Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Year: 2003
Director: Joe Dante
Starring: Joe Alaskey, Jenna Elfman, Brendan Fraser & Steve Martin
Runtime: 93 mins
BBFC: PG
Published: 11/03/24
Director: Joe Dante
Starring: Joe Alaskey, Jenna Elfman, Brendan Fraser & Steve Martin
Runtime: 93 mins
BBFC: PG
Published: 11/03/24
It’s weird to me that the Looney Tunes have never had much of a presence in feature films. The iconic Warner Bros. Cartoons have been running on kids TV for decades and the characters are some of the most recognisable in all of cartoon history, but as of writing there have only been three films that feature the Looney Tunes as main characters, and one that uses them sparingly (Who Framed Roger Rabbit).
Well, I’ve already reviewed Space Jam and Space Jam: A New Legacy, so it’s about time I checked out the overlooked middle child, Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
When Daffy Duck (Joe Alaskey) is fired from Warner Bros by the Vice President of Comedy, Kate Houghton (Jenna Elfman), he winds up at the home of WB security guard & wannabe stuntman, DJ Drake (Brendan Fraser), son of beloved spy film actor Damien Drake (Timothy Dalton).
When DJ and Daffy learn that Damien is being held hostage by the Acme corporation, the pair must go in search of the Blue Monkey diamond if they hope to rescue him.
Meanwhile Bugs Bunny (also Joe Alaskey) convinces Kate of the error in firing Daffy, and so the pair of them try to track him down. All whilst the Acme Chairman (Steve Martin) plots a devious scheme to make record profits.
Well, I’ve already reviewed Space Jam and Space Jam: A New Legacy, so it’s about time I checked out the overlooked middle child, Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
When Daffy Duck (Joe Alaskey) is fired from Warner Bros by the Vice President of Comedy, Kate Houghton (Jenna Elfman), he winds up at the home of WB security guard & wannabe stuntman, DJ Drake (Brendan Fraser), son of beloved spy film actor Damien Drake (Timothy Dalton).
When DJ and Daffy learn that Damien is being held hostage by the Acme corporation, the pair must go in search of the Blue Monkey diamond if they hope to rescue him.
Meanwhile Bugs Bunny (also Joe Alaskey) convinces Kate of the error in firing Daffy, and so the pair of them try to track him down. All whilst the Acme Chairman (Steve Martin) plots a devious scheme to make record profits.
I remember loving Back in Action as a kid and I was quite looking forward to going back to it, but perhaps I should have stuck with my rose-tinted glasses view of it because I have to say I was a little disappointed with my rewatch.
Honestly the film doesn’t hold up if you’re not a kid, because the whole thing is just a total farce, feeling like the story is quite literally being written as you’re watching it. On the bright side that does make the film somewhat unpredictable, but it’s also totally illogical…which I suppose makes sense for the property, but it doesn’t exactly make for a highly entertaining film.
In fact, I’m writing this almost immediately after watching it and I’ve already forgotten a lot of what happened. So, the story isn’t great, but I tell you what is, the gags.
I grew up on the Looney Tunes cartoons more than any other cartoons that were on TV when I was younger. Their crazy sense of humour just clicked with me in ways that a lot of other cartoons didn’t. This element is most certainly present for Back in Action, and there’s so many gags that are pure comedy gold.
One that stood out in particular was seeing Scooby-Doo and Shaggy interrogate Matthew Lillard over his interpretation of the Shaggy character in the live action Scooby-Doo films which were releasing around the same time. It’s a really funny moment that is a great nod to fans of WB cartoons. There’s plenty more like it too, as well as several skits that feel right at home in a Looney Tunes cartoon, such as Wile E. Coyote setting up a trap for our heroes in the same fashion as he would for Roadrunner, only for it to spectacularly fall apart.
There’s also a number of great jokes about Fraser and The Mummy franchise, with DJ apparently being Fraser’s stunt double for the films. I’m not sure how scripted these moments were, but I really like the idea of Fraser just making light of how the media portrayed him at the time.
Honestly the film doesn’t hold up if you’re not a kid, because the whole thing is just a total farce, feeling like the story is quite literally being written as you’re watching it. On the bright side that does make the film somewhat unpredictable, but it’s also totally illogical…which I suppose makes sense for the property, but it doesn’t exactly make for a highly entertaining film.
In fact, I’m writing this almost immediately after watching it and I’ve already forgotten a lot of what happened. So, the story isn’t great, but I tell you what is, the gags.
I grew up on the Looney Tunes cartoons more than any other cartoons that were on TV when I was younger. Their crazy sense of humour just clicked with me in ways that a lot of other cartoons didn’t. This element is most certainly present for Back in Action, and there’s so many gags that are pure comedy gold.
One that stood out in particular was seeing Scooby-Doo and Shaggy interrogate Matthew Lillard over his interpretation of the Shaggy character in the live action Scooby-Doo films which were releasing around the same time. It’s a really funny moment that is a great nod to fans of WB cartoons. There’s plenty more like it too, as well as several skits that feel right at home in a Looney Tunes cartoon, such as Wile E. Coyote setting up a trap for our heroes in the same fashion as he would for Roadrunner, only for it to spectacularly fall apart.
There’s also a number of great jokes about Fraser and The Mummy franchise, with DJ apparently being Fraser’s stunt double for the films. I’m not sure how scripted these moments were, but I really like the idea of Fraser just making light of how the media portrayed him at the time.
The performances are generally sub-par but Steve Martin does manage to hit the right level of absurdity. The way he plays the Acme Chairman is just so hammy and over the top in every way. He is the perfect casting choice for the character, and he really does just let himself run away with how silly he can make it. When you compare this to say Fraser or Elfman, they seem like they’re taking the whole thing a little too seriously.
I wouldn’t recommend going back to Looney Tunes Back in Action today, because I really do think that this is a film made specifically for a certain age group at a particular time in history. A lot of the jokes wont land with kids today because they won’t know who Brendan Fraser is, or why it’s funny that Shaggy’s getting annoyed with Matthew Lillard. Looney Tunes also doesn’t have the same presence anymore as it used to when I was younger, or when my parents were younger.
Whilst for people my age there might be a few golden jokes in there, and Martin’s performance is generally pretty good considering the material he’s working with, I think Back in Action is best left to be forgotten. It is better than Space Jam though so I’ll give it that.
I wouldn’t recommend going back to Looney Tunes Back in Action today, because I really do think that this is a film made specifically for a certain age group at a particular time in history. A lot of the jokes wont land with kids today because they won’t know who Brendan Fraser is, or why it’s funny that Shaggy’s getting annoyed with Matthew Lillard. Looney Tunes also doesn’t have the same presence anymore as it used to when I was younger, or when my parents were younger.
Whilst for people my age there might be a few golden jokes in there, and Martin’s performance is generally pretty good considering the material he’s working with, I think Back in Action is best left to be forgotten. It is better than Space Jam though so I’ll give it that.