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"LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION"
(2003) (Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman) (PG)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Mild Minor Moderate *Mild Heavy
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Moderate None Moderate Minor Minor
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Mild None None Mild *Heavy


QUICK TAKE:
Animated Comedy: Human and cartoon characters join forces to stop the nefarious head of ACME from obtaining a supernatural diamond that can turn humans into monkeys.
PLOT:
It's time for another Looney Tunes "Rabbit Season/Duck Season" animated short, but Daffy Duck (voice of JOE ALASKEY) is upset that he's constantly in the shadow of his more famous costar, Bugs Bunny (voice of JOE ALASKEY). When he demands more, Kate Houghton (JENNA ELFMAN), the VP of Comedy with Warner Bros., has him fired and orders security guard DJ Drake (BRENDAN FRASER) to escort the disgruntled duck from the lot.

When she then fires DJ for accidentally felling the famed WB water tower, little does she know the trouble she's created. Not only is Bugs upset that he's now the one getting shot by Elmer Fudd (voice of BILLY WEST), but DJ turns out to be the son of the studio's most important star, Damien Drake (TIMOTHY DALTON).

Things get more complicated when DJ learns that his father has been kidnapped by The Chairman (STEVE MARTIN), the nefarious head of the ACME Corporation. It turns out he wants to get his evil hands on the Blue Monkey diamond. The supernatural stone can turn humans into primates and then back again, something the Chairman figures will be good for business.

Thus, DJ heads off - with Daffy in tow - for Las Vegas to rescue his father. With Kate and Bugs in hot pursuit, they end up meeting Vegas showgirl and covert spy Dusty Tails (HEATHER LOCKLEAR), have a run-in with rootin' tootin' Yosemite Sam, and discover Mother (JOAN CUSACK) and her secret lab.

With The Chairman sending Wile E. Coyote, the Tasmanian Devil and Marvin the Martian (voice of ERIC GOLDBERG) after them and the Blue Monkey, the human and cartoon teams try to avoid them, prevent the stone from falling into The Chairman's hands and rescue DJ's dad.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
If they're into Looney Tunes characters and cartoons, it's a good bet they will.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG
For some mild language and innuendo.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • BRENDAN FRASER plays a security guard on the Warner Bros. lot who wants to be a stuntman, but won't use his father's name to get the job. After getting fired, he sets off for Vegas to rescue his father and ends up fighting various cartoon characters along the way.
  • JENNA ELFMAN plays the VP of comedy who fires Daffy but is then forced to try to find and retrieve him so that she can keep her job.
  • STEVE MARTIN plays the over-the-top and nefarious chairman of ACME who wants the diamond and sends various cartoon characters to dispatch those in his way.
  • TIMOTHY DALTON plays DJ's actor father who appears in various spy films and has been kidnapped by ACME to find the Blue Monkey diamond.
  • HEATHER LOCKLEAR plays a Vegas showgirl (in a skimpy and then skintight outfit) who's also a covert spy.
  • JOAN CUSACK plays a researcher at a top-secret government lab.
  • BUGS BUNNY is the rascally rabbit who doesn't mind Daffy taking all of the abuse in their films, but then sets out to find and retrieve the duck after he's been fired.
  • DAFFY DUCK the angry and jealous duck who hates being the second banana to Bugs, an attitude that gets him fired. He then sets off with DJ to find the supernatural diamond and behaves in his standard, bouncing off the walls fashion.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a brief summary of the content found in this animated comedy that's been rated PG. Some colorful phrases are present, a Vegas showgirl sings a song with the line, "Get yourself a bad girl," and some women are seen in somewhat revealing and/or tight attire (nothing too explicit, but maybe a bit racy for a PG movie). A nude alien (sans genitalia) is briefly seen, as is an x-ray image of the Mona Lisa painting showing her in her bra.

    Much of the cartoon-style violence (exactly in line with what has appeared for decades in the Looney Tunes shorts -- including characters being shot, blown-up, hit, smashed and even decapitated in one scene, with a talking head) is rather severe. Yet, all of it is played for laughs and none of it's lasting, as the injured/wounded characters are perfectly fine the next time we see them. Even so, some of those scenes and a few others might be a little unsettling or suspenseful for very young viewers.

