agj8012 Reviews

The Bugs Bunny Show (1960–1975)

The Greatest Animated Series Ever Produced

[10/10 · 10 June 2010]

"The Bugs Bunny Show" is just one of many television programs running Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. The Looney Tunes were, are, and will continue to be the most innovative and entertaining series of cartoons ever produced. These cartoons were a complete departure from what everyone else in the cartoon business was doing at the time. The Looney Tunes series was responsible for some of the greatest, funniest, and most sophisticated cartoons ever produced, as well as numerous memorable characters.

Now, back to this television series. As I stated earlier, this was the first network television series to run Looney Tunes cartoons, and any show that runs Warner Bros. cartoons is definitely great.

Presto (2008)

My Favorite Pixar Cartoon

[6/10 · 10 June 2010]

I usually do not care for Pixar cartoons, but I found this one somewhat enjoyable. Its obviously a homage of sorts to the Looney Tunes cartoons from Warner Brothers. Though it doesn't quite capture the sophistication of those cartoons, it wasn't that bad.

Basically, a rabbit gets his revenge on a magician because the magician didn't give him a carrot. There are a couple of humorous gags and then its done.

This cartoon was sort of funny, but I just thought it was kind of stupid. Looney Tunes cartoons are much more well-written than these short Pixar cartoons will ever be.

Rabbit Stew and Rabbits Too! (1969)

Surprisingly good!

[8/10 · 10 June 2010]

After the Warner Bros. cartoon studio shut down in 1962, new Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons were commissioned. These "new" cartoons, however, were done by different studios than the classic Warner Bros. cartoons. Because of this, most of the cartoons were either mediocre or downright dreadful. But this one is different.

This cartoon revolves around a fox attempting to capture a rabbit. It seems to be an attempt to recapture the glory of the Road Runner series, and although it does not completely succeed at that, it does have a lot of funny moments. Most of the gags in this one are reused from previous cartoons, but I don't have a problem with that. One thing that separates this cartoon from a Road Runner cartoon is that the rabbit will actually inflict pain upon the fox, while the Road Runner never did something like that.

All in all, this cartoon is definitely worth seeing, as it is probably the last funny Warner Bros. cartoon ever made.

Wise Quackers (1949)

Very Funny

[9/10 · 9 June 2010]

This cartoon has been banned from television for nearly twenty years, and for good reasons. But if you get past the fact that this cartoon is making light of slavery, it is absolutely hilarious.

The basic premise of this cartoon is that Daffy Duck, in a desperate attempt to keep from being cooked by Elmer Fudd, agrees to be his slave. This results in a lot of hilarious gags at Elmer's expense. The ending in particular is quite unexpected and very funny.

I can definitely understand why something like this would be banned. Slavery is not a very good subject for humor. However, as other reviewers have stated, this cartoon is far from racist. I think that the purpose of this cartoon was to make fun of the bigotry of many Southerners during this period. And the ending of the cartoon definitely states that the Termite Terrace crew were not in support of slavery at all.

Duck! Rabbit, Duck! (1953)

Probably the Funniest Cartoon Ever Made

[10/10 · 9 June 2010]

The "hunting trilogy" Warner Bros. cartoons by Chuck Jones are probably the funniest cartoons ever made, and out of the three, this one is my favorite.

The plot is the same as the other two "hunting trilogy" cartoons. Daffy Duck, in an act of self-preservation, attempts to brainwash Elmer Fudd into thinking that it is rabbit season instead of duck season, and Bugs Bunny obviously objects. After that, Bugs Bunny continuously tricks Elmer into shooting Daffy in the face. It may be a one-joke premise, but it is absolutely hilarious.

The directing by Chuck Jones is amazing, the writing from Michael Maltese is sharp and sophisticated, and the animation is very good and expressive. This cartoon is fantastic!!!

Drip-Along Daffy (1951)

Smart and Funny

[10/10 · 6 June 2010]

Okay. This Warner Bros. cartoon is not the greatest one ever made. It doesn't have the best animation in a Looney Tunes cartoon, nor does it have any scenes that stand out among the others. But, in my opinion, it is one of the most hilarious cartoons to ever be produced. Something funny is occurring in every second of this highly enjoyable cartoon.

