Yes, I know that this blog has been almost exclusively political, but this is good enough that I want to share with everyone. 8^)
Unlike most other fans I've heard and/or read, I won't utterly pan Revolutions. It was good in respectable chunks. However, I found it disappointing at times, on several levels. At other times, it was very depressing.
As a result, I was trying to keep my expectations manageable for other movies, like Looney Tunes: Back in Action, which was next on our list. (Due to finances, we've got to pick and choose when it comes to movies, though our situation could easily be far worse.) The trailer was drop-dead hilarious, however, so I figured that those laughs alone were worth the price of admission.
To paraphrase the Comic Book Guy: Funniest...movie...ever. And I say that as a HUGE fan of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit."
I saw it Friday, for opening day. I saw it again today. This movie is sheer comic genius from start to finish, as Daffy Duck grabs this movie and strolls away with it in a fashion that makes Hugo Weaving's brilliant theft of Matrix Revolutions as the delightfully evil Agent Smith look positively ham-handed. I have to imagine that, if these characters really did exist in our own world, Daffy (if he could ever have really been jealous of Bugs) would be thoroughly cured of any envy. Of course, the daffy Daffy is fantastically abetted by Brendan Fraser, who shows us what a phenomenal actor he is simply by keeping up with the little black duck. Together, they craft the most clever, outrageous, and surprisingly human "buddy flick" duo in ages.
To say that Bugs is in fine form is to say that things fall when you drop them, but his droll wit contrasts magnificently both with longtime partner Daffy as well as with Bugs' human co-star, Jenna Elfman. Ms. Elfman is a magnificent straight woman to humans and toons alike. Her slightly goofy chemistry with Fraser is perfect for Action, but for Bugs' brand of humor she proves an ideal foil, which is even more vital for a Looney Tunes movie. She even gets the better of the rabbit once (sort of) by hitting the rabbit's soft spot for a distressed dame.
Cameos abound, of course, for the denizens of the WB Looniverse -- but that's not all, folks. It seems that Director Joe Dante is a real film buff, and packs this comic masterpiece with references to film genres ranging from spy flicks to pulp adventure to cheesy 50s sci-fi to the Hollywood world itself. Steve Martin has a blast playing the over-the-top Mr. Chairman, who will never endanger Judge Doom as the most menacing villain of the cartoon cosmos, but he easily out-funnies the genuinely disturbing Judge. You never take Mr. Chairman seriously -- but you're not supposed to (though I found myself wondering with a chuckle how Marvin Acme's company had fallen so low). Rounding out the major human cast members are Heather Locklear as Bond Girl Dusty Tails, now playing in the majors (spy-wise, that is), Joan Cusack as the wacky "Mother," top genius of the nebulous spy agency at the center of the good guys' efforts, and Timothy Dalton playing himself playing James Bond playing himself. All three turn out excellent performances, particularly Dalton, who displays a surprisingly deft comic talent (I would have liked to see more of him).
There is literally too much good stuff in this movie to explain it all without providing a blow-by-blow account of the film, which wouldn't do its manic genius justice. The closest I can come is to say that it is drop-dead funny without detracting from any of the lesser plot lines at work in the movie, which are (in descending order of importance) the character interaction between DJ (Fraser), Kate (Elfman), Bugs, and Daffy; the action-adventure (which is surprisingly well-done); and the goofy-yet-wonderful romance between DJ and Kate, which could have easily felt (and become) pro forma yet didn't.
If you can't figure out why people think a rabbit and a duck are so funny, avoid this film like the plague. On the other hand, if you have ever laughed at a Looney Tunes short, go see this movie. You'll thank me, if you can stop laughing long enough for it.
(/) Roland X
An enormous fan of the little black duck who is not angry, fat, or living in a basement, and can't wait for the DVD.
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