Hare-Way to the Stars (1958) Poster

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7/10
Hare-Way to the Stars(1958) vs. Haredevil Hare(1948): Chuck Jones refines his work
CihanVercan19 December 2012
The original premiere Looney Tunes version of the first Marvin the Martian stories has this simple promise:

"Marvin the Martian is a diabolical genius who wants to destroy the Earth, but Bugs Bunny stops him"

Michael Maltese writes a script for Haredevil Hare(1948) following the promise above. In Haredevil Hare, Bugs Bunny is sent to Moon for a given mission: To establish the first radio contact between Moon and Earth. So he goes to Moon, just after he thinks he is the first creature to land on Moon, he meets with Marvin. Marvin wants to destroy the Earth. But Bugs distracts him, so he accidentally blows up his spaceship. Not only Bugs saves Earth from being destroyed he also completes his mission. But the plot-hole, a huge logical deficiency, here is that the space engineers establishing the first radio connection with Moon, doesn't know that a Martian wants to destroy the Earth, and even at the end of the episode Bugs Bunny didn't tell them so.

Director Chuck Jones and writer Michael Maltese make a revision 10 years after Haredevil Hare, naming it Hare-Way to the Stars, to keep it easily marketable rhyming it both with that earlier episode and also with Ella Fitzgerald's popular country song title(Stairway to the Stars). This way it became one of the most marketable cartoons of Warner Bros all time. In the production side, not only that the problems with the plot are fixed, but also Looney Tunes wanted them to create a more funny, more combative, more challenging cartoon. So Jones and Maltese started a new opening image and a unique set-up, putting Bugs in a bad morning mood after he wakes up to go and get himself a nice morning shower. The first funny and challenging moment is here in the set-up that, Bugs is not aware that he is going to Moon, unlike Haredevil Hare. Also when on the Moon, even though the same story 10 years ago follows its identical sections step by step, this time Marvin the Martian is more prepared to the combat, he has back-up for everything Bugs does. Bugs find himself in a tough challenge killing Martian soldiers one by one in most funny ways possible. And ultimately at the end, again unwillingly and uncontrollably, just like how he came to Moon, Bugs returns to Earth bringing Martians with him, creating a perfectly funny and suspended ending.

The next most noteworthy episode of Marvin the Martian story with him trying to blow up the Earth is "Mad as a Mars Hare"(1963) a Merrie Melodies touch to the Marvin the Martian series. What's different production-wise than the Looney Tunes episodes is that, as always Merrie Melodies are more concerned with the humour not with the story. In Mad as a Mars Hare, we will find Marvin the Martian more prepared to fight, more angrier, more challenging and hence more funnier, with cool sci-fi ideas that only add more booze to the excitement of the episode.
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7/10
Needs more Marvin
Tweekums22 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Bugs bunny is feeling somewhat hungover having mixed carrot juice and radish juice the night before; so much so that he doesn't notice when he gets to the top of the ladder out of his hole that he has also climbed up the inside of a rocket positioned above his hole. Opening the top he is surprised to find himself in space. He is hit by a Sputnik-like satellite which takes him so a strange platform where he finds Marvin the Martian about to blow up the Earth with an Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator so that he can get a better view of Venus.

Bugs steals the explosive which rather annoys Marvin, he adds water three dehydrated Martians which causes them to grow into large green bird-like creatures then tells them to catch Bugs. Of course he escapes and eventually steals a flying saucer to return to Earth... along with a container of dehydrated Martians which would have been fine if he hadn't crashed into water.