The cartoon opens with several hilarious jokes involving guns, all taking place in the old west. Porky and Daffy then enter the cartoon, with Daffy Duck attempting to prove himself a hero. Then, a funny but fairly emotionless villain named Nasty Canasta offers Daffy an alcoholic(and perhaps toxic) drink that causes Daffy to get drunk after only a couple of sips. Once Daffy sobers up, he becomes angry and proposes a showdown with Nasty Canasta. As it turns out, however, Porky Pig shoots Nasty Canasta before Daffy has a chance. Porky becomes sheriff, and asks Daffy to literally clean up the "one-horse" Western town.

This is one of the most hilarious Looney Tunes ever produced, with a really well-written script by Michael Maltese and impeccable timing by Chuck Jones. VERY FUNNY

The Bugs Bunny/Road-Runner Movie (1979)

My Favorite Animated Feature

[10/10 · 4 June 2010]

As stated in the title of my review, this is my favorite animated feature, even though its not exactly a feature in the traditional sense. This movie is a compilation of really great Warner Bros. cartoons directed by my favorite animation director, Chuck Jones. This feature contains what most people(including me) consider some of the greatest cartoons of all time. Great cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Pepe le Pew, and the Road Runner are prevalent throughout this movie. In addition to the aforementioned cartoons, there are also mildly amusing bridging sequences where Bugs Bunny gives commentaries about the cartoons being shown. In summary, while this movie doesn't exactly have a plot, it features some of the best cartoons ever made, cartoons that combine impeccable timing, an incredible amount of wit, and many great characters.

The Barber of Seville (1944)

Amazing.

[10/10 · 13 May 2010]

This is undeniably the greatest Woody Woodpecker cartoon ever made. Its filled with so much energy, beautiful animation, and laughs that it ranks among the greatest musical cartoons of all time, in the same league as "The Rabbit of Seville" and "Book Revue". But why exactly is it so great? The thing that makes this cartoon so witty and clever is that it catches the viewer by surprise. The first half of the cartoon is just as good as any run-of-the-mill Woody Woodpecker cartoon from the mid-forties. Then, suddenly, the viewer is bombarded with an utterly insane and hilarious three minutes of pure cartoon pleasure. The second half of the cartoon is so raucous that even a wacky director like Bob Clampett would be amazed by it. This is a must-see for anyone who likes cartoons, needs something to laugh at, or both.

Fiesta Fiasco (1967)

A pretty decent cartoon

[6/10 · 1 May 2010]

Most of the truly great Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons were made during the forties and fifties, and there are only a handful of Warner Bros. cartoons from the sixties that I find somewhat enjoyable. This is one of them. Most cartoons with one joke premises are pretty weak, but a few of them, such as this one and "High Diving Hare", actually work pretty effectively in that format. The plot for this cartoon is pretty basic. Speedy Gonzales is having a surprise party for Daffy Duck. Daffy Duck discovers that there is a party, but does not know that it is for him and thinks that he isn't invited. Daffy then makes a storm cloud to come over and destroy the party as revenge for Speedy not inviting him, only to discover that he can not control the storm cloud to not storm on him. Like I said, this isn't as good as a Warner Bros. cartoon from the forties or fifties, but it is still better than the cartoons being produced today.

Fresh Airedale (1945)

One of the boldest cartoons ever

[10/10 · 1 May 2010]

I absolutely LOVE this cartoon. It may very well be my all-time favorite cartoon. But I must warn people of this cartoon, because people either understand the message that this cartoon is attempting to convey and love the cartoon, or people don't understand it and hate the cartoon. Now why would anyone hate a cartoon? Because this cartoon has one of the most sadistic plots in Hollywood history. An evil dog named Shep is continuously stealing, attempting to kill other dogs, and many other things. Meanwhile, a cat is continuously saving the day, only to be accused of the incident in the first place. The thing that really bothers people, though, is that justice is not served at the end. Shep the dog becomes a national hero after the cat saves two dog's lives and Shep takes the credit. I am glad that the cartoon ended this way, because too many movies and cartoons end with the good guy always winning, and that takes away some of the credibility of the story. This is a very bold cartoon, and is also absolutely hilarious, but its not for everyone. I believe that the message that this cartoon tries to make is about how the media always tries to find some scapegoat for every problem in America, and people always blindly follow the media without checking the facts. WATCH IT.

