Rating: 
Summary: Quite frankly, the BEST MOVIE EVER MADE!!
Review: Well, it took over 4 years but I finally have a new best movie. And not only that but it's the funniest movie ever also. It's quite possible you'll die of oxygen deficiency, you'll be laughing so hard. Taking place in what is essentially the same universe as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the movie begins with both Daffy Duck and DJ Drake (Brendan Fraser, who also plays himself as well as Taz) getting kicked off the Warner Brothers lot at the same time. Daffy follows Fraser home only for both of them to make the astonishing discovery that Brendan's movie star dad Damian Drake (Timothy Dalton, who doesn't appear to have aged a day since License to Kill) is a REAL secret agent as well as playing one in the movies. He's been kidnapped by the Chairman of the evil Acme corporation in an attempt to find a mysterious diamond called the Blue Monkey and Brendan and Daffy team up to rescue him. But the Warner Brothers soon realize that without Daffy the Bugs Bunny cartoons are not worth anything. So Bugs and the Head of Animated Comedy (Jenna Elfman) go looking for him, inadvertently getting dragged into the Blue Monkey plot. It's not only a wild collection of increasingly insane set-pieces. Looney Tunes Back In Action is quite possibly the most intelligent and brilliantly crafted film of 2003.It's devastating that cheap nonsense such as Scary Movie 3 makes over $100 million while Looney Tunes barely scrapes $20 million. I blame the marketing. The trailer for this film was absolutely awful. And even I thought it looked really bad. Only my dedication to the Looney Tunes made me see it out of obligation. Thank God I didn't judge it by the trailer. I'm assuming most of the potential audience did. Plus it did have to go up against stiff holiday competition such as Return of the King and Elf (!). Both of those movies had stronger marketing campaigns which is the only explanation I can offer for Elf doing so well. A few critics blasted Looney Tunes for being no more than an exersize in boosting sales for the Warner Brothers catalogue of characters. This is in no way true. While it's true that merchandise follows this movie (as does every family film) I simply do not see how it's pure exploitation. Space Jam was pure exploitation and an unashamed merchandise excuse. Back in Action fixes everything that went wrong with Space Jam. So much so that Joe Dante nicknamed this the 'Anti-Space Jam movie'. Back in Action is good, old-fashioned Looney Tunes mayhem. I can't think of a more perfect director for this movie. Joe Dante is the most underappreciated director in recent history. It's obvious from his previous movies that he just loves the Looney Tunes and Back In Action surpasses even Gremlins 2 in terms out wall to wall madness (and correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the Looney Tunes run riot in that movie too). This is his most perfect movie to date and I am sure it will be appreciated by a wider audience once it hits DVD. The best thing about this movie? The fact that Daffy Duck gets the most amount of screen time. And his outrageous, anarchic antics never fail to amuse. At one point Daffy and Bugs are chased by Elmer Fudd through a bunch of paintings in the Louvre art museum. It's a crazy sequence in which you simply cannot deny the movie's genius. The merging of live action and animation is seamless. It looks like Brendan Fraser and Daffy really are acting together (and for all we know, they are). Their chemistry is perfect and when Bugs joins the team there's so much going on that just one viewing isn't enough. There's hundreds of in-jokes (as you would expect from a Joe Dante movie) and none of them are of the cheap, post-modern kind. Looney Tunes Back In Action has more class and more genius than any other comedy in the past few years. Even Steve Martin's performance as the man-child chairman of the Acme Corporation is a return to his edgier roles in movies like The Jerk and is far better than the 'family man' trash he's been doing for the past 10 years. He's practically an animation himself in this wonderful movie that's bursting at the seams with madness.
Rating: 
Summary: A Bit Disjointed, Not Enough Toons, But Still Enjoyable...
