In "The Great American Chase", Bugs Bunny traipses through his house and tells us the story of chases. To make his point, he shows us several classic cartoons (some starring him) dealing with situations involving hot pursuits. Well, not all of them have chases; some are there just for fun. Bugs remembers how Chuck Jones sent him into space, where he met Marvin the Martian; then how Daffy Duck and Porky Pig tried to colonize Planet X and had to contend with Marvin the Martian; how Daffy (as Robin Hood) had a very hard time recruiting Porky (as Friar Tuck); how Daffy's scenery frustratingly changed every few minutes; how he, Bugs, ended up in a bullfight; how he and Daffy dug into Ali Baba's cave; how he and Elmer Fudd acted out "The Ride of the Valkyries"; how Wile E. Coyote tried and failed to eat him; and finally, how Wile E. decided to try something a little more his size, by which we mean the Road Runner. The Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner chase is really the best part of the movie. Overall, it's a pretty neat compilation of classic cartoons, and I liked the scene where Bugs remembers his "fathers" (Mel Blanc, Chuck Jones, etc.).
24 Reviews
Very good.
afonsobritofalves4 March 2019
Enjoyable feature.
gridoon20 April 2001
This compilation of classic WB short cartoons is (expectedly) highly uneven, but generally enjoyable. Among the highlights: Bugs Bunny as a vengeful symphony conductor, he and Daffy Duck arguing about whether it's "duck season" or "rabbit season" (this sketch has a hilarious punchline), the surrealistic (and also somewhat sadistic!) "Duck Amuck", etc. The final "Road Runner" segment does go on a little too long. Overall, this is a nice way to spend 95 minutes mindlessly and painlessly, and also a good opportunity to see some of those shorts that you may have missed on TV. (**1/2)
Pedro Castillo
pedrocastillo-0620825 May 2021
GOOD COMPILATION FILM
KatMiss8 August 2001
"The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie" is a good example of the compliation film. It's one of those films that are a kind of Whitman's sampler that serves as a good introduction to a wide variety of short subjects. While it is true that these shorts are better seen in their original form, why trash these neat features? At least the Warners compliations are seamlessly edited and the bridging material is often above average.
It helps to know that this film was originally released as "The Great American Chase". In fact, that title is STILL in the film. It is in the opening 20 minute prologue that is engaging and original but irrelevant since the title was changed. Adults will forgive it, but from my own experiences (when I first saw the film 16 years ago on tape), kids will get restless.
But after that, we get to the good stuff. The film is a sampler of Chuck Jones' work, hence the title "Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie". Road Runner was Jones' creation as was Pepe Le Pew (both are featured in the film, but the Road Runner gets the bulk of the second half) and Jones reinvented Bugs Bunny in the 50s and 60s from his previous incarnations. There are many good shorts included in the film. Daffy Duck's battle with the animator and his brush. Bugs Bunny vs. Wile E. Coyote: Genius. Classic Road Runner/Wile E. footage. Bugs fights Marvin the Martian on Mars. I can't list them all, but you get the idea.
Most critics dislike these films because they cut the original shorts. But most of these shorts are edited by Cartoon Network for TV (for time and more recently, racial comments)and precious few are available on video. So we should be grateful that at least there is one way we can at least see these shorts in some format (very little is actually edited, most of the shorts are intact) We can see a lot worse these days.
**** out of 4 stars
It helps to know that this film was originally released as "The Great American Chase". In fact, that title is STILL in the film. It is in the opening 20 minute prologue that is engaging and original but irrelevant since the title was changed. Adults will forgive it, but from my own experiences (when I first saw the film 16 years ago on tape), kids will get restless.
But after that, we get to the good stuff. The film is a sampler of Chuck Jones' work, hence the title "Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie". Road Runner was Jones' creation as was Pepe Le Pew (both are featured in the film, but the Road Runner gets the bulk of the second half) and Jones reinvented Bugs Bunny in the 50s and 60s from his previous incarnations. There are many good shorts included in the film. Daffy Duck's battle with the animator and his brush. Bugs Bunny vs. Wile E. Coyote: Genius. Classic Road Runner/Wile E. footage. Bugs fights Marvin the Martian on Mars. I can't list them all, but you get the idea.
Most critics dislike these films because they cut the original shorts. But most of these shorts are edited by Cartoon Network for TV (for time and more recently, racial comments)and precious few are available on video. So we should be grateful that at least there is one way we can at least see these shorts in some format (very little is actually edited, most of the shorts are intact) We can see a lot worse these days.
**** out of 4 stars
The Cartoon Shorts Stand on Their Own Better.
tfrizzell20 July 2002
A wide selection of cartoon shorts starring most all the Warner Bros. characters and is tied together by new animation featuring Bugs Bunny talking in a large mansion. The cartoons are hit-and-miss and when they are all put together in a feature-length film the whole project borders on being down-right tedious. The title does not make a whole lot of sense either as Bugs Bunny dominates the action and The Road Runner only has one cartoon with his arch-nemesis Wile E. Coyote. Only fair. Catch the same thing on the Cartoon Network at most anytime of the day. 2.5 out of 5 stars.
While home media has largely diminished its relevancy, it's a charming compilation
IonicBreezeMachine31 July 2022
Bugs Bunny (Mel Blanc) looks back upon the history of comedy itself, his own career, and the careers of his various colleagues and co-stars as he takes us on a tour consisting of a showcase of classic cartoon shorts interwoven together through a loose narrative.