This is a pretty funny cartoon although sadly Marvin is underused, the dehydrated Martians are nowhere near as funny as Marvin; he has one of the best cartoon voices.
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7/10
"Where's the kaboom?"
utgard1421 August 2016
Very entertaining Bugs Bunny short from the great Chuck Jones. This one features Bugs facing off against Marvin the Martian. When Bugs is accidentally launched into space, he crashes onto a space station where Marvin is once again planning an attack on Earth with his "Explosive Space Modulator." Great voice work from Mel Blanc. Very nice music from Milt Franklyn. The animation is mostly excellent. The backgrounds and things like the spaceship are very well done, while Bugs looks a little rough sometimes. It's a funny cartoon with good lines and clever bits of creativity (like the silly birdlike Martian creatures Marvin sends after Bugs). Not my favorite Bugs & Marvin short but a very good one.
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10/10
Animation's crowning achievement
opsbooks10 March 2006
This and Duck Dodgers etc. are the two cartoons which have stuck in my mind since I first saw them over 40 years ago, though I didn't know the correct title until I thought of doing a search on 'Marvin Martian'. The last time I saw both was on 'The Bugs Bunny Show', which quite often - mostly, perhaps? - didn't include titles.

I suspect that you have to be 40 years of age or older to really appreciate this cartoon, which encapsulates the entire 1950s into it's length. The Cold War, the Bomb, Modern Art, the approaching leap into Space, even the fashions and colors, are worked into the 7 minutes.

In short, it's Warners Bros' supreme achieve in animation, and a fitting tribute to the Great Mel Blanc, not forgetting all those other geniuses whose names appear on the credits.

If I was limited to one item of movie media on a desert island, this would be my selection. Believe it :) !
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10/10
Wonderfully imaginative Bugs Bunny cartoon
TheLittleSongbird7 February 2010
I really do not understand why this cartoon was banned, I must have seen it 10 times in the past month and I don't find anything offensive about it. And I personally think it is better than Mad as a Mars Hare, which I liked for the voices, animation and music but I found it too talky and was disappointed at how little Marvin was given to do. Back on target, this cartoon is wonderfully imaginative; the animation is truly stunning and the music is atmospheric enough. Marvin is given more to do here, though if anything he could've done with a tad more, and Bugs is great. The writing I thought was excellent, Bug's last line "run to the hills, otherwise you'll be up to your armpits in martians" was hysterical. I think it was how Mel Blanc, brilliant again, delivered it. Overall, I enjoy this a lot, it is imaginative, beautifully animated and just fun really. 10/10 Bethany Cox
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A true classic and favorite
griffin8429 October 2003
Bugs awakens from a rather exhausting night (and he'll never mix radish-juice and carrot-juice again, that's for sure) and heads up the rabbit hole to take a bath. However, what he doesn't realize is that a rocket has been placed over his hole, and Bugs accidentally has climbed inside! After realizing what's going on, Bugs arrives at Mars. While trying to find a way home, he runs into Marvin the Martian, who is planning on destroying the Earth with his illudium Q-38 explosive space modulator! What follows is a classic chase-scene involving Bugs and a mob of dehydrated Martians. This has got to be one of my favorite all-time classic cartoons, not to mention the real start of Marvin the Martian's career (he had been in one other cartoon before this, but this is where Chuck Jones truly developed the Martian we all know today). And now if you don't mind, I have to run for the hills before I'm up to my armpits in Martians!!!
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9/10
I think someone made a mistake here...
planktonrules15 June 2007
Occasionally I like to browse Google using the search term "banned cartoons" as many of these suppressed films are interesting--especially from a historical point of view. With most of these cartoons I can understand why Disney and Warner Brothers have decided to withdraw them from general distribution, as they have some horribly insensitive and hurtful portrayals of minorities. However, SOME of them are excellent entertainment and aren't the least bit offensive to anyone other than a humorless corporate executive. Now why THIS PARTICULAR one was removed from circulation is beyond me and I wonder if it has NOT been pulled by Warner--especially since it features the ever-popular Marvin the Martian. Was, perhaps, someone offended because it made fun of aliens? I doubt it and seriously think this film was never repressed and someone labeled it "banned" incorrectly.