Alley to Bali (1954)

A strange experiment

[7/10 · 1 May 2010]

This is one of the strangest Woody Woodpecker cartoons of the fifties. A woman needs to offer an idol two living creatures, so she goes after Woody Woodpecker and his "friend" Buzz Buzzard. She uses her attractive nature in order to lure Woody and Buzz over to the idol. Woody and Buzz narrowly escape the idol, only to have Buzz kill an octopus in the end(if you want to find out how, watch the cartoon). I don't know what to think of this cartoon. It's pretty good, but I have seen numerous Woody cartoons that are ten times better than this one. The thing that makes it notable is that I really can't compare it to any other cartoon that I have seen. It is surprisingly dark for a Woody Woodpecker cartoon, and has really eerie background music. It isn't really funny, but it is entertaining in a really strange way. There are a few missed opportunities in this cartoon, but then again, what cartoon doesn't have a few. All in all, a decent cartoon

The Hungry Goat (1943)

A Popeye cartoon that is actually funny!

[9/10 · 30 April 2010]

I am usually not a fan of Popeye cartoons at all. They have pretty mundane plots, bad writing and are EXTREMELY repetitive. This is officially the only Popeye cartoon that I have seen that I have thoroughly enjoyed. This cartoon almost shouldn't even count as a Popeye cartoon though, because Popeye is not the star in this one. The star is indisputably the goat. The goat in this cartoon decides to munch on a ship that Popeye works on, much to Popeye's chagrin. The gags in this cartoon are crazy and unexpected as Popeye attempts to dispose of the goat. This almost seems as though it is a Looney Tunes cartoon rather than a Popeye cartoon. The jokes are perfectly timed out and the goat character is very funny even if he is a bit annoying. If he had appeared in more cartoons and developed more of a personality though, the goat probably would have become quite popular. Do not watch this cartoon expecting it to be like a Popeye cartoon, because in that case, you will be very disappointed. The correct attitude to watch this cartoon with is watching it like you would watch a Looney Tune. Do this, and it will be very enjoyable. Another Plus: Popeye doesn't eat spinach in this cartoon!

The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (1946)

Really, really overrated

[4/10 · 24 April 2010]

Most people consider this one of the greatest cartoons in history, but I just do not like this one that much. Bob Clampett was a really great director and made some fabulous cartoons, but I do not consider this to be one of them. First of all, the editing in this cartoon is extremely sloppy. I am not sure why this is, but Clampett cartoons seem to be really poorly edited together. Usually, this does not bother me, but it is impossible trying to avoid the poor editing in this cartoon. Also, this cartoon does not appear to have any real focus. It reminds me of a cartoon from the thirties. It started off with a great plot, but drifts away into corny extended jokes that take up WAY too much screen time(a great example of this is when Daffy Duck talks to himself on the phone.)For a while, though, this could still pass for an average Warner Bros. cartoon until Daffy Duck gets inside the gangster's hideout. Right around here, the plot goes out the window and absolutely nothing makes sense. Usually, the Warner Bros. cartoons have really sharp writing and an amazing sense of timing. You will not find that here. None of the jokes are timed very well and the writing is sub-average. The only thing that I really like about this cartoon is the animation. This is hands down some of the best quality animation that ever hit the screen, but the animation still doesn't save this silly cartoon with stupid jokes and a weird plot. This cartoon really disappointed me. If you want to see great Clampett cartoons, watch "Becall to Arms" or "Porky in Wackyland". Those cartoons are extremely wacky but held together by good writing and direction. The same cannot be said for this.

Coo Coo Nuts (1970)

Neither terribly good nor terribly bad

[6/10 · 24 April 2010]

If this was a Warner Bros. cartoon, this would probably receive two or three stars simply because I expect better from a Warner Bros. cartoon. But because this is one of the few Walter Lantz cartoons from 1957 and onward that I tolerate, it deserves a higher rating. There is not too much that I can comment about this cartoon. The animation in it, for a theatrical cartoon, is pretty poor, but is still better than any animation produced for television today. The story is pretty cheesy as well. Woody Woodpecker ends up on an island inhabited by Robinson Crusoe, who has somehow managed to survive for years eating nothing but coconuts. Crusoe decides to eat Woody, and then there are about a thousand lackluster coconut jokes. The writing in this cartoon isn't terrible, but it is not very good either. By 1970, the year of this cartoon, Woody's heyday was over. If you want to see some great Woody cartoons, watch his films from the forties or from his short-lived cartoon renaissance in the early fifties. I advise people to pass on this one unless they want to see every single Woody cartoon. Otherwise, just skip it.