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie is a 1979 compilation film directed by Chuck Jones consisting of repackages of classic Looney Tunes shorts. Made for approximately $500,000, the film was a combination of original footage directed by Jones to serve as linking material between the shorts as a celebration of Bugs Bunny's then 40 year anniversary. While Warner Bros. Was initially uncertain whether or not the film would be released directly to television, the movie was given a theatrical release upon completion and while exact box office records are unavailable it did do reasonably well at Guild Theatre in New York City where it set a house record opening day. The movie in the era of streaming where the individual cartoons are widely available doesn't quite pack the punch it once did, but there is a sense of reverence and history that comes from the film that makes it worth viewing especially for Looney Tunes completionists.
The movie is framed with Bugs lounging around his luxurious mansion (a parody of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" house in Bear Run, Pennsylvania) wearing a smoking jacket as he takes us through the various paintings adorning the walls of his home which serve as springboards into the various cartoons interwoven into the plot. Following an amusing tongue in cheek explanation on the history of comedy that goes from the Universes origin of the big bang, to prehistoric times and eventually the silent film era, Bugs Bunny then goes through various points of history such as discussing his "many fathers" which was made by Jones as a way of rebuking Bob Clampett's claims of him having been solely responsible for Bugs Bunny's origin all the way through to Bugs Bunny regaling us with the greatest adventures with his co-stars. In a way the movie feels like you're catching up with an old friend who's telling you what you may have missed in the interim and it's a pleasant experience to say the least. The final stretch of the film is fifteen minutes of Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner shorts tied end to end from different cartoons and largely abandons the Bugs Bunny framing device as we just go from backfiring Road Runner trap to backfiring Road Runner trap and this is probably the weakest part of the film as the Wile E. Coyote cartoons while good do follow a predictable rhythm that works best in small doses and it becomes rather tiresome when it goes on for three times longer than it was intended to.
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie is an interesting time capsule of a film that works as a celebratory milestone of the endearing appeal of the Looney Tunes characters and a reflection upon their storied history. Following the advent of Home Media and especially streaming making individual shorts more widely available the point of this film and others of the same genre has largely been left extinct and by the cultural wayside, but there's an endearing charm to this first film.
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie is a 1979 compilation film directed by Chuck Jones consisting of repackages of classic Looney Tunes shorts. Made for approximately $500,000, the film was a combination of original footage directed by Jones to serve as linking material between the shorts as a celebration of Bugs Bunny's then 40 year anniversary. While Warner Bros. Was initially uncertain whether or not the film would be released directly to television, the movie was given a theatrical release upon completion and while exact box office records are unavailable it did do reasonably well at Guild Theatre in New York City where it set a house record opening day. The movie in the era of streaming where the individual cartoons are widely available doesn't quite pack the punch it once did, but there is a sense of reverence and history that comes from the film that makes it worth viewing especially for Looney Tunes completionists.
The movie is framed with Bugs lounging around his luxurious mansion (a parody of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" house in Bear Run, Pennsylvania) wearing a smoking jacket as he takes us through the various paintings adorning the walls of his home which serve as springboards into the various cartoons interwoven into the plot. Following an amusing tongue in cheek explanation on the history of comedy that goes from the Universes origin of the big bang, to prehistoric times and eventually the silent film era, Bugs Bunny then goes through various points of history such as discussing his "many fathers" which was made by Jones as a way of rebuking Bob Clampett's claims of him having been solely responsible for Bugs Bunny's origin all the way through to Bugs Bunny regaling us with the greatest adventures with his co-stars. In a way the movie feels like you're catching up with an old friend who's telling you what you may have missed in the interim and it's a pleasant experience to say the least. The final stretch of the film is fifteen minutes of Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner shorts tied end to end from different cartoons and largely abandons the Bugs Bunny framing device as we just go from backfiring Road Runner trap to backfiring Road Runner trap and this is probably the weakest part of the film as the Wile E. Coyote cartoons while good do follow a predictable rhythm that works best in small doses and it becomes rather tiresome when it goes on for three times longer than it was intended to.
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie is an interesting time capsule of a film that works as a celebratory milestone of the endearing appeal of the Looney Tunes characters and a reflection upon their storied history. Following the advent of Home Media and especially streaming making individual shorts more widely available the point of this film and others of the same genre has largely been left extinct and by the cultural wayside, but there's an endearing charm to this first film.
Probably the most entertaining of the Looney Tunes compilation films
TheLittleSongbird9 July 2011
I personally enjoy the Looney Tunes compilation films, coming from a huge fan of the Looney Tunes cartoons. I hadn't seen this in a while until just about two days ago, but thought could it be better than Daffy Duck's QuackBusters?. My overall conclusion is that while Daffy Duck's QuackBusters has the best storyline I think The Bugs Bunny/Road-Runner Movie despite the misleading title is the most entertaining of the compilation films.
I've often seen these compilation films criticised for cutting/shortening the original cartoons. I admit it, they do, however I don't personally see this as a problem as such. Besides, I was busy being delighted at how many cartoons and Looney Tunes characters there were to savour.
Bugs is the star of the cartoon, and a wonderful job is done to keep him true to the characterisation immortalised in the original cartoons. And fans of either Daffy and Porky, I am of the former and quite like the latter although he is often sidelined, will be delighted to know they have plenty of screen time. Elmer is a delight to watch in the cartoons he's featured in, and likewise with the Road-Runner and Wile E.Coyote.
