Looney Tunes: Back in Action

Occasionally charming but predominantly exhausting, Looney Tunes: Back in Action follows Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck as they agree to help a stuntman (Brendan Fraser’s DJ Drake) find his missing father (Timothy Dalton’s Damien Drake) and prevent a diabolical villain (Steve Martin’s Mr. Chairman) from taking over the world. It’s ultimately clear that Looney Tunes: Back in Action is at its best in its relatively watchable first half, as filmmaker Joe Dante, working from a screenplay by Larry Doyle, does an effective job of integrating Bugs and Daffy into the movie’s human landscape – although, even at this early stage, Dante’s predilection for placing the protagonists in almost unreasonably over-the-top situations is a little tiresome (to say the least). Fraser’s affable turn as the central character goes a long way towards keeping things interesting, initially, while the ongoing emphasis on amusing cameos and eye-catching set-pieces generally compensates for the geared-towards-small-children atmosphere. (There is, for example, a thoroughly engaging chase that makes its way through a series of famous paintings.) There’s little doubt, though, that Looney Tunes: Back in Action‘s agreeable vibe takes a steep nosedive as it progresses into an increasingly frenetic third act, with Dante’s decision to stress relentless, headache-inducing action ensuring that the movie fizzles out to a fairly disastrous extent – which is a shame, certainly, given that the movie had the potential to improve upon the equally forgettable Space Jam.

** out of ****

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