Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)

Director:

Joe Dante

Writer (WGA):

Larry Doyle (written by)

Release Date:

14 November 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family

Tagline:

Real life has never been so animated

Plot:

The Looney Tunes search for a man's missing father and the mythical Blue Monkey diamond.

Plot Keywords:

Diamond | Duck | Monkey | Daffy Duck | Spy

Awards:

8 nominations

Cast

Brendan Fraser	...	DJ Drake / Himself / Voice of Tasmanian Devil and She-Devil
Jenna Elfman	...	Kate
Steve Martin	...	Mr. Chairman
Timothy Dalton	...	Damien Drake
Heather Locklear	...	Dusty Tails
Joan Cusack	...	Mother
Bill Goldberg	...	Mr. Smith
Don Stanton	...	Mr. Warner
Dan Stanton	...	Mr. Warner's Brother
Dick Miller	...	Security Guard
Roger Corman	...	Hollywood Director
Kevin McCarthy	...	Dr. Bennell
Jeff Gordon	...	Himself
Matthew Lillard	...	Himself
Mary Woronov	...	Acme VP, Bad Ideas

Also Known As:

Looney Tunes Back in Action: The Movie (USA) (DVD box title)
Looney Tunes: The Movie (USA) (working title)
Spy Jam (USA) (working title)
The Untitled Looney Tunes Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild language and innuendo.

Runtime:

USA:91 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:G (all jurisdictions) | Malaysia:U | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | South Korea:All | Portugal:M/6 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Brazil:Livre | Chile:TE | Finland:K-7 | Germany:6 (bw) | Norway:7 | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:6 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #40190)

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The DVD-ROM contains 10 full deleted scenes, or extended scenes. 1. An alternate opening with Daffy presenting a Batman-like project for himself to star in. 2. Daffy being thrown out of the WB studio lot along with DJ (Brendan Fraser). 3. A brief scene where DJ and Daffy are running through the Vegas streets, and Daffy momentarily gets distracted by some show girls. 4. A scene in the desert where Bugs and Daffy taunt DJ and Kate's (Jenna Elfman) predicament. 5. A much longer fight sequence in Area 52, including a long sequence where Daffy and Marvin the Martian board spaceships and battle each other through the Grand Canyon. 6. The heroes try to pass a Gauntlet of Death. Daffy is not successful. 7. Mr. Chairman (Steve Martin) punishing one of his representatives (Robert Picardo) 8. Daffy being transformed into a fly. 9. DJ tries to save Kate from Bill Goldberg on the Eiffel Tower. 10. Alternate, and slightly less climatic ending where DJ battles Mr. Chairman in the jungle ruins over the Blue Monkey diamond.

Goofs:

Continuity: DJ arrives at his home on a motorcycle, and he leaves it in his father's driveway. As he and Daffy are leaving the house in the gremlin, there is nothing in the driveway, and the motorcycle can be seen in the garage.

Quotes:

Mr. Chairman: [Referring to the screen showing DJ's dad about to meet his demise] Here is you father tied up on the tracks, and here is the train of death right on schedule. You see Mr. Drake, if the train of death doesn't kill your father, then maybe those crates of TNT will, not to mention the two ton anvil hanging over his head, and...
Mr. Chairman: [Noticing the pendulum of doom] Oh, and look there's the pendulum of doom! What's the pendulum of doom doing there? I did not order the pendulum of doom!
Mr. Chairman: [On the intercom with Wily E. Coyote] That's overkill! Get rid of it!

Movie Connections:

References Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Soundtrack:

Viva Las Vegas

The greatest animation/live-action comedy ever!

Mysteries never cease. This smart and hysterically funny film tanks spectacularly and the disappointing Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a blockbuster and Scooby Doo gets a sequel. Maybe people do get the films they deserve after all!

Joe Dante has always been hit and miss outside of the Gremlins films, but this is way up there with Gremlins 2 as his masterpiece. Unlike recent shorts, this recaptures the feel and insanity of the great Looney Tunes perfectly and Dante fills the live action world they inhabit when not making shorts with more in-gags than you can shake a stick at - and 90% of them are great. Yet critics despised it apart from the brilliant chase in the Louvre: maybe they were too dumb to pick up on the in-jokes? Even Steve Martin isn't as bad as they made out. And the film has a great score by Jerry Goldsmith too.

Terrific entertainment, one of the funniest all-round comedies I've ever seen!