LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE [2003 / 2014] [Blu-ray] [USA Release]
How Do They Solve A Mystery When They Don’t Have A Clue! Two Thumbs Up!
Yikes! The fate of the human race is in their hands of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, who team up to wreck hilarious comic mayhem in a fast-paced family adventure, combining live-action, starring Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman and Steve Martin, plus a cavalcade of hilarious animation Looney Tunes greats. Join the Tunestars as they try to obtain the powerful Blue Monkey gem and stop Acme Corp.’s grab for the weird wild world domination. Connect with your inner Daffy Duck for hare-brained wit and mystery most fowl. For pratfalls and movie in-jokes galore. For Acme Corp. anvils. For more fun than you can catch in just one viewing. The Looneytics are running the asylum. Welcome to their world.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 2003 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards: Nominated: Rondo Statuette for Best Genre Film for Joe Dante. 2004 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA: Nominated: Saturn Award for Best Animated Film. Nominated: Saturn Award for Best Music for Jerry Goldsmith. 2004 Annie Awards: Nominated: Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature. Nominated: Outstanding Character Animation for Anthony de Rosa. Nominated: Outstanding Directing in an Animated Feature Production for Eric Goldberg. Nominated: Outstanding Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production for Joe Alaskey as the voice of Daffy Duck. 2004 Online Film Critics Society Awards: Nominated: Best Animated Feature. 2004 Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards: Nominated: Best Animated Film. 2004 Satellite Awards: Nominated: Golden Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media.
FILM FACT No.2: ‘LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE’ was initially developed as a follow-up to ‘Space Jam’ [1996]. As development began, the film's plot was going to involve a new basketball competition between the Looney Tunes and a new villain named Berserk-O!. Artist Bob Camp was tasked with designing Berserk-O! and his henchmen. Joe Pytka would have returned to direct and Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone signed on as the animation supervisors. However, Michael Jordan did not agree to star in a sequel. According to Artist Bob Camp, a producer lied to design artists, claiming that Michael Jordan had signed on in order to keep development going. Warner Bros. Pictures eventually cancelled plans for the film ‘Space Jam 2.’ This was the final film scored by composer Jerry Goldsmith. Due to Jerry Goldsmith's failing health, the last reel of the film was actually scored by John Debney, though Jerry Goldsmith was the only credited composer in marketing materials and the Varèse Sarabande soundtrack album only contains Jerry Goldsmith's music, although the first and last cues are adaptations of compositions heard in Warner Bros. cartoons. John Debney receives an "Additional Music by" credit in the closing titles of the film and "Special Thanks" in the soundtrack album credits. Jerry Goldsmith passed away in July 2004, eight months after ‘LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE’ film was released.
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin, Timothy Dalton, Heather Locklear, Joan Cusack, Bill Goldberg, Don Stanton, Dan Stanton, Dick Miller, Roger Corman, Kevin McCarthy, Jeff Gordon, Matthew Lillard, Mary Woronov, Marc Lawrence, Bill McKinney, George Murdock, Robert Picardo, Ron Perlman, Vernon G. Wells, Leo Rossi, Archie Hahn, Allan Graf, Austyn Cuccia, Marie-Claude Jacques, Michael Azria, Dan Romanelli, Ryan O'Dell, Kevin Thompson [Dancing Yosemite Sam], Arturo Gil [Dancing Yosemite Sam], Gabriel Pimentel [Dancing Yosemite Sam], Steve Babiar [Dancing Yosemite Sam], Martin Klebba [Dancing Yosemite Sam], Tara Wilson, Tanee McCall, Gelsey Weiss, Brenda Mae Hamilton, Liz Ramos, Emily Rose Zachary, Becca Sweitzer, Janina N. Garraway, Alysha Wheeler, Micki Duran, Chi Johnson, Shealan Spencer, Shanti Lowry, Brandon Henschel, Erica Gudis, John Munro Cameron [The Man from Planet X] (uncredited), Peter Graves [Host of Civil Defence Film] (uncredited), Glen Hambly [Laboratory Scientist] (uncredited), Michael Jordan (uncredited), Louis Kiss [Dalek] (uncredited), Nikki Martin [Wooden Nickel Waitress] (uncredited), Mary Mitchel [Script Supervisor] (uncredited), Laura Orrico [Secret Agent Shopper] (uncredited), Robert Parigi [Robby the Robot] (uncredited), Dean Ricca [Warner Brothers Studio Tour Guide] (uncredited), Robby the Robot [Robert the Robot] (uncredited), Mark Tavares [Dalek] (uncredited), Keaton Tyndall [Little Alien #1] (uncredited), Kylie Tyndall [Little Alien #2] (uncredited), Mark Viniello [Robot Monster] (uncredited) and Tom Woodruff Jr. [The Metaluna Mutant] (uncredited)