Now as for this cartoon, this is one of the most famous Warner toons and has been very popular with audiences over the years. Bugs accidentally gets shot into space where he meets Marvin--who is about to blow up the Earth since it obstructs his view of Venus!! Very funny stuff and featuring the best Chuck Jones-inspired artwork.
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10/10
My favorite cartoon with Bugs and Marvin
ja_kitty_7127 January 2017
This is my favorite Bugs Bunny cartoon that features Marvin the Martian as an adversary. Of course, it was vying with the last Bugs/Marivn cartoon from 1963 "Mad as a Mars Hare," but I love this cartoon better. I also love Maurice Noble's layout work for Mars, very good stuff there. I also like the sound of Marivn's "Where's the kaboom?" I'm funny that way. And the "mirror" scene between Bugs and one of the dehydrated Martians.

I am sorry to said that I have nothing else to say about this cartoon, other than the animation is perfect. So anyway, I thought this is another Bugs Bunny favorite.
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10/10
Space really is deeper than we think...and to think that I once thought that Marvin said a certain sexual organ when he said "Venus"!
lee_eisenberg19 October 2006
When Bugs Bunny, after a miserable night's sleep, accidentally boards a rocket-ship, he inadvertently ends up in the domain of Marvin Martian, who wants to blow up earth. When Bugs steals Marvin's earth-shattering device, Marvin promptly sends some birdlike Martians after Bugs. Sure enough, Bugs is way ahead of him.

Aside from Bugs Bunny's simple irreverence, it's always great how these cartoons weren't afraid to do whatever they wanted. Marvin sort of reminded me of a 17th century fop, how he talked. But either way, the cartoon is just one of many classics. Not to be missed. And you just might want to run to the hills...

Silly-vization. Ha!
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8/10
An entertaining Bugs Bunny and Martian cartoon.
Mightyzebra12 June 2008
First I'll say that Marvin and Bugs are very good in this Looney Tunes episode. Secondly I'll say that I did not like the other parts of this cartoon nearly as much. Stuff that I liked were the two main characters, the quotes and I thought the plot was quite good. The jokes are - in places - mediocre, at least the farce and slapstick ones are.

Personally I prefer "Mad as a Mars Hare" a slightly similar cartoon also featuring Bugs and Marvin. This particular cartoon is more for people who like the slapstick and farce in Looney Tunes, although this for people who like Bugs Bunny as well - at least to watch once, anyhow.

Planktonrules submitted a good point in his review: Why is this cartoon banned? I had not heard it was until I read his review and I think the reason may be something to do with the idea of "exploding the earth" and perhaps the fact that it is set in a demolition site may be something to do with it. These are complete guesses, but it's something to think about while you watch this cartoon.

Bugs Bunny, having had carrot juice and radish juice mixed, feels absolutely dreadful and is having a sort of hangover. Due to some circumstances (that you have to watch to understand properly) Bugs climbs into a space rocket and finds himself in space, on a comet and in some sort of space station where a little alien is very excited....

I recommend this to all Bugs Bunny fans, people who like space Looney Tunes and people who like farce at least a little bit. Enjoy! :-)
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A forced setup with mostly weak material but still has it's moments
bob the moo27 February 2004
Badly hung over from mixing radish juice and carrot juice the night before, bugs staggers up his stairs and accidentally into a space rocket that has been established as a launch point directly above his home. When the rocket reaches his destination, Bugs stumbles into a plot by an alien to destroy the earth - a plot Bugs has no option but to try and foil.

This film is one of the many that started to cash in on the whole sci-fi scene and saw the creation of the alien character who has faced up to several of the usual characters. The plot here is too simple for my tastes and doesn't create that many funny sequences. The overly silly setup is happily put aside as soon as it can be to create a battle of wits between Bugs and alien. Sadly this chase is full of daft looking monsters who are easily outwitted by Bugs - but only in one amusing sequence. Before you know it the film is finished (and with a whimper at that).

Bugs is good and the alien is funny if you like him; the problem seems to be with the material, which is uninspired and lacking in real imagination or spark. Bits of it are still pretty amusing but mostly I found it to be quite lacklustre considering the characters involved. Overall, it is worth seeing because all Bugs Bunny films are, but it would have been nice if the material had ran to a few more sequences with more laughs.
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