Knock Knock (1940)

A must-see for any cartoon fan

[10/10 · 24 April 2010]

Woody Woodpecker is one of my favorite cartoon characters, and this is one of his best cartoons. It is also memorable for being Woody Woodpecker's first cartoon. Keep in mind that this is a little more of a prototype version of Woody than the Woody Woodpecker that we know and love today. Although Woody Woodpecker is often remembered for being a screwball character, he is much crazier in this cartoon than he is in his later appearances. He also looks kind of ugly in this cartoon, with giant buck teeth and ruffled, bent up feathers. Woody is a little more aggressive in this cartoon as well, and is actually the antagonist in this cartoon rather than the protagonist. He chugs an entire mug of beer in two seconds at one scene, and, as it turns out at the end of the cartoon, actually belongs to a mental institution! However, beneath all of this raucous behavior that the woodpecker is involved with in this short, Woody is still the innocent little woodpecker that he is in his later cartoons. There are many great gags in this cartoon, as well as Mel Blanc's incredible voice acting skills with Woody Woodpecker. I would recommend people seeing a few other Woody cartoons before seeing this one, simply because Woody is not completely developed in this short, but once you do see this cartoon, I guarantee that you will laugh a lot.

Heaven Scent (1956)

A great cartoon with Pepe Le Pew

[9/10 · 24 April 2010]

Though it is true that the same plot is used in every Pepe Le Pew cartoon, I could watch ten of them in a row and still be laughing. This is because the writing in these Pepe Le Pew cartoons is among the sharpest in cartoon history. There are a lot of great one-liners in this cartoon, as well as a lot of sexual innuendo. Pretty much the same thing that happens in every other Pepe cartoon puts together the plot in this cartoon. A cat gets a white stripe on its back, and Pepe Le Pew is under the impression that the cat is a female skunk. Pepe chases the cat around a lot, and then the cartoon ends. The ending to the cartoon seems a bit abrupt, but that does not take away from my enjoyment of the cartoon. When I was younger, I did not really care for Pepe Le Pew and often wondered why my parents were always laughing hysterically at them. Now I know. I would not recommend this cartoon nor most other Pepe cartoons to impressionable young children, but for everyone else, this is extremely funny.

Dough Ray Me-ow (1948)

Arthur Davis at His Best

[10/10 · 17 April 2010]

This is one of my personal favorite cartoons, and by far my favorite cartoon directed by the underrated Arthur Davis. The cartoon stars a dumb cat named Heathcliff and an intelligent yet malevolent parrot named Louie. When Louie discovers that Heathcliff will inherit a large sum of money, Louie fabricates multiple nefarious schemes in order to kill him(the will states that Louie will inherit the money upon Heathcliff's passing.) Most of the gags are pretty predictable, but that is not why it is such a great cartoon. The personalities of Heathcliff and Louie are what makes this cartoon so funny. It is so hard to believe that they only appeared in one cartoon. The animation is fluid and very expressive, and Mel Blanc, who voiced the characters, is funny as always. The writing, as always for a Warner Bros. cartoon, is sharp and witty, and the timing is extremely impressive. Cartoons like this are the reason Warner Bros. cartoons will always be the greatest cartoons ever created.

Now Hear This (1962)

Absolutely Bizarre

[10/10 · 17 April 2010]

The Warner Brothers cartoons are known for their abstract sense of humor. That's why the cartoons are so great. But even for a Warner Bros. cartoon, this one is strange. In this cartoon directed by the great Chuck Jones, the devil has lost one of his horns, and is looking everywhere for it. The horn ends up being found by an elderly British man who thinks that it is a hearing-aid. However, when the man decides to use it, strange things happen. A plant in the process of growing sounds like a symphony, and insects sound like streetcars. The cartoon becomes even more surreal when an incidental character, a short man dressed in purple, shows up at random times. This cartoon certainly does not make much sense, but the cartoon is absolutely hilarious at the same time. The reactions of the elderly man to the surreal situations that he is in are priceless, and the inventiveness of this cartoon is evident everywhere. The art style in this cartoon is purposely simplistic, and definitely has a sixties feel to it(the cartoon was produced in 1963.) Perhaps the most original cartoon of all time, this masterpiece will forever be a shining example of the irreverent, sophisticated humor of Chuck Jones cartoons.