Spotting the original cartoons are a sheer delight. A vast majority of them are masterpieces, Operation:Rabbit, Long-Haired Hare, What's Opera Doc, Duck Amuck and Duck Dodgers in the 24.5 Century to name a few, and there are some very, very good ones like Bully for Bugs, For Scent-imental Reasons(possibly my personal favourite of the Pepe Le Pew cartoons) and Ali Baba Bunny. The Road-Runner and Coyote cartoons as an overall series is uneven but when they are good they are really good, some of the ones featured are so to speak Zoom and Bored and Zip N Snort spring to mind. The highlight of the film though is the long but very energetic and spirited chase that thankfully does have the classic feel of the originals.
The story is fast-paced and entertaining with seldom a dull spot. The animation is spot on both in the original cartoons and the links, which is an achievement because I remember 1001 Rabbit Tales and Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie having animation that was somewhat inconsistent in comparison.
The music is full of energy and liveliness, the writing is witty, fresh and hilarious very often and the sight gags are inventive. Not to mention the voice work, Mel Blanc voicing all the Looney Tunes characters except for Elmer gives a truly bravura performance here. Overall, hugely entertaining. 9/10 Bethany Cox
I've often seen these compilation films criticised for cutting/shortening the original cartoons. I admit it, they do, however I don't personally see this as a problem as such. Besides, I was busy being delighted at how many cartoons and Looney Tunes characters there were to savour.
Bugs is the star of the cartoon, and a wonderful job is done to keep him true to the characterisation immortalised in the original cartoons. And fans of either Daffy and Porky, I am of the former and quite like the latter although he is often sidelined, will be delighted to know they have plenty of screen time. Elmer is a delight to watch in the cartoons he's featured in, and likewise with the Road-Runner and Wile E.Coyote.
Spotting the original cartoons are a sheer delight. A vast majority of them are masterpieces, Operation:Rabbit, Long-Haired Hare, What's Opera Doc, Duck Amuck and Duck Dodgers in the 24.5 Century to name a few, and there are some very, very good ones like Bully for Bugs, For Scent-imental Reasons(possibly my personal favourite of the Pepe Le Pew cartoons) and Ali Baba Bunny. The Road-Runner and Coyote cartoons as an overall series is uneven but when they are good they are really good, some of the ones featured are so to speak Zoom and Bored and Zip N Snort spring to mind. The highlight of the film though is the long but very energetic and spirited chase that thankfully does have the classic feel of the originals.
The story is fast-paced and entertaining with seldom a dull spot. The animation is spot on both in the original cartoons and the links, which is an achievement because I remember 1001 Rabbit Tales and Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie having animation that was somewhat inconsistent in comparison.
The music is full of energy and liveliness, the writing is witty, fresh and hilarious very often and the sight gags are inventive. Not to mention the voice work, Mel Blanc voicing all the Looney Tunes characters except for Elmer gives a truly bravura performance here. Overall, hugely entertaining. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Ehhh! What's Up Doc? Lot's of fun here in this movie?
GOWBTW14 June 2006
This movie puts the best of what Bugs and the gang got to share. Bugs Bunny explains the evolution of television in his own words, and the results are downright hilarious. He explains the characteristics of his friends and enemies in his world. Some of the cartoons they show are somewhat edited, but what's the big deal? This is the movie, and no one should be complaining about it. The only thing that was bugging Bugs is the "That's all Folks!" keeps coming on way too early, and Bugs doesn't play around when it's his movie being played. The Road Runner segments are always a classic, The Road Runner speeding New Mexico and Wile E. Coyote licking his chops to get that bird always leading to the Acme products backfiring on him every time. Though the chosen cartoons Warner Bros. used were perfect, and the documentary Bugs made was well made. Mel Blanc and other voice overs are golden. For Chuck Jones, he's the master of animation, and Phil Monroe deserves the hand shake for his part of making this movie a true golden hit. No Warner Bros. cartoon is truly original like Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tune gang. THAT'S ALL FOLKS! Rating 5 stars!
Just a bunch of stuff we've seen a million times.
pkzeewiz14 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I am a huge fan of Bug's Bunny and the Looney tunes/ Merrie Melodies shorts and have watched them my entire life, but I am a fan of many cartoons and always got excited when they actually had a feature film. Here, we didn't get a movie, we just got a compilation of shorts.
It had some new material added to piece it all together, but it was a let down because I didn't get to see anything new.
I did like how Chuck Jones did this one for the most part and he also took this opportunity to get back Robert Clampett. Clampett always claimed he and only he created Bugs Bunny, but Chuck Jones did a part where Bugs Bunny talks about his "fathers" and Robert Clampton is left off the list..good for you Chuck.
The thing I didn't like here was that most of the shorts featured my least favorite characters. I don't like Marvin The Martian, not a fan of when Daffy does his Duck Dodgers character. Never liked Pepe LePew and the Road Runner/Wylie Coyote shorts are always too repetitive.
I love Looney tunes, but this was nothing more than a compilation of some of the most popular shorts and some of my least favorites so I gave it a small rating of 4 out of 10 stars.
It had some new material added to piece it all together, but it was a let down because I didn't get to see anything new.
I did like how Chuck Jones did this one for the most part and he also took this opportunity to get back Robert Clampett. Clampett always claimed he and only he created Bugs Bunny, but Chuck Jones did a part where Bugs Bunny talks about his "fathers" and Robert Clampton is left off the list..good for you Chuck.
