Looney Tunes: Back in Action

It was recently observed and subsequently commented upon that were I to include in my canon of cinematic criticism the very first such effort I ever wrote and published in this arena I would, at this moment, being marking twenty-five years of this career.

I suppose I could do so, since my first movie review was originally published in a legitimate periodical and I was financially compensated for it, thereby making me a 'professional'.

But I am, at this moment, uncomfortable doing so. After all, twenty-five years is a piece of time, regardless who you are.

Still, were I to do this and allow myself to be looked upon as an elder of this area of study then I would be allowed to posture and pontificate about how the cinema--the American cinema, to be precise--has so changed since I first began this particular journey, this particular adventure.

I could, then, at great length, hold forth on the slow but certain demise of the cinema and how the Art element has been all but overwhelmed by the Commerce side.

I could, I should, I might.

Or I could just say, in a nutshell: The Hollywood Machine is circling the Great Drain, and it is very likely that the last time around ain't too far off.

That's all, folks.

"Looney Tunes: Back in Action", though, could be the saving grace to this certain ending: But to explain that I must bring you in on the action, the story, immediately: As the story opens Daffy Duck is in one of his heated howls over a salary debate with Warner Bros. The reason for this, besides Daffy being his usual raging self, is that for years Bugs Bunny has been making the big bucks while Daffy--or so he claims--hasn't. And now that they are getting ready to co-star in another movie Daffy demands this matter be resolved: He wants equal pay for equal work. (Aside, how does this work in cartoonland, anyway?) But Kate (Jenna Elfman), the studio Vice President in charge of animated characters won't budge on Daffy's demands. She offers up numbers, demographics, charts, etc. that show Daffy's fan base--well, they prove otherwise. Daffy has another howl, another tantrum, and is expelled from the lot by a big security guard (Brendan Fraser).

Sad. So sad.

But. . .

This is, after all, a cartoon as cartoons should be, and things don't end there. They can't: Daffy walks out of the meeting before he can be physically heaved out. And before long Kate and Bugs come to realize that without Daffy Bugs is just a rabbit.

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