Voice Cast: Brendan Fraser [DJ Drake / Tasmanian Devil and She-Devil], Joe Alaskey [Bugs Bunny / Daffy Duck / Beaky Buzzard / Sylvester / Mama Bear], Jeff G. Bennett [Yosemite Sam / Foghorn Leghorn / Nasty Canasta], Billy West [Elmer Fudd / Peter Lorre], Eric Goldberg Tweety Bird / Marvin the Martian / Speedy Gonzalez], Bruce Lanoil [Pepe Le Pew], June Foray [Granny], Bob Bergen [Porky Pig], Casey Kasem [Shaggy], Frank Welker [Scooby-Doo], Danny Chambers [Cottontail Smith], Stan Freberg [Baby Bear], Will Ryan [Papa Bear], Danny Mann [Robo Dog / Spy Car] and Mel Blanc [Gremlin Car] (archive footage)
Directors: Joe Dante and Eric Goldberg (animation director)
Producers: Bernie Goldman, Joel Simon and Paula Weinstein
Screenplay: Larry Doyle (written)
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith (music)
Cinematography: Dean Raymond Cundey, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
German: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Spanish [Castilian]: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Spanish [Latin]: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Português: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German, Spanish [Castilian], Spanish [Latin] and Portuguese
Running Time: 91 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Warner Home Video
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE’ [2003] is a frantically paced, densely populated farce in which beloved cartoon characters interact with Hollywood stars, cheerfully describes itself as a smack down between those long-running rivals Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. But the real Warner Bros.' stable of animated characters, some of which date back more than 70 years, against mild-mannered actors like Brendan Fraser and Jenna Elfman.
It is no contest, the animated characters always come out on top. Because the actors have to adjust their rhythms to perform in a film that has the breathless momentum of an avalanche of a Saturday morning cartoons. Steve Martin, as the Dr. Evil-like Mr. Chairman, who runs the monstrous Acme Corporation, begins to match his animated adversaries in flair. And even then, you have the uneasy feeling that Steve Martin is straining to parody Mike Myers.
The animated characters, of course, have every advantage over humans. They move at the speed of light, have more sharply defined personalities, and are ageless and indestructible. No matter how often Daffy Duck is smashed flat as a pancake and it happens with pleasing regularity, and Daffy Duck rises up seconds later, as noisy and frenetic as ever. And who could compete with Bugs Bunny, the unshakeably cocky, carrot-munching rabbit who talks in the smoothed-out argot of a 1930's Hollywood gangster? Not even Daffy Duck, it turns out. Simply by flashing his buck-toothed grin, Bugs steals every scene in which he appears. The Looney Tunes cartoon shorts have never been known for their concentrated attention spans, and that looniness is one of their charms. Stretched out to 90 minutes, a movie that relies on sheer dizzying speed to camouflage its inconsistency can be exhausting to watch.
Although the film has a plot as such, that story is half-smothered under the tonnage of pop trivia. Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny are two feuding contract players for Warner Bros. Pictures. When Daffy Duck is booted out of the studio by its jargon-spouting vice president of comedy, Kate Houghton [Jenna Elfman], and a security guard, DJ Drake [Brendan Fraser] who dreams of being a stuntman, is summoned to escort him off the lot.
Daffy Duck forces himself into DJ Drake's for life, and they go on a search for DJ Drake's father, Damian [Timothy Dalton], an international superstar who, in addition to playing a James Bond-like spy, happens to be a real-life intelligence agent. Damian is searching for the much-coveted Blue Monkey Diamond, a legendary bauble with the power to turn people into monkeys. The Chairman also covets the diamond, which would enable him to rule the planet by turning everyone else into monkeys.