    Various characters have bad attitudes, some imitative behavior is present, as is one brief bit of crude humor, and some alcohol is present in a few scenes. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • We see a painting of Damien holding a drink.
  • Daffy opens a bottle of champagne.
  • A spy car automatically pours Bugs a carrot martini and he states that it's 5 o'clock somewhere as he takes the glass.
  • Miscellaneous people have drinks in Vegas.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • The Tasmanian Devil farts and we see a cloud of colored gas floating away from his body.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • The evil ACME chairman kidnaps and tortures Damien and attempts to have others harmed in his quest to obtain the supernatural diamond.
  • Those who work for him also have bad attitudes.
  • Daffy is jealous of Bugs and the attention he gets.
  • Yosemite and his goons steal a car to chase after others.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • It's possible scenes listed under "Violence" could be unsettling or suspenseful to very young kids (but not any more than the old Looney Tunes cartoons). Older kids will likely have no problem with the material.
  • Kate slowly makes her way through a house, hears the shower running and then enters the bathroom, only to find Bugs taking a shower (in a Psycho parody, complete with scary music).
  • A flying spy car ends up hurtling toward the ground (with those inside screaming for comic effect), but stops just a few feet short (in midair). It then slams into the ground (but everyone inside is okay).
  • A cartoon monster might be scaring-looking to the very young.
  • Daffy is zapped and turned into a black liquid (but can still talk and is later okay).
  • Kate dangles from a rope ladder hanging from a helicopter and then ends up falling. DJ leaps after her (from the top of the Eiffel Tower), catches her (as they plummet toward the ground), and then attaches a hook and cable to the tower, allowing them to swing to safety.
  • A train (named the Train of Death) races toward Damien who's tied to some railroad tracks with a lot of TNT around him and an anvil over him. DJ leaps in the path of the train just as it passes by (but we then see that he's okay and has saved his father). We then see part of an explosion from down inside a tunnel.
  • A giant robot dog might be a little scary to younger kids.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Cartoon Guns/Dynamite/Missiles/Canon/Lasers and laser guns: Used to shoot and wound (but not permanently) cartoon characters and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details.
  • We see various movie promotional billboards and posters of Drake holding various guns.
  • Yosemite Sam and his goons all carry cartoon guns.
  • We see lots of sci-fi type, cartoon guns.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "What's up, doc?" "Butt kissing," "It's a pain in the butt being politically correct," "Fruitcake," "Doll-face," "Dames," "Listen, toots," "You got no music in your soul, sister," "What a maroon," "Dag-nabit," "Okay bucktooth, stick a carrot in it," "My son is going to kick your evil butt," "Okay, buster," "Screw up," "You idiot," "Jerk," "You're despicable," "Furry butts," "I know I'm hot" and "Of course, you realize this means war."
  • Some kids might want to imitate some of the cartoon violence and/or Steve Martin's flamboyant and exaggerated way of speaking and moving.
  • Bugs lets out a loud belch.
  • The Tasmanian Devil belches.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • A moderate amount of suspenseful and dramatic music plays in the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • A Vegas performer, Dusty Tails, sings a song that has lyrics about "get yourself a bad girl" (but we didn't catch all of the context).
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 1 use of "My God."
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • A poster of one of Damien's films shows the silhouetted shapes of several women.
  • The Chairman asks a female subordinate if she'd "like to do a little kissing later."
  • We see a Vegas performer (named "Dusty Tails") in a short outfit that shows lots of leg and cleavage. We later see her in a skintight leather cat suit that shows off her shape and cleavage. During an action moment, DJ briefly lands on top of her on the floor (face to face).
  • Some cancan dancers show cleavage and a lot of thigh in their standard outfits (and Daffy stops to whistle at them).
  • Kate shows a little cleavage in a dress (that also has a high slit up the side) and then even more.
  • We see a nude alien lying on a table, but it has no genitalia (a sheet is then pulled over it).
  • We see a brief X-ray view of the Mona Lisa painting and see the woman in her bra.
  • We see Kate in a short leather skirt with fishnet stockings.
  • DJ's pants fly off when he tries to activate a rocket in them, resulting in our view of him in his boxers.
  • SMOKING
  • None.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • DJ learns that his father has been kidnapped and then sets out to rescue him.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Looney Tunes cartoons and how they play to adults and kids alike.
  • Porky Pig's comment of "It's a pain in the butt being politically correct."
  • Product placement in movies.
  • VIOLENCE
