LOONEY TUNES COLLECTOR’S CHOICE, VOL. 2 Unearths More Obscurities

LOONEY TUNES COLLECTOR’S CHOICE, VOL. 2 (Blu-ray)

1937-1963 / 183 min (25 shorts)

FROM WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Available at www.moviezyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

Now that the actual purpose of the Looney Tunes Collector’s Choice Blu-ray series has become clear, it’s easier to appreciate this second volume (and Volume 1, for that matter). 

The idea was never to highlight the most iconic Looney Tunes characters or collect the classic shorts we all know and love. Much of that stuff has been widely available on disc for decades. Instead, Collectors Choice showcases shorts and characters that are comparatively obscure. Like Volume 1, many of the 25 selections on Volume 2 haven’t been available on video in years…if ever.

Still, some familiar faces pop up from time to time. Bugs Bunny appears in two shorts. In “Hare-Breadth Hurry,” he fills in for the Road Runner to foil Wile E. Coyote, while “Rabbit Rampage” is essentially a reworking of “Duck Amuck” with diminished results. Neither ranks among Bugs’ best, though they’re certainly atypical of the stories and situations he’s usually placed in.

"I choose the red pill."

While the 1960s weren’t exactly a renaissance period for the studio, this set does include a late Road Runner-Wile E. Coyote gem, “Lickety Splat,” featuring one of the best running gags in the entire series…the recurring appearance of explosive flying darts. The same can’t be said about “The Rebel Without Claws,” which plants Sylvester & Tweety in a Civil War setting…with the South as the good guys! The two fare better in another short, the hilarious “Catty Cornered.”

Speaking of political incorrectness, a little WWII-era jingoism can be found in 1944’s “Brother Brat,” featuring Porky Pig. But hey, those were different times and context certainly matters (though the toon itself ain’t all that funny). One of Foghorn Leghorn’s funnier shorts, “The Leghorn Blows at Midnight,” is also included, as is the Oscar nominated 1943 short, “Greetings Bait,” one of two titles featuring Wacky Worm.

Wacky Worm is one of many characters in the collection that casual viewers may not be familiar with. There are many lesser-known “one-off” cartoons by various directors, the best being Tex Avery’s pun-happy nature doc parody, “Cross Country Detours.” Few of them rank among Looney Tunes’ best, but collectors and completists will find a lot to like.