‘LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE’ is so jam-packed with pop cultural references that it may be Hollywood's ultimate example to date of a film cannibalising. James Bond, Austin Powers, ’Star Wars,’ ‘Mission: Impossible’ and the ‘Mummy’ franchises are all heavily raided. By the end of the film virtually the entire stable of Looney Tunes characters, including Porky Pig, Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote, the Tasmanian Devil, and Marvin the Martian, have put in appearances.
But when this mad dash of a film pauses to catch its breath, it has a moment or two of pure cinematic wonder. The wittiest feat of magic is the Louvre sequence in which Daffy and Bugs gleefully hop in and out of famous paintings, including the Mona Lisa and ''The Scream'' by Munch. The cheeky juxtaposition of Great Art and Pop Art has a breezy humour that's missing from the rest of the film.
But words ultimately have little to do with the kind of laughter to be gleaned from ‘LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE.’ The essence of its fun lies in the slam-bang banana-peel pratfalls and mishaps that only cartoon characters and classic clowns can sustain ‘LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE’ has just enough of it to hold the attention of modern day children, but will whole heartedly amuse the older generation who like me, love and cherish the Looney Tune Cartoons.
LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE MUSIC TRACK LIST
WHAT’S UP DOC? (Written by Carl W. Stalling)
PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC (White Boy) (Written by Robert W. Parissi) [Performed by Hi-C, Bigg Steele, Drop Da Bomb, Young Dre and Kokane]
AS TIME GOES BY (Written by Herman Hupfeld)
HELLO! MA BABY (Written by Ida Emerson and Joseph E. Howard)
THE GOLD DIGGERS’ SONG (We're in the Money) (Written by Al Dubin and Harry Warren)
GREMLIN RAG (Written by Jerry Goldsmith)
I LOVE TO SING-A (Written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg)
VIVA LAS VEGAS (Written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman) [Performed by Elvis Presley]
MOVE YOUR FEET (Written by Jesper Mortensen) [Performed by Junior Senior]
IF YOU WANT IT TO BE GOOD GIRL (Written by Robert John Lange) [Performed by Heather Locklear] (uncredited)
HEY DRIVER (Written by Adam Krier and Kaustubh Pandav) [Performed by Lucky Boys Confusion]
COME FLY WITH ME (Written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen) [Performed by Michael Bublé]
POWERHOUSE (Written by Raymond Scott)
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG (Written by Eddie Cantor, Charles Tobias and Murray Mencher)
A MAN AND A WOMAN (Un Homme et une Femme) (Music by Francis Lai) (Lyrics by Pierre Barouh)
THE MERRY GO ROUND BROKE DOWN (Written by Dave Franklin and Cliff Friend)
SHAKE YOUR COCONUTS (Written by Junior Senior) [Performed by Junior Senior]
Concerto in C Major for Mandolin & Strings 1. Allegro (uncredited) (Written by Antonio Vivaldi)
Orpheus in the Underworld Overture: Can-Can (uncredited) (Written by Jacques Offenbach)
Pictures at an Exhibition (uncredited) (Written by Modest Mussorgsky)
The Barber of Seville: Overture (uncredited) (Written by Gioachino Rossini)
The Blue Danube (uncredited) (Written by Johann Strauss)
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Blu-ray Image Quality – Because of his experience on the film of ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit,’ cinematographer Dean Raymond Cundey was assigned to shoot the live-action part of ‘LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE.’ Given the elaborate compositing work required to integrate the animation, it is not surprising that the film was finished on what was then still the relatively new procedure known as a digital intermediate. So with this Warner Home Video 1080p encoded Blu-ray was probably sourced from the same master that created for the inferior DVD 2003 release, which would account for its smooth but detailed surface, which has to strike the right balance between the relatively simple textures of the animated characters and the more complex surfaces of the real world. The colours are subtly shaded, so that the dull tones of the corporate boardroom at both Warner Bros. and Acme Corp. transition easily to the bright, glittering neon of Las Vegas and densities and saturation look appropriate for this Blu-ray release.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – ‘LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE’ Blu-ray audio is given a breath of fresh air with its 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio that enhances the film. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and other cartoon friends run, drive, fly, crash, explode and generally do all the physically impossible things for which they are known and loved. The main actors do more than a few such stunts as well and the sound designers have used the expansive dynamic range of modern digital sound and the steering potential of discrete multi-channel systems to open out the possibilities of Looney Tune antics without betraying the spirit and sensation of the original adventures. The voice work is impressive, and it's all intelligible, except when it's not supposed to be. Sadly, the film score for ‘LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE’ is the last one credited to the late and brilliant film music maestro Jerry Goldsmith, although parts of it had to be completed by John Debney.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: A Duck Inside Looney Tunes: Back in Action [2003] [480i/1080p] [1.37:1] [13:04] We see behind-the-scenes with the characters in the film, including the main Looney Tune Cartoons and especially hear the views from Brendan Fraser, Steve martin, Jenna Elfman, Timothy Dalton, Joan Cusack, Bill Goldberg, Joe Dante, Chris deFaria, Heather Locklear, Bernie Goldman, Jeff Gordon and Paula Weinstein.
