Big Top Bunny (1951) User Reviews

Bugs Battles Bruno

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 19 February 2007]

"Colonel Korny's World Famous Circus" is in town, featuring "Bruno, the Skobokian Acrobatic Bear." The colonel gets a phone call informing him of a talented rabbit and the boss says, okay, tell him to come down and I'll have him perform with Bruno. The big bear, overhearing this, is not happy. "Nobody shares the spotlight with Bruno The Magnificent," he tells us (the viewers), "especially a stinking little rabbit."

Anyway, the act starts that night and immediately, Bruno starts sabotaging Bugs, trying to ruin him. After Bugs takes some big-time licks, he catches on and the tables are turned. The two go at it the rest of the night and you know who will wind up the big winner. How Bugs brutalizes the beast is pretty funny with some clever ideas. The sight gags were good, too, such as Bugs "pedaling" a bicycle in midair. The movie ends with a bang, literally.

This is prime Bugs Bunny humor.

It isn't awful, but it it was pretty weak even for Bugs Bunny

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 3 October 2010]

I love Bugs Bunny and I love Looney Tunes, but I am sorry to say I am not a fan of Big Top Bunny. It definitely wasn't awful, but it is one of my least favourite Bugs Bunny cartoons.

Starting with the good things, I did like the animation in general. The colours are great, as are the backgrounds and Bugs looks fine. The music has its usual energy and quirkiness, while the dialogue is reasonably amusing and the sight gags while slightly lacking in originality are decent especially with the idea with the heights. And as always Mel Blanc's voice work is superb.

However, there are things that make Big Top Bunny somewhat decidedly lacklustre. The story is incredibly predictable and offers little to no surprises, while the pacing is uneven, it starts off slow and then it suddenly feels as though a bomb has hit it and it doesn't slow down. My main problem with Big Top Bunny is the character of Bruno. I do not like him... at all. In this cartoon, Bruno's character design is the only one I don't care for, it is ugly and I think inconsistent too, while the voice was rather tiresome and some of his dialogue did little for me either.

Overall, not terrible but sadly not particularly good either. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Big Top Bunny is a pretty entertaining Robert McKimson Bugs Bunny

[tavm · 8/10 · 31 December 2007]

When the circus hires Bugs Bunny as an attraction, Bruno-an Eastern European bear, gets jealous and tries to sabotage him. He succeeds the first time but the rabbit catches on. The gag where Bruno ends up in the band's kettle drum isn't funny but everything else is. I especially liked the one when Bugs, after being given a handle with bear hands by Bruno on his trapeze, uses that handle and "peddles" his way back to the bear's starting base. Robert McKimson didn't make the greatest Warner Bros. cartoons compared to Chuck Jones, Friz Freling, Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, or Frank Tashlin but because of all that talent that surrounded him, he could still make good animated shorts that can be entertaining in themselves. Big Top Bunny is one of them.

Robert McKimson delivers a picture that's better than his usual; character animation and Mel Blanc's voice work are particularly strong

[J. Spurlin · 11 March 2007]

Bruno, a Slobokian bear (whatever that is) and a circus acrobat, does not take kindly to having Bugs Bunny join his previously solo act at Colonel Korny's World Famous Circus. Somehow, during a performance, an anvil ends up where Bugs's head should go. Fool him once, shame on the Slobokian bear. But Bugs won't be fooled twice. He's ready for Bruno's dirty tricks throughout the rest of the act and has a few tricks of his own. Somehow Bruno ends up taking several falls into a bass drum before finding himself competing with Bugs in a high diving act. Will Bugs or Bruno take the dip?

Robert McKimson, a flaccid director, does a better-than-average job here. Bruno is a funny creation, thanks in large part to Mel Blanc doing the Russian-accented voice. The character animation is particularly strong; the gags are reasonably funny; and we're made particularly eager to see Bugs triumph over this bullying jerk. This is a good cartoon: no more, no less.

This cartoon is available on the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume One," Disc 1.

I'm not sure what to make of this cartoon.

[Mightyzebra · 7/10 · 2 January 2009]

"Big Top Bunny" is an odd (in a negative way) Bugs Bunny cartoon - and I'm sure many people think the reason is because Robert McKimson directed it. Personally, I think that theory is ridiculous. All the other Looney Tunes directors have produced equally odd (in a negative way) cartoons sometime or other. Robert McKimson is a very good Looney Tunes director, but personally I think this is one of his weaker cartoons (his second weakest, in my opinion).

Despite its oddities (which I will list later), "Big Top Bunny" is still a cartoon worth watching, even if only once. Bugs Bunny is a good character here, not disappointing and as likable as ever. The animation is reasonable as well, but not something to rant on about (just a good quality). Parts of the humour are laughable, but overall, this cartoon is not the funniest Looney Tune ever.

