Horst in Translation ([email protected]) "The Million Hare" is a Warner Bros. short film from 1963 directed by the famous Robert McKimson and starring the voice talent of the even more famous Mel Blanc. This one already had its 50th anniversary a couple years ago and, even if others may think differently, I believe that this little movie is evidence of Looney Toons still going strong in the 1960s. Sure there could have been more wit, but the chaotic and slapstick comedy is still working nicely and pretty funny on some occasions, plus the ending is kinda entertaining. Poor Daffy! It is about two pals going against each other in a race to a television studio, so the winner gets one million bucks. Will our two heroes' friendship survive this race. Watch for yourself. I enjoyed it and give it a thumbs-up. Certainly worth seeing for cartoon lovers.

Edgar Allan Pooh . . . and being a nice (or subtle) meanie. This "Merrie Melodies" animated short, THE MILLION HARE, does an excellent job of doing just that. Daffy Duck, staying "on vacation" (From what? Quacking?) at "friend" Bugs Bunny's home in the far boondocks, deftly models what being a mean meanie is all about. He steals his host's motor boat. He sets off an avalanche in Bugs' path. For Daffy's big finale, he snatches Bugs off the top floor of a high-rise, and gets him all cut up in an antique glass shop. Meanwhile, Bugs' interactions with Daffy are far more subtle. He accidentally-on-purpose sabotages his own boat. He puts PES (Performance Enhancing Springs) on his feet. Daffy falls off two cliffs and a high bridge on Bugs' watch. So Bugs remains the "good guy," while playing the part of a nice meanie to the hilt. Forced by his HAREless devious nature into becoming the mean meanie, Daffy continually self-implodes, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at the very end. The moral of this story? Good guys may finish last, but bad guys pretending to be good will win most of the time.

TheLittleSongbird I am a big fan of the Looney Tunes cartoons, and particularly of Bugs and Daffy. However, The Million Hare didn't entirely work out. Granted, there are worse cartoons(ie. Devil's Feud Cake, See Ya Later Gladiator), but The Million Hare is light years from being up there with the best. Bugs(not entirely sure about his greedy side though) and Daffy are both great, especially Daffy, and Mel Blanc's voices are excellent. The animation while not amazing was pretty decent particularly in the colours and the music has a good amount of energy. They're not the problems. It's the writing, story and pacing that bring The Million Hare down. The story is predictable and is never quite sure of what direction genre-wise it wants to follow, and the writing feels tired and flabby, at best there may be the odd amusing line but that's it, while the cartoon feels rather pedestrian in the pace. All in all, disappointing but watchable. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Popeye-8 A parody of game shows, buddy flicks or chase films? The cartoon never quite decides, and by the end, much of the potential humor is lost in this tired, pedestrian effort by the dying W-B production team. Twenty years before, the story idea would likely have been tossed out--the fact this was made indicates the lack of inspiration that had overcome Warner Brothers. Not surprisingly, within a year the original W-B studio production team would close down.