The thing I didn't like here was that most of the shorts featured my least favorite characters. I don't like Marvin The Martian, not a fan of when Daffy does his Duck Dodgers character. Never liked Pepe LePew and the Road Runner/Wylie Coyote shorts are always too repetitive.
I love Looney tunes, but this was nothing more than a compilation of some of the most popular shorts and some of my least favorites so I gave it a small rating of 4 out of 10 stars.
Happy 80th Birthday Bugs Bunny!
jaredkjacoby28 July 2020
Today, Bugs Bunny turns 80 years old. I miss out on a lot of anniversaries for characters, shows and movies that I love, but once I heard that Bugs Bunny was going to turn 80 this year, I started planning what I was going to do for today. I decided to watch an old trilogy of movies starring the wascally wabbit that came out in the late '70s and early '80s. Earlier this morning, I watched the Merrie Melodies short that Bugs Bunny debuted in: A Wild Hare. I even got a small carrot cake over the weekend! I prepared for this. I am just happy that got to celebrate the 80th birthday of one my favorite characters in any form of media as properly as I could.
Before talking about the films, I want to talk about why Bugs Bunny is such a great character and why he is so important to me. I first started watching Looney Tunes when I was around 12. Before that, the only experience I had with the franchise was with Baby Looney Tunes... when I first saw a Bugs Bunny short, I instantly fell in love with his character. He made me laugh and I found a character that I could easily root for. He also helped me get away from watching too many crime TV shows that started to mess with my mind. I got a little paranoid from watching all of those crime shows and when I started watching some old shows, it took my mind off of those shows and put me in a happy place. Looney Tunes was the show I watched the most and Bugs Bunny was my hero in a way. He stood up to bullies and he helped me get my mind off of the dangers of the world. For a long time however, I stopped watching the series all together and only looked back after I grew the urge to watch the show again around Christmas time. Being a little older, I fell in love with the show again and Bugs stayed as my favorite character. I also grew an appreciation for the hard work that went into these cartoons with the animation and sound. Regardless of how old I am, Bugs Bunny never fails to make me smile, whether I am watching a classic short or some new Looney Tunes content.
Bugs is an awesome character for many reasons. First of all, he is an adorable badass. He has multiple talents such as being wonderful with music and singing, being a fast runner, being great at sports, delivering dramatic performances and dressing in drag to fool his victims of course. His best trait however is that he is a hilarious and playful prankster who usually only goes after those who pick on him or others. When someone tries mess with him, he strikes back 10 times harder, no matter who he goes up against. If is particularly satisfying and exciting to watch Bugs take down an opponent who is a flat out jerk to him or others for no reason. No matter how scary the opponent looks, Bugs will stand up to them. Some examples of this include when he slapped a scary bull across the face for steaming up his tail without flinching, taking on an entire team of baseball players by himself and going up against a boxing champion. He will go against any opponent that messes with him or others and make a fool out of them in a hilarious fashion.
That is not all to Bugs' character. He is very cool and calm and he has an excellent sense of humor. He never fails to be amusing, even in some of his weaker shorts. He is brutal with his opponents, but he is also a pretty nice guy otherwise. He will help out others who may need it and he will only get aggressive if a jerk tries to start something with him. However, when things do not go his way, he loses his cool quickly. He becomes an angry sore loser. He cannot stand to be the butt of the joke and when he gets angry, he gets scary! This is why I think Bugs is such a fantastic character. He has a colorful and deep personality for a character who used to only appear in shorts. There is a lot to his personality compared to other characters at the time. You even get to see Bugs develop from a pesky troublemaker from his early shorts to becoming a laid-back, almost friendly enemy in the late '50s and early '60s. By the '80s, a couple Looney Tunes specials were produced with Mel Blanc reprising his role as the characters. Bugs almost feels much wiser and more reflective on his life in these specials. I might be going a bit too far into this, but that is my interpretation of Bugs' development over the classic years. It gives his shorts a lot of variety to them and that variety makes it to where most Bugs Bunny shorts feel pretty different from one another. It especially comes into play because Bugs has a different strategy for each opponent he goes against. This rabbit has range! Bugs is such a great character and he always been my favorite classic cartoon character. As the TV Tropes page for Looney Tunes said on their entry, Bugs Bunny is a walking fountain of awesome.
Anyways, let's talk about these three films. They are all pretty much compilations of the classic shorts that have new content in them that helps create a story. The shorts link to each other in some way or they might be a part of the event that Bugs is explaining about. I feel like these films were made to have a way where people could have a way to see some of these classic shorts in theaters or even to have an easier way to own some of the more well known shorts on home video. Regardless, I enjoyed all three of them and they all brought interesting narratives and ways to link the shorts to the plot of each film. The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie for example has three acts. Each act is made up of a collection of Looney Tunes shorts by Friz Freleng that connect with each other to create a new narrative such as Bugs being a detective, Sam being the devil's servant and the characters participating in an award ceremony. 1001 Rabbit Tales has Bugs and Daffy attempting to sell books around the country. Bugs ends up at Yosemite Sam's palace in the Arabian dessert. There, he is forced to read numerous stories to his bratty son. These stories are Looney Tunes shorts of course. As for this film, The Bugs Bunny Road Runner Movie, it is simply Bugs reflecting on his career with his foes and talking about his experiences. He even reflects back on his multiple fathers (cartoon directors). The shorts shown in this film are by Chuck Jones. The film ends with a long Roadrunner chase sequence.