Review: I was a little skeptical about Looney Tunes: Back in Action. I was never really a fan of animation mixed with live action. I would have preferred an all animated Looney Tunes film, but I digress. The film itself is funny, Steve Martin does a bang-up job as the head of the Acme corporation. He remains one of the finest physical comedians of all-time and he gets full reign to go crazy in Back in Action. The two stars Brendan Frasier and Jenna Elfman are servicable in their lead roles but they could have found funnier actors to play these characters. Wrestling fans will recognize Bill Goldberg as Steve Martin's henchman, but Goldberg has no lines in the film. As far as the toons go, Back in Action really belongs to Daffy Duck who is hilarious, Bugs is his usual annoying self. But, the periphery characters get little to no screen time which stinks. Taz, Roadrunner, Wily E Coyote, Elmer Fudd, Tweety and Sylvester barely grace the screen before they are gone. Yosemite Sam has one good scene in the casino that is pretty funny. Overall, Looney Tunes: Back in Action is a fun ride but needed more of what it's title suggests...more toons less actors. Recommended to die-hard Looney Tunes fans only.
Rating: 
Summary: "What's Up, Doc?" It's Pretty Delightful Animation Spoof
Review: "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" features two kind of actors: from animation world, ever beloved Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Tweety & Silvester, and many, many other familiar characters you might have seen somewhere like on Cartoon Network. Oh, and humans are first-rate, too: Brendan Fraser, (very lovely) Jenna Elfman, and Steve Martin with his nerdiest performance in this decade. Like ground-breaking film "Roger Rubbit," the animation characters are living next to us, some of them working for Warner Brothers studio. Discontented Daffy is, as ever, playing a silly role for the super-star Bugs Bunny, whose ego is as big as some human in Hollywood. Then, things happen. Daffy is fired by Jenna Elfman's character (don't ask me why), and hits the road to Las Vegas with Brendan Fraser, whose daddy (Timothy Dalton, self-parodying his 007 image) is kidnapped by megalomaniac company owner Steve Martin. The plot is non-existent (I tried to summerize it, but it only ends up with a very silly synopsis, as shown above). In short, it is like "Spy Kids" in which crazy things happen around the characters, animation and human alike. The director is Joe Dante, which means the film is best enjoyed as spoof. In other words, the film depends more on the cameos and amusing references to other films in the past, than on the original gags themselves. In the Warner studio, you see they are shooting a Batman movie (with Batmobile, of course), but the film is directed by Roger Corman, king of B movies in the 60s. Now if you don't get it ... what can I do? Or see the "Area 52" (not 51) section, in which you see countless references to the Sci-Fi films in the past. There, Robby the Robot is talking! Here, Derek of "Doctor Who" is walking! That's the way of Joe Dante, whose film "Matinee" parodied William Castle, the king of gimmick. There is more to the film, and it does not forget the younger viewers, but the gags themseves are not something you can call great. Probably the pre-teens would not understand why Bugs Bunny should cry and lie in a shower room that way in a Hitchcock spoof. Still, it is delightful to watch the cameos, including Matthew Lillard (who is talking to his counterpart in "Scooby-Doo"), Ron Perlman, Joan Cuzack, Peter Graves, Michael Jordan, and Heather Locklear. Plus you see these funny animation characters including that Coyote (this time chasing not Road Runner) and many others. This is no Chuck Jones nor Tex Avery. If you want the wacky humor of these masters, see their original animations. "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" succeeds as spoof of them, and as such gives much fun to the fans.
Rating:
Summary: an interesting yarn
Review: The fate of the human race is in the hands of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, teaming to wreak hilarious comic mayhem in a fast-Looney Tunes:back in action is a family film combining live-action (starring Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin)animation (Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Yosemete Sam and more). The basic plot is that Daffy has been thrown out of Warner Bro's and must be rehired, meanwhile he's teamed up with security guard, Fraser) in order to rescue the guard's father from certain death! I enjoyed this film. I won't spoil any of the jokes for you but watch out for Timothy Dalton's charecter, it's a scream how it's done. My favourite scene was with all the aliens attacking, you'll recognise beasts from such films as "robot monster", the brain creature from "this island earth", and even my favourite Daleks put in an appearance. Any film with Daleks in it is great in my book! Very entertaining family friendly film.
