New Looney Tunes movie in development

[mupcollector1]

It just upsets me when great works of comedic art is redesigned in a way where it sells out to the hip crowd of this generation. What I loved about cartoons from the 40s and 50s, the originals as well as when comedy was art, it was done in such a creative way that didn't only make people laugh but make people think. When slapstick was very sophisticated and no so much today in a MTV's Jack... sort of fashion. It's like looking at The Three Stooges, there's characters and personalities beneath the slapping, eye-poking and stuff. It's social satire in a way. I can go on and on about comedy theory since it's my specialty but back to Looney Tunes, I can totally see how it would be sort of hard to do a motion picture with them in a plot sort of fashion. Because the cartoons plots are very simple structured and filled with gags and character. Elmer's finally going to get that screwy wabbit but he fails. And I just loved how Bugs would play dead in such a dramatically dark sort of acting and Elmer being the dummy he is, he fells guilt and crys like a baby and here comes Bugs with a grin on his face kicking Elmer in the bum up a tree. lol
Most of the Looney Tunes cartoons would be in pairs. It was be Bugs and some dummy like character who appears to be evil but they have a great lack of intelligence which Bugs is the complete opposite. Tweety and Sylvester, Daffy and Porky or Speedy Gonzales, Wille E Coyote and Roadrunner, Rocky, Mugsy and Bugs, etc. But because they are a series of shorts, it's often quite awkward for them to be all together because the cartoons were mainly one on one structured like Tom and Jerry, Droopy and Wolf or Spike, Woody Woodpecker and Wally Walrus (I think his name is). And screwball heros need as much spotlight as possible in my opinion. Villan and Hero. But it seems that since the Chuck Jones Daffy and Bugs trilogy, Bugs and Daffy became a pair which seemed to me the most memorable of Looney Tunes surprisingly in my opinion. But same situation, Bugs wins and Daffy fails the competition. But now with The Looney Tunes Show and other stuff before and after it, it's now becoming Daffy the straight-man and Bugs the comic. It's now that situation the opposite comedy duo. Personally I think it's overdone and really shouldn't have been finalized as that. It seems to me Looney Tunes is now that and the rest are just a huge cast. I know that sort of works with The Simpsons and even The Muppet Show cast, but Looney Tunes had a different structure which I kind of disagree with it's change. There's some fans that don't mind changes because it gives more depth to the characters and whatnot but for me, I'm quite Old School with that sort of thing. It's like taking Harley Quinn and changing her design all together. It's not that I don't like evolution, evolution is the most important thing about characters but it's when it's changed by someone who's not the original creators or if it finalizes in a way that's beautiful and can't evolve any further then a decade later it dramatically changes. I don't really like that. It's like The Ren & Stimpy Show when John K and Spumco did it, Games took over and because a cheap poorly done copy, then Adult Party is made by the most of the original Spumco team and it's a dramatic change.

But back to the Bugs and Daffy situation. I know most of that was done around the mid 1950s and that's when Daffy went from a screwball to having more of a self centered like personality. I've noticed that Space Jam sort of brought back that Bob Clampett style Daffy Duck but in the next movie it went back to the Chuck Jones style. Not that I have anything against Chuck Jones, I LOVE HIS WORK! But it seems now since the original directors and team are no longer a part if Looney Tunes, It seemed to finalize in a Chuck Jones style and not so much influence on the other directors like Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Robert McKimson and Friz Freling. It's kind of hard to explain and analyze, but to simply but it it's just not the same to me. I don't mean to complain and debate so much but I'm very old school with this kind of classic character comedy and it means so much to me and that's with anything. When it's not made by the original creators, it could possibly be done in a similar fashion maybe one or twice but it really depends how committed people are to the art. It seems like in animation now the directors, storyboard artists and writers aren't the same people. It's not creator driven like it used to be. Again, that's just my opinion.

 

[CaseytheMuppet]

Aw, I would have loved a Hong Kong Phooey movie. I watched that a lot on Boomerang.

 

[mupcollector1]

BUMP...

This was just posted...

Test footage of the (thankfully pulled) Hong Kong Phooey and Marvin the Martian movies.