The movies may not be the ideal way to watch some of these shorts, but they are great fun. The Bugs Bunny Road Runner Movie is probably the best movie in this trilogy because it has the best shorts of the franchise like Rabbit Fire, What's Up Opera, Long-Haired Hare, Bully for Bugs, Duck Amuck and many more. One of my favorites is Long-Haired Hare. There is no short where I root for Bugs to destroy his opponent harder than the opera singer in this short. This man broke Bugs' instruments and brutal beat Bugs out of spite instead of asking him to stop playing. The ending was really satisfying. Some of these shorts are shortened for time reasons, but they still work well with the film's narrative.
What I love the most about these shorts is the precision of the animation matching the music. It brings so much energy to these shorts that they are never dull for even a minute. The gags are gut-busting. Looney Tunes never fails to make me laugh, even if the short is not one of the stronger ones. The comedic timing is perfect, the dialogue is instantly quotable and the fourth wall is beautifully destroyed. The characters are also very memorable with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Sylvester Cat and other characters being unforgettable. The voice acting is phenomenal. Mel Blanc is known as the man with a thousand voices and by watching these shorts, it would be hard to tell that he does most of the characters. He will always be the definitive Bugs Bunny no matter what. His dedication to these characters is what really warms my heart. Even in his later years, he had a wise tone to his voice that made Bugs feel more mature than he was in his younger years. This man is an absolute legend. These shorts are still some of my favorite things to watch and they never get old for even a second. They are pretty timeless. These movies do a surprisingly great job at implementing the shorts to the narrative to the films and make changes only when they need to. Also, I really liked seeing the characters watch their own shorts in the awards show. I could watch them react to their own shorts for hours.
Looney Tunes will always be one of my favorite franchises of all time. Bugs Bunny is my favorite character in the series and he always will be. This trilogy of films do a great job bringing some of Bugs' best moments in a feature length film. However, I would not highly recommend them that much because there are easier ways to accessing many of the shorts that these films show, especially in The Bugs Bunny Roadrunner Movie. Still, I had a great time watching this trilogy and I am happy I got to properly celebrate my one favorite cartoon characters ever.
Before talking about the films, I want to talk about why Bugs Bunny is such a great character and why he is so important to me. I first started watching Looney Tunes when I was around 12. Before that, the only experience I had with the franchise was with Baby Looney Tunes... when I first saw a Bugs Bunny short, I instantly fell in love with his character. He made me laugh and I found a character that I could easily root for. He also helped me get away from watching too many crime TV shows that started to mess with my mind. I got a little paranoid from watching all of those crime shows and when I started watching some old shows, it took my mind off of those shows and put me in a happy place. Looney Tunes was the show I watched the most and Bugs Bunny was my hero in a way. He stood up to bullies and he helped me get my mind off of the dangers of the world. For a long time however, I stopped watching the series all together and only looked back after I grew the urge to watch the show again around Christmas time. Being a little older, I fell in love with the show again and Bugs stayed as my favorite character. I also grew an appreciation for the hard work that went into these cartoons with the animation and sound. Regardless of how old I am, Bugs Bunny never fails to make me smile, whether I am watching a classic short or some new Looney Tunes content.
Bugs is an awesome character for many reasons. First of all, he is an adorable badass. He has multiple talents such as being wonderful with music and singing, being a fast runner, being great at sports, delivering dramatic performances and dressing in drag to fool his victims of course. His best trait however is that he is a hilarious and playful prankster who usually only goes after those who pick on him or others. When someone tries mess with him, he strikes back 10 times harder, no matter who he goes up against. If is particularly satisfying and exciting to watch Bugs take down an opponent who is a flat out jerk to him or others for no reason. No matter how scary the opponent looks, Bugs will stand up to them. Some examples of this include when he slapped a scary bull across the face for steaming up his tail without flinching, taking on an entire team of baseball players by himself and going up against a boxing champion. He will go against any opponent that messes with him or others and make a fool out of them in a hilarious fashion.
That is not all to Bugs' character. He is very cool and calm and he has an excellent sense of humor. He never fails to be amusing, even in some of his weaker shorts. He is brutal with his opponents, but he is also a pretty nice guy otherwise. He will help out others who may need it and he will only get aggressive if a jerk tries to start something with him. However, when things do not go his way, he loses his cool quickly. He becomes an angry sore loser. He cannot stand to be the butt of the joke and when he gets angry, he gets scary! This is why I think Bugs is such a fantastic character. He has a colorful and deep personality for a character who used to only appear in shorts. There is a lot to his personality compared to other characters at the time. You even get to see Bugs develop from a pesky troublemaker from his early shorts to becoming a laid-back, almost friendly enemy in the late '50s and early '60s. By the '80s, a couple Looney Tunes specials were produced with Mel Blanc reprising his role as the characters. Bugs almost feels much wiser and more reflective on his life in these specials. I might be going a bit too far into this, but that is my interpretation of Bugs' development over the classic years. It gives his shorts a lot of variety to them and that variety makes it to where most Bugs Bunny shorts feel pretty different from one another. It especially comes into play because Bugs has a different strategy for each opponent he goes against. This rabbit has range! Bugs is such a great character and he always been my favorite classic cartoon character. As the TV Tropes page for Looney Tunes said on their entry, Bugs Bunny is a walking fountain of awesome.