Rating:
Summary: Not perfect, but a lot of fun
Review: Being a lifelong fan of the Looney Tunes, I was really looking forward to this movie, and I wasn't even slightly disappointed. When Daffy gets fired, he hooks up with a Warner Brothers security guard (Brendan Fraser) who just happens to be the son of a super-spy. Bugs and a studio exec (Jenna Elfman) get caught up in the adventure to save the world from the evil head of the Acme corporation (Steve Martin). It's not perfect, and a lot of the jokes are pretty corny, but in a GOOD way. There are tons of classic Looney Tunes-style gags, a great chase sequence with Bugs, Daffy and Elmer Fudd running through the paintings in the Louvre, histerical tidbits with Tweety Bird discovering his African roots, Porky Pig and Speedy Gonzales bemoaning their stereotypical status and Scooby Doo and Shaggy berating Matthew Lillard for the awful "Scooby Doo" movie. Sure, there are a lot of winking at the audience jokes and Steve Martin chewed up so much scenery his dental premiums must have skyrocketed, but it was all in good fun. This DVD also includes some pretty nice behind-the scenes featurettes, a commentary, and a brand-new Coyote and Road Runner short, "The Whizzard of Ow," which cracked me up. It's a great short in the style of a Chuck Jones masterpiece -- Chuck himself would have been proud of it. You won't appreciate this movie if you don't really love the Looney Tunes, but if you do, you'll find a lot to enjoy herein.
Rating:
Summary: Looney Tunes: REALLY GET BACK IN ACTION!
Review: When I walked into the theatrer opening night to see this movie, I was filled with good thoughts for the film. And it turns out it was more than what I expected. LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION had everything a movie lover would like: action, adventure, and, well..comedy!
The film had many funny scenes that anybody, age 5 or 45, would like, including a Wal-mart in the middle of a desert, and a car chase through Las Vegas in a spy car and Jeff Gordon's NASCAR car. Plus the cast really did an excellent job. Steve Martin as the ACME chairman really shot out in the movie, whereas Jenna Elfman's and Brendan Fraser's rivalry/love really was humorous. And the Looney Tunes characters were great, especially Bugs Bunny acting out the "Psycho" shower scene re-make, in which Jenna Elfman opens the curtain and Bugs screaming with chocolate syrup-like blood going down the drain.
Warner Brothers did an excellent job with this movie overall. It is the perfect movie to see with your family during the holidays. I totally recommend anyone, children or adults, to see LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION.
Rating:
Summary: The Looney Tunes are Back and Better than Ever
Review: Cast members of the Looney Tunes gang, which includes the likes of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester, Tweety, Yosemite Sam, and others have not appeared in a full- length feature film for many years. "Back in Action" marks the return of the popular animated characters to the big screen, and it's a movie full of fun and surprises. Daffy and Bugs are the center of attention in this film, along with an all- star cast of Hollywood personalities that includes Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin, Timothy Dalton, Joan Cusack, Brendan Fraser, and John Cleese. The plot of the movie revolves around the search for a blue diamond. If the bad guy Chairman of ACME (played by Steve Martin) finds it first, he will use its magical properties to turn people into monkeys who will then become slaves to ACME product production and later be transformed back into people to purchase the products. It's up to the good guys (led by Bugs and Daffy) to get the diamond first. The plot might seem a little hokey, but it works. The reason the movie works is because of the excellent special effects, the interaction of the real people with the cartoon characters, and the comedic dialogue. Much like "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", this movie combines the cartoon characters with the regular movie, giving viewers the feeling that the Looney Tunes are right there, in the middle of the action. Some of the interaction sequences are very good, like the scene in Paris when Elmer Fudd is chasing Bugs and Daffy through the Louvre Museum. While all the famous paintings are being admired, there's Bugs, Daffy, and Elmer, running into and out of the pictures on the walls. There are also a few surprises here and there, like a brief appearance by Michael Jordan; the appearance of a Wal- Mart supercenter in the desert, and an appearance by Shaggy and Scooby- Doo. Some characters don't get much coverage, and this could disappoint viewers. Speedy Gonzales, for example, is shown for only a few seconds, sitting at a table talking with Porky Pig. Pepe LePew is shown for a very short time, too, while the others are running around through Paris. Foghorn Leghorn, Granny, Tweety, and Sylvester get slightly more screen time, with Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, and (of course) Bugs and Daffy getting the most exposure of all. This is a pretty good film overall, with lots of funny comedy, spoofs, and old familiar Looney Tunes phrases and sayings popping up throughout the movie. There's also a good amount of violence, like one would expect in a Looney Tunes film, which is probably why it was given a PG rating. "Back in Action" is a very fast- paced film that will charm audiences of all ages. The plot is a little goofy and contrived. But the special effects, the skilled animation, and the good comedy will make you forget all about the story line.
