Dedicated to Friz Freleng, In which the Pirate Ship, H. M. S. Freleng is Named after, Bugs Bunny Disguises as a Mermaid and decides to play tricks and pester pirate Yosemite Sam until he pleads for Mercy. It Also Features a Cameo from Michigan J. Frog, The Dancing and Singing Frog from the 1955 Merrie Melodies Short, One Froggy Evening, While Not really as great as Carrotblanca, this should really be treasured and cherished for all. A Treat for Everyone!