WABBIT -A Looney Tunes Production Premiere Review

WABBIT is the latest installment in the Looney Tunes saga. I was personally dismayed because it came at the cost of the immensely underrated previous show. Still, Bugs Bunny is almost always engaging and despite comedies on Cartoon Network being terrible 99% of the time, Looney was made for the funny format. So, let's take a look at each segment individually and see if this show is worth continuing...or scrapping.

"Buddha Bugs"

One of the best things about an all-time classic like Looney Tunes is that there's no need to establish the characters. The viewer knows who they are. It's too bad the story here is pretty terribly written. So Yosemite Sam is stealing again, but when he runs unto a temple elder (Bugs Bunny in disguise) he finds out there's better treasure to acquire. Bugs has him do "tests" to prove Sam's worthy of receiving it.

This opening episode is not a good way to start the show. The running gags are annoying and I found myself with not so much a smirk. Yosemite Sam is grating to watch. (And if that wasn't enough, we're reduced to him running around in his underwear...) All the intelligent writing that was present in The Looney Tunes Show is non-existent here in this rather mindless episode. At least Bugs had one good line: "A prosperous journey begins with the first step." Perhaps the next few segments are better?

1/5

"Now and Zen"

This one has this squirrel named Squeaks run into some ninjas. Bugs Bunny is of course thrown into fray. This was much better than the previous one. Bugs had some of his signature humor and it almost felt like a classic Looney Tunes episode. The ninjas though were confusing since they weren't people...but what? The world may never know. The intro had some nice background music.

Let's hope the next two are as good!

4/5

"The Inside Bugs"

This one has Yosemite Sam (once again, hopefully they don't overuse him, cause it seems like that's the case) escape the bank with the "loot" as he calls it. His getaway car isn't what he expected: Bugs Bunny is the driver. This episode was definitely fun as we see Bugs in his traditional trolling persona. Still, there are a couple of needless moments. The running gag of Sam being thrown to and fro in the car got old quick. Really, by the third time a seat belt should have been buckled. And the police looking dumb is so overdone and annoying that the score will be lowered.

3.5/5

Can the last one end on a high note?

"Sun Valley Freeze"

This one has Bugs take a journey to go on vacation at a nice beach. Sadly, when he pops up his head he finds out he's in a snowy mountain. Then apparently a friendly version of Big Foot was following him. Not only that, but hazmat hunters are out to get the monster. This episode was very grating to watch, mostly because of how dumb Big Foot is portrayed. Not only that, but there's this glaring animation error present throughout the entire episode. Most of the time Bigfoot has no hands, but then sometimes they magically appear out of nowhere. It's strange, and I still can't figure it out.

There was virtually no funny moments to speak of here. The running gags are annoying, such as when Big Foot constantly throws Bugs at the mountain, missing the top. It felt like I wasted a good five minutes of valuable time.

0.5/5

Well, "Wabbit" wasn't the worst thing I've seen, but it wasn't anything resembling good either. It's sad because the writers of the previous show put so much thought into the stories. Here it's like the writers of this show decided that only an extremely young audience will be watching, so why bother trying? Parents are better off buying the Golden Collection box sets for their kids to showcase how slapstick in cartoons is really done.

Why YOU Should Be Watching the New Looney Tunes Show

Ah, the Looney Tunes. The most famous cartoon ever. So famous, that even today, reruns continues to air. (These shorts are as old as the 50's you know.) Timeless, great writing, it's the definitive cartoon. I am not here, however, to talk about it. I'm here to talk about the new Looney Tunes Show.

When it was first announced that they will be making a new Looney Tunes show, people were very close-minded about it. I saw it all in the comments and forums. People were NOT looking forward to it. Why? Because their logic is that the originals can't be beat, so a new show trying to be like them isn't worthy of being created. They weren't looking forward to seeing their characters again in a new light, they just wanted to hold on to the originals. Well, I could understand that. Many times they will take a classic, and turn it upside down. (Just look at the new Voltron and Speed Racer.) I get that. However, I am here to tell you purists (and people who aren't watching it) that this show lives up to the Looney Tune name.

Today, cartoons have pretty much been downgraded. Back in the day, we had Looney Tunes. (I wasn't around when they first aired, I saw the reruns and rented the Golden Collections) Then in the 90's/early 2000's (the era I grew up in) we had Rugrats, Hey Arnold, Doug, Catdog and others. Cartoons had heart. Today, we have things like Adventure Time. We have things, like the Amazing World of Gumball, where the main character is just a kid with no manners whatsoever. (Yes, that's what today's generation watches.) I've seen clips and commercials of these things, and they just are plain un-watchable. I don't know how these things get made. So when the Looney Tunes Show was announced, people were worried that it will go the Voltron Force route and become a kiddy thing with some pretty horrible writing. I'm over fifteen episodes in, and it's everything opposite of that.

The show follows veterans Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck living together as roommates. Okay, now that's something I bet you all wanted to see. The episodes of the originals with those two were always the best. And this show has them as the main stars every episode. Their characters aren't changed, you have the always cunning and good guy Bugs Bunny, and the always failing Daffy Duck. Their dynamics really clash, and it is hilarious. The scripting, like the originals, is great. It isn't kiddy, it's smart and funny. (When I sometimes show these with the rest of my family, they say that they actually prefer this over the originals.)

Instead of completely trying to be like the originals, (a la Tom and Jerry Tales) it takes the characters and puts them in whole new situations. Here we have an ongoing thing with Bugs and Daffy. It is in a nutshell a sitcom. And that's a good thing. It feels "fresh" and each episode is so diverse. This series references a lot of real life in a funny way. Two episodes ago they were making fun of the whole up-selling thing, how they trick you into buying stuff you don't need. (Insurance for ink? Yes, Porky fell for it.)

Of course, all of our favorites appear. Porky is the same as always. In fact, I'd say everyone matches their past counterparts perfectly. Gossamer is one of the few re-designs I don't like, instead of the monster who works for that professor guy, he's portrayed as a shy kid. Marvin the Martian isn't really evil, he's teaming up with the good guys in this show. Besides those two, every character is portrayed wonderfully.

Miss the Road Runner? Fear not, he's back with his arch-nemesis in a short every episode. People might not like the CGI, but after awhile, you get used to it. The Road Runner has always been my favorite, so these little shorts I greatly enjoy. Now, don't get me wrong here, I LOVE the original Road Runner shorts, but I gotta say that they get repetitive after awhile. These new CGI shorts add a new flare. Want to see the Road Runner and Coyote duke it out as ninjas in hand-to-hand combat? You got it here. Want to see Coyote put on the Iron Man armor? You got it here too.

I think I've made my point here clear. The Looney Tunes Show is an intelligent comedy for both kids and adults. On a channel where Adventure Time and Gumball rule, this show is a real gem. This editorial is mainly aimed at the purists who won't see the show just cause it's new. I'm a Looney Tunes fan, and I love this show. Each episode has made me laugh out loud, and it's just.....fun. You don't have to worry about catching up with the episodes, it's one of those shows where you could watch episode 13 and not have to worry about knowing what happened last. Well, what are you waiting for? Mark your calender or DVR for every Tuesday at 8 p.m. on Cartoon Network.

Just two shorts to get you in the mood.