The oddities of the cartoon are Bug's side character (who is a rather annoying, drawling circus bear), the length of the cartoon (it feels too short even though it is average Looney Tune length) and a deal of the jokes are also unfunny and odd as well.

In this cartoon, Bruno the bear, a circus bear, is complimenting his lovely circus life, when he hears that there will be a new animal in the ring - an acrobatic rabbit. Bruno is furious that he should be paired alongside a "leetle rabbit" and bears a grudge against Bugs Bunny when they first meet. Bugs Bunny is determined to earn his revenge against this annoying bear...

I recommend this cartoon to people who enjoy the repetitive, slapsticky side of Looney Tunes and to people who like annoying side characters to make things "interesting." Enjoy "Big Top Bunny"! :-)

Seen it already.

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 6/10 · 7 June 2004]

In this short Bugs Bunny joins the circus as an acrobatic bunny and enrages Bruno the Bear, the circus' main attraction. Bruno proceeds to humiliate Bugs, opening Pandora's box. Because you do NOT mess with Bugs.

Much like the earlier High Diving Hare, the laughs in this short come from the various ways Bugs can make Bruno fall from high heights by outsmarting him. It's a bit too much of a deja vu.

Plus Bruno the Bear isn't really a formidable adversary and Bugs all too easily tricks him into stupidness.

Bugs has been funnier than this.

Bugs vs. Bruno at the Circus

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 29 July 2015]

This is a 7-minute Warner Bros. cartoon from almost 65 years ago. Bugs Bunny is the star again this time and he joins a circus where he meets a jealous bear who is not willing to share being the top attraction. Early on, Bugs does everything right basically, but the bear starts bullying him and that's never a good idea with Bugs. At the latest when he asks you "What's Up Dawg", you know that you are in deep trouble. Director McKimson and writer Pierce have worked on so many Looney Tunes that they knew exactly what they were doing. And here they include basically all the circus equipment and references you can think of to make this an enjoyable watch. One of the better Looney Tunes from the 1950s and it is actually a bit of a pity that Bruno did not appear in further films. Good stuff and I recommend it.

Enjoyable cartoon, with Bruno the Bear the comic attraction

[llltdesq · 8/10 · 1 June 2002]

Bugs Bunny always works best when he has a suitably obnoxious opponent and he has one here in Bruno the Magnificent, a vain and egotistical bear who most definitely wants the spotlight all to himself. Enter our hero, stage left, and a series of standard sight gags and some good lines. I loved this cartoon growing up and I'm glad it's in print. Cute short that's worth looking for. Recommended.

Nobody give Slovakia bad reputation!

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 25 December 2006]

Sorry if I find it a little hokey when they make Eastern Europeans the antagonists in movies; they do that in "Big Top Bunny", as Bugs Bunny ends up in the circus and gets paired with a jealous Slovak bear. Bugs plays some funny tricks on the big guy - hell, with this big doofus, it's a cinch - but I would like to see a movie or cartoon in which Eastern Europeans are not the antagonists. I know that this cartoon was produced only a few years into the Cold War, when we were supposed to view the Soviet bloc as the evilest place of all time, but it just seems dated (particularly to someone like me, a student of Russian). Otherwise, it's a pretty funny cartoon, especially the diving scene.

Not my favorite Bugs Bunny short but still good

[naomithecutie · 8/10 · 27 December 2020]

A lot of people don't seem to like this short, which I'm ok with(after all it's just their opinion) but me. I actually really like this short, the jokes/gags were pretty funny, the animation's great, and the voice acting sounded good. The only thing I didn't like about this short is on how annoying Bruno was, I didn't really liked him. But overall great short so it is a 8/10

Unfunny bunny

[archiveguy · 5/10 · 22 October 2000]

Bugs has been much better elsewhere. Though the big top has great potential, as does the villainous Bruno, it's all too familiar, with most of the gags and wisecracks coming off as average at best. But what else can you expect from McKimson?

"I don't know how you do this, but if YOU could do it, BRUNO could do it better!"

[slymusic · 28 May 2009]

"Big Top Bunny" is an excellent Bugs Bunny cartoon that teams him up with Bruno the Slobokian Acrobatic Bear. The arrogant Bruno becomes insanely jealous about having Bugs horn in on his circus act. There is absolutely no way in hell Bruno is going to allow himself to be upstaged by a little gray rabbit!

My favorite scenes from "Big Top Bunny" include the following (DO NOT read any further if you have not yet seen this cartoon). Bruno is quite funny even in his first scene as he expresses his disgust (with a humorously thick accent that could only be voiced by Mel Blanc) about having to share the spotlight with Bugs. During a fall, Bruno lands inside a tuba, which blasts him out onto a kettledrum, where he gets struck with a pair of mallets. The scene that probably makes me laugh the most is that of Bugs and Bruno continually elevating their heights above the ground and arguing about who will jump first - into a block of cement!