Anyways, let's talk about these three films. They are all pretty much compilations of the classic shorts that have new content in them that helps create a story. The shorts link to each other in some way or they might be a part of the event that Bugs is explaining about. I feel like these films were made to have a way where people could have a way to see some of these classic shorts in theaters or even to have an easier way to own some of the more well known shorts on home video. Regardless, I enjoyed all three of them and they all brought interesting narratives and ways to link the shorts to the plot of each film. The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie for example has three acts. Each act is made up of a collection of Looney Tunes shorts by Friz Freleng that connect with each other to create a new narrative such as Bugs being a detective, Sam being the devil's servant and the characters participating in an award ceremony. 1001 Rabbit Tales has Bugs and Daffy attempting to sell books around the country. Bugs ends up at Yosemite Sam's palace in the Arabian dessert. There, he is forced to read numerous stories to his bratty son. These stories are Looney Tunes shorts of course. As for this film, The Bugs Bunny Road Runner Movie, it is simply Bugs reflecting on his career with his foes and talking about his experiences. He even reflects back on his multiple fathers (cartoon directors). The shorts shown in this film are by Chuck Jones. The film ends with a long Roadrunner chase sequence.
The movies may not be the ideal way to watch some of these shorts, but they are great fun. The Bugs Bunny Road Runner Movie is probably the best movie in this trilogy because it has the best shorts of the franchise like Rabbit Fire, What's Up Opera, Long-Haired Hare, Bully for Bugs, Duck Amuck and many more. One of my favorites is Long-Haired Hare. There is no short where I root for Bugs to destroy his opponent harder than the opera singer in this short. This man broke Bugs' instruments and brutal beat Bugs out of spite instead of asking him to stop playing. The ending was really satisfying. Some of these shorts are shortened for time reasons, but they still work well with the film's narrative.
What I love the most about these shorts is the precision of the animation matching the music. It brings so much energy to these shorts that they are never dull for even a minute. The gags are gut-busting. Looney Tunes never fails to make me laugh, even if the short is not one of the stronger ones. The comedic timing is perfect, the dialogue is instantly quotable and the fourth wall is beautifully destroyed. The characters are also very memorable with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Sylvester Cat and other characters being unforgettable. The voice acting is phenomenal. Mel Blanc is known as the man with a thousand voices and by watching these shorts, it would be hard to tell that he does most of the characters. He will always be the definitive Bugs Bunny no matter what. His dedication to these characters is what really warms my heart. Even in his later years, he had a wise tone to his voice that made Bugs feel more mature than he was in his younger years. This man is an absolute legend. These shorts are still some of my favorite things to watch and they never get old for even a second. They are pretty timeless. These movies do a surprisingly great job at implementing the shorts to the narrative to the films and make changes only when they need to. Also, I really liked seeing the characters watch their own shorts in the awards show. I could watch them react to their own shorts for hours.
Looney Tunes will always be one of my favorite franchises of all time. Bugs Bunny is my favorite character in the series and he always will be. This trilogy of films do a great job bringing some of Bugs' best moments in a feature length film. However, I would not highly recommend them that much because there are easier ways to accessing many of the shorts that these films show, especially in The Bugs Bunny Roadrunner Movie. Still, I had a great time watching this trilogy and I am happy I got to properly celebrate my one favorite cartoon characters ever.
Great compilation
ericstevenson6 June 2018
Many people regard this as the best Looney Tunes movie ever made. This movie only has about 12 minutes of new animation, but that doesn't mean it isn't awesome! This film features some of the best Looney Tunes cartoons ever made. It's pretty safe to assume that "Duck Amuck" is my favorite of all of these. It can be hard to critique something that's just a collection of already created cartoons. Still, it's great to have Bugs Bunny around and chronicle these great cartoons.
There actually is this really clever thing done at the end. They don't show a single Wile E. Coyote/Roadrunner cartoon. We instead get to see 19 minutes of short scenes from various Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner cartoons. I'm surprised there was no mention of Leon Schlesinger at the beginning. He worked on 468 cartoons in his life! That really is all folks. ***1/2
There actually is this really clever thing done at the end. They don't show a single Wile E. Coyote/Roadrunner cartoon. We instead get to see 19 minutes of short scenes from various Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner cartoons. I'm surprised there was no mention of Leon Schlesinger at the beginning. He worked on 468 cartoons in his life! That really is all folks. ***1/2
Not sure if I watched a cut version, but some of these cartoons are cut!
Quinoa198428 May 2006
That being said, I have to say that some of my favorite Looney Tunes cartoons are in this first collection of shorts released in the span of the late 70's and 80's (another I watched maybe more than this one was Daffy Duck's Quackbusters). Here and there I wondered if a couple of the shorts were complete; they seemed to cut down the Rabbit Fire episode down by half, an a couple others didn't seem 100% either. Still, I would highly recommend it to those looking to get into the series (if by some chance not through another route like DVD). The cartoons Duck Amuck (as Daffy goes ape against the vindictive animator) and the one involving Bugs and the Opera singer top the list, while a few others are also quite appealing like Bugs against the Bull, Daffy as a would-be Robin Hood, and at least half of the Road-Runner shorts. That part of the film, which while given 2nd billing in the title (The Bugs Bunny and Road Runner Movie), only lasts a full 20 minutes or less. The enjoyment of those shorts will depend on if you like the Roadrunner shorts to start with, but there are some choice segments that even had me laughing. Not overall a great collection of shorts, but certain shorts are stand-out here.