Now, I think an HKP movie has potential, but there are are a couple things about that footage that bug me. Did we need the whole "Dogs drink from toilets" tie in? It ruins the established "anthro dog human among humans" bit, and that bothers me worse than it being juvenile. Spot's a real cat? Going for Garfield, I see. They did know that was the one thing Inspector Gadget got totally wrong, considering Spot's the one that usually saves the day. And he seems to be a little too hyper instead of laid back. He's almost like Dudley from TUFF Puppy here.

The Marvin movie looks like it could have had potential, actually. Had Marvin been about the size of a medium sized child instead of a toy and not had to have blue eyes for some reason, that's actually a really good looking design. It unfortunately looks like the potential to be annoying flat/Totally Radical kids with a crazy CGI sidekick, but over all not as juvenile as the first bit.

I thought the Hong Kong Phooey one was bad, it's like Shrek, Ice Age and Madagascar. Completely Juvenile. Thought the urinal cake think I sort of laughed at but it would have worked better with Stimpy then a classic Hanna Barbera character that doesn't do gross out jokes. Marvin was better though I don't think the modern day ET plot would work. The modern skateboarder kid and all these modern references and Marvin being an action figure, not so much. Plus I think anyone could recognize a giant Marvin the Martin figure, well maybe not so much in todays generation but certainly in mine. lol The below the belt jokes are done a little too much, the one in the Inspector Gadget movie was better because it was done in an exaggerated cartoony way but it seems like now wackiness is a taboo in Hollywood, I have no idea. lol Some of them are just too real for cartoon characters, that's the problem I have with CGI, it's too realistic. I personally like my cartoons with bombs, explosions, some guns, TNT, Giant Mallets and 1000 pound weights, cartoon violence like that. Marvin's eyes are totally a little too real looking though I like the bults and screws in his helmet. The voice is great, re-using classic lines "Where's the Kaboom" I guess it's okay and the lazor gun joke, I would have liked it more if he looks into it and it blasts him. Well, back to the ol' Drawing board, they could have used that. It's okay expect the kid and the whole plot. It's like a plot for a movie that's been recycled and used already but from the Hollywood script books I've read, it's unfortunately a formula that executives love best. Not so much original or surprise. It's like a plot that I can see miles away. Kid takes advantage of Marvin, they raise some anarcy, Marvin feels used and kid's in trouble, Kid feels gulty for Marvin, ET ending. There you go. I don't mean to sound blunt about this but to me it just seems corny. Though I would like a Marvin the Martin movie but done better and 2D hopefully. It's like every movie needs a human, every movie needs a celebrity. I don't know why one can't make a movie without real live humans and celebrities. Celebrity cameos are fun like in Beavis & Butt-head Do America where the celebrity thing doesn't distract from the plot and how The Muppets do it where the Celebrity cameos are quite brief and comical.

 

[CaseytheMuppet]

I guess it's okay and the lazor gun joke, I would have liked it more if he looks into it and it blasts him.

That's what I was waiting for, there was the perfect opportunity.

 

[mupcollector1]

That's what I was waiting for, there was the perfect opportunity.

It's a typical Elmer Fudd / Yosemite Sam situation. Any character with a gun that doesn't work, the character would look inside and it would blast in their face even when they don't pull the trigger. It's cartoon logic I think it's called. lol It's like psychics within the cartoon universe.

 

[Drtooth]

I thought the Hong Kong Phooey one was bad, it's like Shrek, Ice Age and Madagascar. Completely Juvenile. Thought the urinal cake think I sort of laughed at but it would have worked better with Stimpy then a classic Hanna Barbera character that doesn't do gross out jokes.

Tests footage rarely gets into the final product. I'm sure they'd have gone that route anyway, though. That joke pretty much not crosses the line, but tap dances back and forth on it. On the one hand, it's terrible and overused gags for 4 year olds that haven't tired of it yet. We really need to stop making films for them. But the bigger problem is that it basically says "he's a dog and therefore does dog stuff." Eh.... no. It's not quite as bad as Underdog where they turn him into an actual dog, but Hong Kong Phooey is furry confusion. A very human dog with a cat that's a cat. A cartoony cat, but a cat. The Cat needs to be CGI too. Other than that, they at least got his ego right. Too bad they forgot that he's mellow and not hyper. Not to mention he's clumsy but never really manages to hurt himself, just those around him.

And quite honestly, if they want to make a HKP movie, they need to make it on some level a parody of a Blaxploitation film.