Rating: 
Summary: Lame....
Review: This is probably one of the worst movies I've ever seen...I agree with a WB executive this is the worst film they ever made. Why the movie is just a sham! Couldn't understand all those esoteric and academic discussions that went around regarding this spoof. It isn't worth it, nor is it worthwhile to spend time to see this even for free. Even the antics of Steve Martin couldn't save this sorry mess, which is a total waste of technology and talent. The producers could have erected a big sign outside the studio lot which might have read something like this: "On this site will soon rise a new Looney Tunes Moooovie, uninspired in design and plot, with stodgy humor and no style at all." The story is awful, the dialogue is cheap and the plot holes are incredible. Not one joke in the movie is ever funny. Even for kids, there are a lot of funny movies to choose from out there...this one does not even fall under the genre comedy...I'd place it under the term "pathetic tragedy."
Rating:
Summary: Memorable Melodies Mayhem
Review: Looney Tunes: Back In Action is an enjoyable, harmless romp, that will please both young and old viewers alike. The story starts to unfold on the Warner Brothers Studio backlot and careens all over the map in classic Looney Tunes style. Bugs, Daffy, and many other childhood favorites embark on an adventure that takes them from Hollywood to Las Vegas, Paris and the jungles of Africa to help search for their human friend DJ Drake's (Brendan Fraser) missing father. He along with Kate (Jenna Elfman) are also on the trail of the mythical and powerful Blue Monkey Diamond. The only problem is that the evil Chairman (Steve Martin) of the Acme Corporation also wants the gem as well. Thanks to films like Roger Rabbit and Space Jam, combining animation and live action, is not as difficult to imagine, as it was deades ago. It's hard not to enjoy this film. Having Joe (Gremlins) Dante, as the film's director is a good thing. He has solid insticts for a film like this. Anyone uptight about the movie should relax and enjoy. It's great to see these characters again. The film brought back some fond memories for me. The human actors are a perfect fit to this wacky film. The DVD has some solid extras. Viewers get to see a new Looney Tunes short called "Whizzard of Ow". The featurette "Looney Tunes Out of Action: Best Scenes You've Never Seen" offer deleted and alternate footage. Next up, is the fun-filled "Behind the Tunes", as Daffy and Bugs as give a tour of the set. Also hosted by the duck and the rabbit is "Bang Crash Boom", a featurette on the film's special effects. The theatrical trailer, hidden easter eggs features Yosemite Sam and others, and more deleted scenes are available via DVD-ROM, top off the extras. Fun all the way around-recommended
Rating:
Summary: Looney Tunes:Back in Action
Review: In a world where Looney Tunes coexist with human beings, Daffy Duck quits his job at a Hollywood studio because he feels as if Bugs Bunny gets all the attention. Daffy teams up with a recently fired stuntman (Brendan Fraser) who wants to find his father's lost "Blue Diamond." Soon, they're traveling around the world with a studio executive (Jenna Elfman) -- and Bugs is hot on their trail. Steve Martin co-stars as an evil studio head.
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, More
Rated PG: For some mild language and innuendo
Realize that this film is for kids up through teenage years. This isn't Oscar material but my six year old howls laughing every time Daffy gets hit or something drops on him or Elmer blasts him. After all the politically correct children's TV we have raised him on, we're pretty sure he can tell the difference between cartoon violence and the evening news kind.
Although not on the artistic level of Who Framed Roger Rabbit or more recently, Finding Nemo or Lion King, it still is a fun movie to watch for the age group intended.
John Row
| 