I great feature compilation of Chuck Jones' many masterpieces.
rapt0r_claw-115 July 2004
This is the first of a five-film series of Looney Tunes compilation features, two starring Daffy Duck and three starring Bugs Bunny. Bugs is in his extravagant mansion, which he calls his "humble abode". Bugs talks about comedy and the first chase, eventually coming to himself and his cartoon associates. In this middle section, we see excerpts from legendary animator Chuck Jones' best cartoons (not all: there are too many). Then, the final part of the film is one monstrous 20-minute compilation of Road Runner footage, all fitting--not seamlessly, as the animation varies vastly over a dozen years--but acceptably as one big cartoon.
The new "Bugs At Home" sequences are interesting enough, directed by Phil Monroe. Admittedly, Friz Freleng's compilations, "Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island," "The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie" and "Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales" have better and more exciting storylines, rather than being a documentary. Some of the cartoons featured, although brutally edited to fit the running time, are still quite rare, and you won't see many of 'em anywhere else. Others, like "Duck Amuck" and "Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century" you can see any time. Always enjoyable whenever you need a good dose of classic Jones.
The new "Bugs At Home" sequences are interesting enough, directed by Phil Monroe. Admittedly, Friz Freleng's compilations, "Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island," "The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie" and "Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales" have better and more exciting storylines, rather than being a documentary. Some of the cartoons featured, although brutally edited to fit the running time, are still quite rare, and you won't see many of 'em anywhere else. Others, like "Duck Amuck" and "Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century" you can see any time. Always enjoyable whenever you need a good dose of classic Jones.
Bugs Bunny, Road Runner and all the other great Looney Tunes characters
Petey-1022 April 2012
This movie, hosted by Bugs Bunny, contains of classic Warner Bros. cartoon shorts.The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie (1979) is directed by Chuck Jones and Phil Monroe.The voice artists of this movie are Mel Blanc, Arthur Q. Bryan and Nicolai Shutorov.I just saw this on a DVD and had the most fun watching it.The movie is full of funny, zany stuff.Like the whole "Kill the Wabbit" routine in "What's Opera, Doc?" Or Bugs the conductor making the opera singer go very high.Or Daffy being shot by Elmer various times in "Rabbit Fire".And the skunk Pepe Le Pew falling for the cat with a skunk painting in "For Scent-imental Reasons".The Road Runner flick is a lot of fun.It's a riot when Wile E. Coyote eats the earthquake pills.Then we have "Robin Hood Daffy" and lots of others.Certainly not a dull moment in The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie.
Wonderful compilation of Chuck Jones' best
skad1314 August 1999
Skip the unctuous opening and fast-forward to the highlights: Bugs battling a bull; Daffy Duck battling an unseen animator; and the all-time great WHAT'S OPERA, DOC?, in which the usual Bugs-and-Elmer chase is done in best operatic style
My Favorite Animated Feature
agj80124 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
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.
A good movie
wermuth6017 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This is easily one of the best Looney Tunes compilation movies, along with Daffy Ducks Movie: Fantastic Island.
However, the title, The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Movie, is a bit misleading. Bugs Bunny hosts this movie, but Road Runner doesn't co-host or co-star with Bugs, and he does not appear at all until near the end of the movie, when we first see a framed portrait of him, followed by clips from many Road Runner cartoons. Road Runner doesn't even appear in the opening sequence. The more recent video release cover (from 1997) would also make it seem like Road Runner appears equally with Bugs (the original poster features almost every character who appears in this movie). The only reason I can think of for it being called The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Movie would be to tie-in with The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Show, which I think was still being broadcast at the time of this movie.
However, this is still a great movie. Bugs Bunny shows viewers around his mansion and presents clips from many Warner bros. cartoons, most of which feature Bugs Bunny (some don't feature Bugs or Road Runner). All of the cartoons shown are directed by Chuck Jones. Highlights include Duck Amuck, Rabbits Feat, What's Opera, Doc?, Operation: Rabbit (one of Wile E. Coyotie's pairings with Bugs), Hare-Way To The Stars, For Scent-Imental Reasons, and more. There are a lot of classic Chuck Jones cartoons not included, such as The Rabbit of Seville, One Froggy Evening, and The Scarlett Pumperknickle. Also not included are the Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog cartoons (in fact, there are no cartoons featuring only rarely-used characters or one-shot characters). Since the movie only includes cartoons directed by Chuck Jones, there are no appearances by Yosimite Sam (except for on a picture), Sylvestor (though he did appear in a handful of Chuck Jones cartoons), Tweety, Foghorn leghorn, or Speedy Gonzoles.
Still, this is one of the best compilation movies, and most of the cartoons presented here are the full versions, with the exception of openings, closings, and credit sequences (even then, a handful of cartoons have their title cards shown). Operation: Rabbit and Long-Haired hare are both shortened, but all other cartoons that are not presented in clips are otherwise complete.
However, the title, The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Movie, is a bit misleading. Bugs Bunny hosts this movie, but Road Runner doesn't co-host or co-star with Bugs, and he does not appear at all until near the end of the movie, when we first see a framed portrait of him, followed by clips from many Road Runner cartoons. Road Runner doesn't even appear in the opening sequence. The more recent video release cover (from 1997) would also make it seem like Road Runner appears equally with Bugs (the original poster features almost every character who appears in this movie). The only reason I can think of for it being called The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Movie would be to tie-in with The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Show, which I think was still being broadcast at the time of this movie.