Please, oh PLEASE, let us not overlook composer/arranger Carl W. Stalling's contribution to "Big Top Bunny". The fact that he could quote a Sousa march one moment and a popular song the next is a testament of his true genius. Animation historian Michael Barrier's audio commentary for the DVD (the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1 Disc 1) is essentially a kind tribute to Maestro Stalling.

A tedious and unfunny cartoon with an ugly, distressing one-shot villain

[phantom_tollbooth · 3/10 · 18 August 2008]

I've never been a fan of Robert McKimson's 'Big Top Bunny' and the main reason for that is its villain, Bruno the Slobokian Bear. Aside from his tiresome accent and general lack of charisma, Bruno is so unappealingly designed. A big, ugly brown and white lump, Bruno used to freak me out as a child. I first encountered him on my old Viewmaster which had a single frame from this cartoon, an image of Bugs Bunny flying through the air towards Bruno. I could recognise Bugs instantly of course, but the other character was indistinguishable and disturbing to me. I couldn't tell who or what it was and I used to peer at it through the two eyepieces of the Viewmaster with a mixture of intrigue and genuine unease.

All these years later, I have encountered Bruno on screen several times and my unease has melted into disinterest. Thankfully, this tedious character was never used again after 'Big Top Bunny' and it's not hard to see why. Writer Tedd Pierce struggles to find an enjoyable way to use such a lumpy character and, as a result, Bruno poses so little threat to Bugs that the rabbit doesn't even seem to be trying, resorting in some very feeble clowning. There are a couple of exceptions: an inventive gag involving a pocket watch and the finale in which Bruno and Bugs attempt to one-up each other by threatening to jump off ever higher platforms into diminishing amounts of water, resulting in the deeply satisfying image of Bruno slamming his frightening face into solid cement! Apart from those brief moments of respite, 'Big Top Bunny' is a massive let-down right down to Bugs' off-form final comment to camera.

Minor Bugs

[Michael_Elliott · 12 April 2009]

Big Top Bunny (1951)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Minor Looney Tunes has Bugs Bunny becoming partners with Bruno, the Slobokian Bear who isn't happy about having to share the spotlight. During their carnival act Bruno tries to destroy Bugs but things end up working out the opposite. This isn't a classic short or even a very good one but it does manage to get a few laughs, which make it worth watching. The best joke is during the finale where the two argue as to which one will jump hundreds of feet into some cement. One of the biggest problems with this short is the bear, which just comes off as a rather weak character. I really didn't care too much for his look, talk or any of his actions. Bugs is his typical classic self though.

"Am I not magnificent?" No, Bruno. Now go away.

[utgard14 · 5/10 · 28 September 2015]

Bugs joins a circus and is paired with an acrobatic bear named Bruno. Bruno doesn't like having Bugs forced upon him so he does what he can to make life miserable for the rabbit. Bugs, as you probably expect, doesn't take kindly to Bruno's antagonism. A middling effort from Robert McKimson. The animation is fine and the colors are nice. The music is lively and whimsical. The voice work from Mel Blanc is good, as always. The problem is the short is very predictable with no gags that really stand out. The bear Bruno is unlikable and, frankly, a lazy character. Bugs is only as good as his antagonists and here he's saddled with an unremarkable villain with a corny accent. Not to mention he's drawn rather unimaginatively, too. Anyway, it's not the worst Bugs short by far but it doesn't hold up to the high standards his cartoons usually had in the 1950s.

McKimson strikes again

[movieman_kev · 23 November 2004]

Let's get this out of the way first, I love Loony Tunes, but I don't care for the Robert McKimson directed shorts so bear that in mind when reading this review. Bruno the bear gets jealous that Bugs is getting to be the star attraction. So what follows next is a battle of wits. It's not much of a battle as Bruno is one of Bug's most stupid opponents and that makes the short a bit less engaging. It's very possible that in more capable hands that this short could've been much better. But sadly the mediocre Robert McKimson strikes again. This cartoon is on Disk 1 of the "Loony Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1" and has it's own commentary track

My Grade: C

Standard Warner Brothers fare--nothing special about this cartoon.

[rapt0r_claw-1 · 30 June 2003]

Though fairly good and worth some good laughs, this cartoon comes across as weak, basically. There is no real story development at all except for the introduction and the ending. Average animation--typically McKimson--that doesn't really hit you as all that exceptional. Bugs is often very good against a more muscular enemy--normally a one-shot--but this is NOT the prime example. The ending--comprised of one long sequence--is funny, though the McKimson booby trap has appeared far too many times and isn't all that ingenious to stay hilarious. Still worth a laugh though. It's supposedly the main feature in a video chock-full of classic masterpieces mainly by Chuck Jones! Rabbit Rampage could have earned the title, since it might not even imply that the cartoon is the feature. Plenty of cartoons were made on the theme of brain vs. brawn, but this is not the best of them. Worth some laughs when you're bored, regardless. Worth watching if you like cliche.