LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION was Joe Dante's live action tribute to the Warner Brothers cartoons he loved as a kid, made in respect to Chuck Jones, the famous animator who had recently died. Dante went on record to say how much he had hated SPACE JAM for ruining those cartoon characters (and it's hard to disagree with him), so this was his chance to make amends. The problem with the film is, ironically, Warner Brothers themselves. They refused to give Dante much in the way of creative control so what we get is largely a generic piece of junk. Certainly the scenes involving the constantly mugging actors Brendan Fraser and Jenna Elfman are largely wince-inducing and never have you seen such irritating lead characters. And the less said about Steve Martin's villain the better - what on Earth was that all about, anyway?
Where LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION shines is in the cartoon characters themselves. Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny share equal screen time and they're a real hoot when thrown into the real world. Even better, this must be the ultimate 'reference' movie of Dante's career; there are bit parts and supporting roles for literally dozens of Warner-owned cartoon characters, new and old (mainly old). Catching the references is ever a delight, but there are also some imaginative highlights in the main plot, too. The sci-fi attack by classic sci-fi monsters is great stuff, and the chase through the paintings in the Louvre is hilarious. Sadly, the dumb humour and main actors drag this film down quite considerably, but Dante's heart is in the right place and the references make it worth a watch.
Where LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION shines is in the cartoon characters themselves. Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny share equal screen time and they're a real hoot when thrown into the real world. Even better, this must be the ultimate 'reference' movie of Dante's career; there are bit parts and supporting roles for literally dozens of Warner-owned cartoon characters, new and old (mainly old). Catching the references is ever a delight, but there are also some imaginative highlights in the main plot, too. The sci-fi attack by classic sci-fi monsters is great stuff, and the chase through the paintings in the Louvre is hilarious. Sadly, the dumb humour and main actors drag this film down quite considerably, but Dante's heart is in the right place and the references make it worth a watch.