"Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Wile E Coyote, Genius!" With those words, Chuck Jones & Michael Maltese place their most hapless predator squarely in the cross-hairs of that most ruthless of all adversaries, Bugs Bunny! We all know it'll be a mismatch from the beginning, but that doesn't stop us from enjoying the rascally rabbit's systematic destruction of his opponent, who ends up collapsing at his feet, moaning "My name is Mud!!" . This is the coyote's second appearance on screen -- his first, of course, was against Road Runner in "Fast and Furry-ous". But Road Runner cartoons were done in the style of the old silent movies, and Coyote was pretty much a helpless victim of his own bad luck. But against Bugs Bunny, he gets a name (Wile E), he speaks -- and he's a much more arrogant (and less sympathetic) character -- and of course Bugs Bunny takes an active role in his disasters. Consequently, I think the Road Runner cartoons are funnier, and more clever. But "Operation Rabbit" still has some great moments (SPOILERS COMING -- BEWARE) -- my favorite is when Wile E designs an explosive mechanical lady rabbit to trick Bugs, only to fall victim to the same gag played on him by Bugsy -- and then get blasted by his own booby trap ("Ohhh No!!" cries the barbecued canine just before disaster strikes again). In all, Wile E is blown up six hilarious times in this short, finally ending up hanging, dazed and confused, from a tree branch, high up the side of a cliff. I always expect that branch to snap... and am actually kind of disappointed when it doesn't! A very funny cartoon, and the best of the Wile E vs Bugs match-ups.
Review of Operation: Rabbit
