What's up, Bugs? Or should we say, "Who Framed Bugs Bunny?"
And who put him in a Roger Rabbit-like scenario of 'toon and live-action
worlds without that film's sense of story or charm? It's almost as if
Elmer Fudd, instead of Joe Dante, were in charge of the direction of
Looney Tunes: Back in Action and Bugs, for once, forgot to duck.
The plot, such as it is, kicks off when the Warner Bros. vice president
of comedy, Kate Houghton (Jenna Elfman), fires Daffy Duck for demanding
co-star treatment with Bugs. Kate gets axed when Bugs's scenes sans Daff
don't work (surprise) and she has to get him back.
Complicating matters, a stuntman, D.J. (Brendan Fraser), whom Kate also
fired, has taken off with Daffy to save his father, an international
film star who also happens to be a superspy and knows more than he
should about a Blue Monkey Diamond that involves species switching.
Meanwhile, D.J.'s dad is being tortured by Mr. Chairman, the Acme
Corporation head, played by Steve Martin as if he's auditioning to play
a Dr. Evil relative in the next Austin Powers movie.
The animation is cool, clever and fast-paced, with nice bits by Yosemite
Sam, the Tasmanian Devil, Granny and Tweety Bird. And that may well be
enough for many of the younger kids. But fans of Who Framed Roger
Rabbit?, a classic, loving riff on show business, and Space Jam, which
slipped in an affecting Michael Jordan story amid the sports and 'toon
jokes, may wonder why Looney Tunes couldn't offer anything substantive
between the gags.
Sure, there are hints of stories that could have been: the sibling-like
rivalry between Bugs and Daffy, the humorlessness of the studio's head
of comedy, the son-trying-to-live-up-to-the-father issues between D.J.
and his dad (Timothy Dalton). But they all drift off like setups without
punchlines.
The delightful Joan Cusack injects a transitory oxygen blast as Mother,
a scientist who cares for a secret cache of bizarre creatures. But the
leads, Elfman and Fraser, as well as most of the other actors, portray
cliches with characterizations flatter than Wile E. Coyote after the
anvil falls on him. Next to the humans, Bugs, Daffy and the Looney Tunes
gang seem downright three-dimensional.
**1/2 Looney Tunes: Back in Action Starring: Brendan Fraser,
Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin.
Rated: PG, contains mild language and innuendo.
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