Saturday, August 1, 2015

On DVD: Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run (2015)

An all-new Looney Tunes DTV, "Rabbits Run", goes into general release on Tuesday, but if you shop at Walmart, you're bound to get a copy now, as Walmart landed a deal for early release.

Most of your favorites are here. Bugs Bunny (Jeff Bergman) is a cab driver pulled into a chaotic adventure when Lola Bunny (Rachel Ramras) develops an invisibility formula that the airheaded Lola thinks would be the ultimate perfume. That's because Speedy Gonzales (Fred Armisen) went to Mexico to acquire a rare flower, not knowing the government was after it, too, much to the disgust of General (!) Foghorn Leghorn (Bergman). Unbeknownst to General Leghorn, however, the duplicitous Cecil Turtle has other ideas for the flower, and they involve Marvin the Martian.

Daffy Duck (Bergman again) is also a cabbie, but the world's laziest. He's been dumbed down even further than he was on The Looney Tunes Show, such that when he drives, he tries giving a tour, thinking a lot of the best known tourist attractions, such as St. Louis' Gateway Arch, are in New York. If you thought Lola being dumbed down was bad, this is even worse. Daffy's fans will not be pleased.

What pads out the film are some musical numbers, and while they help carry the plot, they stand out like sore thumbs amidst the chaos. "Rabbits Run" successfully lampoons the action comedy genre, but perhaps stretches it too far by mistreating Yosemite Sam (Maurice LaMarche). You'll see what I mean when you see the movie.

The DVD also includes a trio of Road Runner CGI shorts and the pilot for The Looney Tunes Show, plus trailers for "Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem", "Tom & Jerry: Spy Quest", in which the cat & mouse team with Jonny Quest (who's already met Scooby-Doo in the comics), and the latest Scooby-Doo DTV, co-starring Kiss ("The Rock & Roll Mystery" is already in stores as well). Last, but certainly not least, is a Sylvester & Tweety CGI music video that revives Mel Blanc's novelty record, "I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat", helped along by ageless wonder June Foray. We'll have this video, plus the Road Runner shorts, if they're available on YouTube, in due course.

Is it worth the investment? You bet it is. Now, scope the trailer for "Rabbits Run":




Relatively unknown Rachel Ramras has big rabbit's feet to fill, taking over for Kristen Wiig, who essayed the role on The Looney Tunes Show, but was busy with other projects, such as the recent Lifetime movie with Will Ferrell, one would guess, to record Lola's lines this time. A small quibble, is all.

Rating: A.

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