Edgar Allan Pooh . . . but nowadays it pretty near takes a metropolis to produce an animated short (or brief cartoon) running less than 10 minutes. While an average of 10 guys were credited for each Golden Age Looney Tune (at least, those that Warner Bros. released between 1930 and 1960), BLOOPER BUNNY's end credits list 57 people (a conglomeration that's only gotten longer since BLOOPER's release in 1991). BLOOPER's roster is surely truncated from what it could have been, as the chefs and craft service people serving what would have otherwise been a very hungry cast and crew are missing in action from BLOOPER's roll call. Likewise, unless they labored in conditions of total squalor, their janitorial assistants are absolutely unsung here. Nor is anything said about child care (though many present-day films with 100% adult casts credit multiple "studio teachers" for educating cast and\or crew kids). One would think that the top dozen BLOOPER honchos would deem themselves important enough to merit personal or production assistants, drivers, and security people, though not a name of this is breathed in the credits. It's likely that Bugs Bunny has been a meal ticket for thousands over his career.

utgard14 Cartoon mockumentary about the behind-the-scenes of a Bugs Bunny retrospective special with Daffy, Elmer, and Yosemite Sam causing problems. It's mostly made up of blooper clips, a few of which are actually funny. Points for creativity, particularly since the post-classic era Looney Tunes shorts were all-too-often pointless exercises in nostalgia copying old gags instead of coming up with new material. At least they were trying here. I've made no secret in my other reviews of modern Looney Tunes cartoons that they almost all suck. The degree to which they suck certainly varies but I've yet to see one that I watch and go "yeah, that deserves to be talked about in the same breath as the classics." This one doesn't hold up to the greats either but it doesn't completely suck so that's something. There's no doubt this was made by people who love the characters and wanted to bring them to a new generation. The animation is quite nice and I have no problems with the music or Jeff Bergman's voice work. As far as newer Looney Tunes goes, you can't do better than this. Which is kind of sad if you think about it too long.

Akbar Shahzad (rapt0r_claw-1) Warner Bros. reopened their theatrical shorts department shortly before this cartoon was released, and the new blood (very new; not a single Golden Age animator is credited) does a pretty good job of it. The gags are mostly comments on the filmmakers, plus demonstrations of the shortcomings of filmmaking equipment. The rest is well-timed slapstick, but it doesn't feel like those wacky, hilarious characters are back again. They're funny in a different way. The DVD commentary on this (on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: get it now!) by either Stan Freberg or Greg Ford, mentions that the animators tried to bring back those classic arguments the stars had; they were trying to override the advertisements and merchandise that broadcast the fact that the characters always had bright smiles at all times and were close friends, a bunch often referred to as "Bugs Bunny and Friends." That betrays the Looney Tunes cast. The animators tried. "Blooper Bunny" is a fictitious behind-the-scenes look at the eventful everyday life of our beloved characters, focusing on the making of the "Bugs Bunny 51st and 1/2 Anniversary Spectacular." The "Spectacular" is only about a minute long, but it seems to have a negative effect on the funny cartoon that is "Blooper Bunny." It seems to unnerve the audience and alienate the characters, not in spite of - but because - the Looney Tunes characters are flashing their most winning smiles. It made me, personally, feel like they were the fake characters from the earlier "Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers," because they almost seemed to have an eerie air about them. It was a bad beginning and climax to an otherwise funny cartoon. But I still think the world is going to miss Mike Maltese. Seriously. "Blooper Bunny" is a fine effort by an inexperienced crew, and keeping that factor in mind I believe this cartoon to be a worthy addition to the Looney Tunes library. But I don't think that unless Chuck Jones Film Productions can keep the classic-style stuff coming without its late founder (Chuck Jones, obviously) that we will never witness the Golden Age cartoons' like again. Stephen Fossati shows great promise. He's been taught amazingly by the master. Let's hope he can go on without his mentor's supervision. Or the Looney Tunes are done. Finished. And I know we're all hoping that doesn't happen.

Popeye-8 At last, Bugs Bunny tackles the tired "blooper reel" scenario that has been driven into the ground. Based around filming a "51 1/2 Birthday Special", it actually proves what many have thought but few dared say--that Daffy Duck may be the funniest fictional creation in American art/cultural history.