  • Much of the cartoon-style violence (exactly in line with what has appeared for decades in the Looney Tunes shorts) is rather severe, but all played for laughs and none of it's lasting as blown-up, decapitated and otherwise wounded characters are perfectly fine the next time we see them.
  • We see Elmer Fudd holding his shotgun on Bugs and Daffy and then many views of shooting Daffy in the face with it.
  • Bugs kicks Daffy, causing the latter's eyes to roll about.
  • Daffy hits DJ.
  • The unmanned Batmobile crashes into the leg support of the WB water tower, causing it to crash to the street and douse Kate and Bugs with tons of water.
  • Sam the sheepdog repeatedly pummels the Coyote in the background of a scene.
  • Granny accidentally cuts off Sylvester's tail with some hedge clippers.
  • DJ has and holds Daffy by the throat in several scenes.
  • Daffy throws an award that hits DJ in the face.
  • We see a live-action broadcast of Damien in a painting where he repeatedly hits a person behind him who's mostly out of the shot (thus, we hear more such violence than we see). He then tosses a grenade backwards that explodes, but we don't see the results.
  • DJ backhands Daffy with his fist.
  • During some dailies, we see Elmer shooting Bugs.
  • Daffy lands hard on the road after DJ apparently throws him from a moving car.
  • We see footage of several men trying to interrogate Damien (who's bound) with violence, but he's the one who's beating up his interrogators.
  • A missile is accidentally fired from a spy car and it explodes off in the distance.
  • One of The Chairman's thugs repeatedly slams a trunk lid down onto Yosemite Sam's head.
  • A mousetrap snaps shut on Daffy's bill.
  • A female spy karate-chops Daffy in the neck, bending it backwards. Moments later, she hits and kicks various goons.
  • A cannonball hits Daffy and knocks him back against a wall (after blasting through a door).
  • DJ fights several large cartoon goons (one who tries to hit him with a chair), punching, knocking them around and head-butting one.
  • DJ jumps and ends up crashing through a table.
  • While playing blackjack, the dealer (Foghorn Leghorn) hits Yosemite Sam with a board when he states, "Hit me."
  • Daffy runs face first into a door.
  • Daffy slams into a car's windshield.
  • A car crashes through a display.
  • Dynamite blows up inside a car, charring the cartoon characters.
  • A race car blasts through a wall, throwing Yosemite Sam into something that shocks him. He's then knocked into a room with lots of TNT that then explodes and blasts him up through the ceiling and way up into the sky (partially on fire).
  • A flying spy car ends up hurtling toward the ground, but stops just a few feet short (in midair). It then slams into the ground (but everyone inside is okay).
  • Daffy's tale is briefly on fire.
  • The Chairman sends Yosemite Sam flying up through the air and apparently the ceiling (we hear but don't see the impact or damage).
  • A large, shipped crate lands on the Coyote.
  • As the Coyote tries to shoot off a missile, its launch flames burn him and the missile then comes back and slams him into the ground. Moments later and from a long distance, we see the resultant explosion.
  • Daffy is zapped and turned into a black liquid (but can still talk and is later okay).
  • A laser decapitates Daffy (no blood, but we see him headless with his head talking to his body).
  • Marvin the Martian uses his ray gun to melt the glass container holding him.
  • A robot fires some sort of beam at Kate and DJ.
  • Marvin the Martian is disintegrated, but is okay moments later and fires a laser gun at others.
  • Elmer holds a gun on Bugs.
  • A goon grabs Kate and drags her away. She later flails at him, but he throws her down.
  • A cartoon character stomps down on Elmer's foot, causing him pain. Moments later, one bites Elmer on the nose who then shoots at Bugs and Daffy.
  • Bugs and Daffy comically kick Elmer.
  • The Chairman throws a remote and breaks the monitor that it hits.
  • The Chairman causes Damien to slap himself repeatedly in the face.
  • The Tasmanian Devil belches after apparently quickly devouring an ACME board member (we see his talking skeleton).
  • Many small birds hit Sylvester the cat on the head.
  • A large rock squashes Daffy. Moments later, many darts impale him.
  • A goon seems to disintegrate Kate, DJ, Bugs and Daffy, but we later see that they were simply transported to ACME headquarters.
  • DJ grabs The Chairman and briefly has him in a headlock.
  • A huge boxing glove from one spaceship smashes another.
  • A train (named the Train of Death) races toward Damien who's tied to some railroad tracks with a lot of TNT around him and an anvil over him. DJ leaps in the path of the train just as it passes by (but we then see that he's okay and has saved his father). We then see part of an explosion from down inside a tunnel.
  • Marvin the Martian fires an outer space bubble that knocks Bugs back through space.
  • A huge, robotic dog drags DJ around and then throws him into some crates.
  • Daffy assumes the personality of Duck Dodgers, but all four of his flight rockets explode as he tries to put them on.
  • Daffy is crushed and then an explosion goes off around him.
  • A satellite explodes.
  • A spaceship crashes into a building causing some property damage.
  • DJ punches the real Brendan Fraser.
  • A manhole cover lands on Daffy.



  • Reviewed November 8, 2003 / Posted November 14, 2003

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