Special Feature: Behind the Looney Tunes [2003] [480i] [1.37:1] [8:48] Here we get to see the main Looney Tune Cartoon characters Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny give us an in-depth tour of behind-the-scene of the film ‘LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE’ and along the way we get to meet Joe Dante [Director]; Bill Bryeski [Production Designer]; Randy White [Transportation Coordinator]; Eric Goldberg [Animation Director] and Brendan Fraser [DJ Drake].
Special Feature: Bang! Crash! Boom! [2003] [480i] [1.37:1] [7:26] Once again we get to meet the Looney Tune Cartoon characters Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny giving us another tour of behind-the-scenes of the film ‘LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE’ and we also get to see all the technical aspects that goes into the special effects for the film, especially how they combined the cartoon characters with the live actors. On the tour we also get to meet Bruce Lanoil [Puppeteer] and Chris Watts [Visual Effects Supervisor].
Special Feature: Looney Tunes Out of Action: Best Scenes You've Never Seen [2003] [480i/1080p] [1.37:1] [10:38] Once again we meet the Looney Tune Cartoon characters Bugs Bunny and daffy Duck hogging the limelight and talking about their favourite parts in the film, that was deleted from the film and they consist of: Scene 1: Alternate Opening; Scene 2: Kate and DJ; Scene 3: Area 52; Scene 4: Eiffel Tower; Scene 5: The other Side of Kate; Scene 6: Acme bedroom; Scene 7: Alternate Ending plus some of Bugs Bunny deleted scenes of Daffy Duck.
Special Feature: Warner Bros. Looney Tunes Cartoon: Duck Dodgers in Attack of the Drones [2004] [1080p] [1.37:1] [7:36] The plot of the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes Cartoon involves Duck Dodgers' search for the rare element Illudium Phosdex, "the shaving cream atom," the only remaining supply of which is on the mysterious "Planet X." Just after Dodgers has claimed Planet X in the name of the Earth, Marvin the Martian lands on the same planet and claims it in the name of Mars. The stage is set for a battle of wits, not to mention various forms of weaponry, most of which tend to backfire hilariously on Dodgers. Voice Cast: Jeff Bennett [Daffy Duck] and Billy West [Porky Pig / Dr. Zoidberg]. Director: Rich Moore. Producers: Larry Doyle and Sherry Gunther. Screenplay: Eric Kaplan. Composer: Walter Murphy.
Special Feature: Warner Bros. Looney Tunes Cartoon: The Whizzard of Ow [2003] [1080p] [1.37:1] [7:10] The Warner Bros. Looney Tunes Cartoon begins with a magical battle between two different stereotypes of sorcerers (a short Gandalf-like wizard that holds a large book of magic in one hand and a staff in the other, and an elegant but sombre Doctor Strange-like warlock with a black cat on his shoulder) where they zap each other until they kill each other in a final energy blast. Their possessions, however, escape unharmed and fall on Wile E. Coyote, just as he was about to catch Road Runner, causing considerable pain to him (especially the cat, who viciously scratches to his face out of fear). Coyote notices the ACME book of magic and becomes delightfully happy (as his ears fall off), as he now has a new weapon against the Road Runner. Voice Cast: Paul Julian [Road Runner] (archive footage) and Tress MacNeille [Answering Machine]. Director: Bret Haaland. Producers: Larry Doyle and Sherry Gunther. Screenplay: Chris Kelly. Composer: John Frizzell.