However, this is still a great movie. Bugs Bunny shows viewers around his mansion and presents clips from many Warner bros. cartoons, most of which feature Bugs Bunny (some don't feature Bugs or Road Runner). All of the cartoons shown are directed by Chuck Jones. Highlights include Duck Amuck, Rabbits Feat, What's Opera, Doc?, Operation: Rabbit (one of Wile E. Coyotie's pairings with Bugs), Hare-Way To The Stars, For Scent-Imental Reasons, and more. There are a lot of classic Chuck Jones cartoons not included, such as The Rabbit of Seville, One Froggy Evening, and The Scarlett Pumperknickle. Also not included are the Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog cartoons (in fact, there are no cartoons featuring only rarely-used characters or one-shot characters). Since the movie only includes cartoons directed by Chuck Jones, there are no appearances by Yosimite Sam (except for on a picture), Sylvestor (though he did appear in a handful of Chuck Jones cartoons), Tweety, Foghorn leghorn, or Speedy Gonzoles.
Still, this is one of the best compilation movies, and most of the cartoons presented here are the full versions, with the exception of openings, closings, and credit sequences (even then, a handful of cartoons have their title cards shown). Operation: Rabbit and Long-Haired hare are both shortened, but all other cartoons that are not presented in clips are otherwise complete.
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
jboothmillard28 June 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This is basically a compilation movie made from many, many Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons and only a few minutes of new footage. The cartoon movie is hosted by Bugs Bunny. It is basically a documentary like movie about the story of chasing in films. It also mentions about the Looney Tunes cartoons and its creators. The sequences included in the cartoon movie have Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Mervin the Martian and of course, most memorable cartoon chase, Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. I think it is the long final sequence of the film with just half an hour or so of Road Runner and Coyote. Mel Blanc provides all the memorable voices. Pepe Le Pew was number 73, Road Runner number 47, Daffy Duck number 30, Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies number 20 and Bugs Bunny number 10 on The 100 Greatest Cartoons. Very good!
Great one!
Movie Nuttball5 July 2005
I thought that the characters were really funny and all had great personalities. The animation in My opinion was crisp, clean, and really clear. Not to mention beautiful! Most of the characters in this show are hilarious Looney Tunes characters that we all love. in My opinion these characters are the funnies and talented ever seen. In fact, The things that goes on in this series' cartoons are in My opinion nuts which that is what makes them hilarious! There are so many to like and laugh at and the silly things they do! If you like the original Looney Tunes and animated films then I strongly recommend that you watch this movie today!
A wonderful look on the best of Chuck Jones
miragedolphin723 July 2005
I loved this since I was a young aspiring animator (I'm now a part-time writer),and my biggest influence was Warner Bros's animation and the work of Chuck Jones. When this finally came on Cartoon Network, I made sure to watch it.
It contains the classics I've known for so long: "Robin Hood Daffy", the Wile E./Roadrunner shorts, "Louvre Come Back to Me", and the famous Bugs vs. Daffy shorts. It was great to see it all in its own little collection.
It's such a shame this isn't out on DVD. I own the VHS copy with the original artwork.
I recommend this to anyone who loves animation, especially WB's.
It contains the classics I've known for so long: "Robin Hood Daffy", the Wile E./Roadrunner shorts, "Louvre Come Back to Me", and the famous Bugs vs. Daffy shorts. It was great to see it all in its own little collection.
It's such a shame this isn't out on DVD. I own the VHS copy with the original artwork.
I recommend this to anyone who loves animation, especially WB's.
Refreshing Repetition
schuttegod38 January 2003
Yes, the gags are somewhat repetitive: Wile E. Coyote plunges to the ground 15 times, is crushed with rocks 11 times and baits the roadrunner three times with "Free Bird Seed." In all, 10 Acme products appear in this movie, in which Bugs Bunny and other characters sport clever disguises no fewer than 12 times. There are five "wabbit season"/"duck season" face-offs. Daffy Duck gets shot 10 times.
But it never gets old. I have loved this movie since I was a little boy, and have viewed it, literally, hundreds of times. That's the genius of Chuck Jones (animator) and Mel Blanc (voices).
The many shorts featured in this compilation include Daffy's battle with an off-screen animator, Bugs fighting a bull and getting revenge on a grumpy opera singer, two intergalactic run-ins with Marvin the Martian, "What's Opera, Doc?" (which is, as Bugs describes it, "the entire 18 hours of Richard Wagner's 'Ring of Nibaloone--Nibalane--Nibalu--Nibalung' ... squashed ... down to seven minutes") and a 20-minute segment of classic roadrunner gags.
But it never gets old. I have loved this movie since I was a little boy, and have viewed it, literally, hundreds of times. That's the genius of Chuck Jones (animator) and Mel Blanc (voices).
The many shorts featured in this compilation include Daffy's battle with an off-screen animator, Bugs fighting a bull and getting revenge on a grumpy opera singer, two intergalactic run-ins with Marvin the Martian, "What's Opera, Doc?" (which is, as Bugs describes it, "the entire 18 hours of Richard Wagner's 'Ring of Nibaloone--Nibalane--Nibalu--Nibalung' ... squashed ... down to seven minutes") and a 20-minute segment of classic roadrunner gags.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
