Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, and Steve Martin co-star with a CGI-animated Bugs Bunny and Co in Looney Tunes: Back In Action. Unfortunately director Joe Dante is "more interested in throwaway gags and pop-culture references than story and character". This didn't bother anyone under ten, though, and kids will find even more to keep them amused on this wacky DVD transfer.
Tune In
Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny are your misbehaving guides to the Warner Bros backlot in Behind The Tunes. Inevitably they cause all kinds of chaos on set - particularly a love-struck Daffy, who stalks Jenna Elfman between takes. The dippy duck is also a mine of misinformation. Regarding the Monkey Island scenes he explains, "Our location scouts discovered a remote jungle with naturally occurring giant monkey heads." (Thank goodness Bugs is around to set the record straight.) In the words of Daffy, this featurette is "both informative and just a little bit kooky".
Bugs and Daffy lend their services again in Bang Crash Boom, a light-hearted investigation into the movie's special effects. Puppeteer Bruce Lanoil was instrumental in helping the actors to visualize the animated characters that were later inserted into scenes using CGI wizardry. Of course the best part of all this is watching Fraser and Elfman frantically batting their arms at thin air - it's like mime school for the manically depressed.
Woodruff moves at a more leisurely pace in a reel of 16 deleted scenes. These include an extended opening sequence and a longer version of the alley dancers scene, which is a great showcase for this bunch of wildly talented hip-hop hoofers. There's also more than a hint of Jennifer Beals in Flashdance when Honey practises her moves in front of the bedroom mirror.
That's Not All Folks...
The ubiquitous Bugs and Daffy provide zany commentary for six deleted scenes, including a Daffy Duck pratfall montage, and alternate ending. In case you thought the movie couldn't have been any more absurd, this version of the finale sees DJ (Fraser) turn his dad into a monkey. If that doesn't freak you out, Jenna Elfman is on hand with the world's worst knock-knock joke.
Classic cartoon double-act Wile E Coyote and Roadrunner are back together again for Whizzard Of Ow, a CGI short that reminds you just how ferociously violent kids' cartoons used to be. Although it doesn't quite recapture the glory days, it doesn't pull any punches either - remember kids, don't try this at home! Talking of which: if you click on the Warner Bros water tower in the special features menu, you'll also find an Easter Egg featuring Yosemite Sam and a stash of TNT. That's all we're saying...
This is a vibrant and entertainingly offbeat package of extras, and the digital format is a great showcase for the movie's glossy visuals and elaborate sound design. More contribution from Joe Dante and perhaps an audio commentary by Bugs and Daffy would've been the icing on the cake, but even as it is, Looney Tunes: Back In Action is thoroughly action-packed on DVD.
EXTRA FEATURES