Special Feature: Warner Bros. Looney Tunes Cartoon: Cock- a-Doodle-Duel [2004] [1080p] [1.37:1] [6:46] 'Cock a Doodle Duel' takes the classic texan rooster, Foghorn Leghorn, and sets him up against a new Genetically Engineer Rooster. Voice Cast: Jeff Bennett [Foghorn Leghorn / Young Rooster], Tress MacNeille [Hen], Billy West [Barnyard Dawg / Rat] and Debra Wilson [Hen]. Director: Peter Shin. Producers: Larry Doyle and Sherry Gunther. Screenplay: Jon Vitti. Composer: Walter Murphy.
Special Feature: Warner Bros. Looney Tunes Cartoon: Hare and Loathing in Las Vegas [2004] [1080p] [1.78:1] [6:30] Bugs Bunny is living in his rabbit hole just outside of Las Vegas, when Yosemite Sam builds a casino over it. Being given the option to gamble or get out, Bugs Bunny tries his luck. At every game he plays blackjack, roulette, and the slots and he seemingly cannot lose, much to Yosemite Sam's consternation. By the time he leaves with a sum total of $8,042,123,297.55, Yosemite Sam is down to his last quarter. After reprimanding a group of cheaters, Yosemite Sam notices that lucky medals, four leaf clovers, horse shoes or rabbit's feet are not allowed, and realizes he's been duped. Yosemite Sam phones Bugs Bunny, who is atop the now empty dam, to tell him, "I hate you, rabbit." Porky Pig ends the animated film with his usual "That's all folks!" Voice Cast: Joe Alaskey [Bugs Bunny], Jeff Bennett [Yosemite Sam], Maurice LaMarche [Additional Voices], Tress MacNeille [Casino Cashier] and Billy West [Additional Voices]. Directors: Bill Kopp and Peter Shin. Producers: Larry Doyle and Sherry Gunther. Screenplay: Bill Kopp, Chris Headrick and Dan Povenmire. Composer: Walter Murphy.
Special Feature: Warner Bros. Looney Tunes Cartoon: Museum Scream [2003] [1080p] [1.78:1] [7:00] Rummaging around in the trash and starving for food, Sylvester overhears Granny talking to some school children in a museum about one of the last Tweety birds remaining in existence. Sylvester has just spotted his prey. Voice Cast: Jeff Bennett [Sylvester], June Foray [Granny] and Billy West [Tweety]. Director: Dan Povenmire. Producers: Larry Doyle and Sherry Gunther. Screenplay: Dan Povenmire and Kyle Baker. Composer: Walter Murphy.
Special Feature: Warner Bros. Looney Tunes Cartoon: My Generation G. . . G . . . Gap [2004] [1080p] [1.78:1] [6:14] Porky Pig decides to ask Petunia to marry him. Petunia says no, causing Porky to decide to hang himself. The beam holding the rope collapses as Porky jumps, and instead of killing himself, he is knocked unconscious and has a dream about what life would be like if he and Petunia got married. Petunia orders him to do everything and all of his kids are troublesome. Porky wakes up to Petunia, who says she will marry him, and he runs off. Voice Cast: Dee Bradley Baker [News Reporter / Backstage Guy / Mr. Lincoln], Bob Bergen [Commercial Voice], Greg Burson [Security Guard], Kathryn Fiore [Peta Pig], Tress MacNeille [Concert Girls] and Billy West [Porky Pig / Skydiving Instructor]. Director: Dan Povenmire. Producers: Larry Doyle and Sherry Gunther. Screenplay: Kyle Baker. Composer: Walter Murphy.
Special Feature: Warner Bros. Looney Tunes Cartoon: Yosemite Sam with TNT [2003] [480i] [1.37:1] [0.09] All you get to see is a very short clip of Yosemite Sam blowing himself up with TNT.
Original Theatrical Trailer [2003] [480i] [1.78:1] [1:32] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE.’
Finally, we will never know what the film ‘LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION – THE MOVIE’ could have become if Joe Dante had been allowed a totally free hand and especially among the supporting players and in the margins of the frame, there's a lot to appreciate, and the Blu-ray treatment is certainly really excellent. While nothing can compare to the classic Looney Tunes cartoons of old we all so love, despite this situation I am still honoured to have this in my Blu-ray Collection, as I am a real sucker and a massive fan for the Warner Bros. Looney Tune Cartoons as they are totally unique and so inventive. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Afifionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