 

[jvcarroll]

I quite beg to differ. It's not a great movie by any means and completely based on a far superior sneaker commercials. At worst, you're watching 2 movies. A meh sports story film and a pretty good, fourth wall smashing, fully animated, all inclusive Looney Tunes story line that just so happens to have celebrity guest stars. I keep saying to myself, Man I REALLY hate Space Jam... until I get the chance to actually watch it. Especially Danny Devito as the villain. The Looney Tunes make the most of a completely stupid concept. Not to mention that Wayne Knight and Bill Murray are completely underrated in this film. If nothing else, Bill's cameo was great for the "I didn't know Dan Akyrod was in this picture" line alone.

Overall, I like Back in Action much better, but the sad thing is, Space Jam has a more coherent plot. BIA tried way too hard to shove too many things into one movie. Character development of Bugs and Daffy, character development for the human stars, referencing as many Looney Tunes cliches as possible to the point where it's hard to tell if they're being parodied or it's an homage, parodying spy movies, parodying the DaVinci Code, parodying Indiana Jones. I mean, it's a good movie and everything, but there's too much stuff going on.

Suffice to say, Space Jam gets right what BIA gets wrong and BIA gets right what Space Jam gets wrong. There's a middle that needs to be reached, but they're clearly looking only at their shocking surprise hit Yogi film for inspiration. We're going to get a poorly cast Elmer Fudd played by someone who's too young, and can't emote, and doesn't enjoy being there. Oh... and I bet he falls in love with a flimsy Mary Sue.

Space Jam was a terrible movie and a cynical cash grab by Warner Brothers trying to cash in on shoe commercials and the success of Michael Jordan. Not only did they not seek any of the original animators' input, they completely pushed them out of it. To compare it to Roger Rabbit is an insult. The writing and acting fell far beneath the roots of the Looney Tunes shorts and very few of the classic characters beyond Bugs and Daffy had quality screentime. The one good thing I could say about it is the animation itself was quality. Space Jam was one of the few times I've ever been embarrassed to be in the theater. I honestly give this film a lower F than KSY.

 

[Drtooth]

Executive Meddling ruins any movie, that's true. I totally agree it's a cynical cash grab. But it's hardly the worst and most cynical thing WB did to the characters (I'm not bothering mentioning THE example). The sad thing is, this movie did moderately well for the Looney Tunes while the big comeback movie collapsed and destroyed big plans to bring the characters back. But then again, Space Jam didn't have to go up against ELF.

Space Jam has it's moments... the sport stars just aren't in or part of any of them.

 

[jvcarroll]

Executive Meddling ruins any movie, that's true. I totally agree it's a cynical cash grab. But it's hardly the worst and most cynical thing WB did to the characters (I'm not bothering mentioning THE example). The sad thing is, this movie did moderately well for the Looney Tunes while the big comeback movie collapsed and destroyed big plans to bring the characters back. But then again, Space Jam didn't have to go up against ELF.

Space Jam has it's moments... the sport stars just aren't in or part of any of them.

Wow, that Hong Kong Phooey and Marvin the Martian test footage was terrible! I had hopes for those movies, but it's best they leave those properties alone.

Think if the Muppets had made a film called "Yo, Where My Muppets At" starring Dennis Rodman. That's kind of how I felt about the title and the theme of "Space Jam", but I was willing suspend my judgment and give it a shot. I generally want to like every film I see and the Looney Tunes can usually rise above any premise. If only they'd been allowed into the movie. Elmer, Wile E Coyote, Marvin and Porky were pushed aside for the MonStars and things that just weren't very funny. Back in Action gave the characters moments, but those seemed more like a items on a check-list than legitimately humorous moments. The fact is, the formula doesn't matter. The success of a Looney Tunes film, just like any movie comedy, depends on a solid story and good comedy writers. Both films fell short on that.

 

[robodog]

Space Jam made money because it came out at a time when the Looney Tunes were fairly popular. I can't be the only one who remembers that period in the 90's when everyone had at least one T-Shirt with the Looney Tunes characters in hip hop gear on them. Back then networks like TNT and TBS were still showing Looney Tunes shorts. Back In Action came out during a period where the Looney Tunes characters had dropped off the face of the earth. They weren't showing the shorts on TV anymore then. I think even Cartoon Network had dropped them at that point.