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Reviews
Buckaroo Bugs (1944)
One of the zaniest and funniest ever!
This is one cartoon everyone needs to see at least once. It is Bugs Bunny at his peak and in a rare villain roll. It is so utterly rediculous and so looney that it truly lives up to the Looney Tunes name. There are very few cartoons that can evoke pure side splitting laughter but this is definitely one of them. Do yourself a favor and check it out and watch it uncensored. That being said this is indeed one that is more for older teens and adults. Keep the little kiddies away until they get just a bit older. Mel Blanc, the man of a thousand voices, is absolutely steller in this as Bugs and all the voices, as you would expect. It is not often you watch something that can pull you instantly out of whatever disappointment or depression you might be currently in and bring joy and a smile to your face. This Cartoon is better than any medicine you can get. Let Dr. Bugs Bunny take care of you.
A Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur's Court (1978)
Great TV special.
A great TV special that recaptured some of the magic from the old days. Hard to find today in decent quality as most later home video releases were in VHS, it can be found in good quality in the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD sets. Bugs ends up in midevil times and the King, the Wizard, and the Knight are all some of Bugs Bunnys old pals like Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, and Elmer Fudd. Very rarely shown anymore on TV. Go searching for this one and enjoy. It's well worth the trouble to find it. Some of Mel Blancs last times voicing many of the characters. This was worthy of theatrical release but aired on TV in 1978 and was rebroadcast a couple more times in the 80s but not since. A great Looney Tunes gem that adults and kids alike will love.
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
You see this 94 version pop up keep searching.
This film is probably one of the worst bombs in film history and probably the absolute worst remake of all time. Bad decisions were made in casting. Richard Attenborough was probably the absolute worst person to cast as Santa after the entire world having watched him multiple times and for months in Jurassic Park the previous year. The entire world, especially small kids (and big ones) knew he was the old Jurassic Park guy. They should have went with a complete unknown or lesser known stage actor from Europe like the original did. That completely ruined the magic that anonymity can provide for Santa.
Casting a virtual unknown (for most of the world) was genius casting for the original 1947 film. No one in the US knew who Edmund Gwen was in the original and he wasn't even all that well known beyond England. The acting of Mr. Gwenn was ten times better as well and indeed won an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role. Attenborough got, well a big check and that's about it.
That comes to the Mom, played by Perkins, who comes off as bland and forgettable, the complete opposite of funny and charming as was played by O'Hara originally. She was fairly attractive though but that alone isn't enough.
The girl (Mara Wilson) from Mrs. Doubtfire is horribly cast and would have been better suited for another kids film or another comedy. Her lines were clearly fed to her the entire time and it shows (Natalie Wood had a photographic memory even at her young age and had memorised all her lines for the filming of the 47 original including the entire script).
Ok now it's time to be real: Looks do indeed matter in film, even for young stars. Mara Wilson has since blossomed into a really decent looking woman but in 1994 she was just about the most awkward and most homely looking girl they could have ever cast out of a literal sea of beautiful young child actresses. No matter what, all would have easily been better at the acting and it is guaranteed that they also would have been a lot cuter. Natalie Wood from the original always had a face that was right out of a fashion magazine except she was only 8 years old at the time. One of the cutest and most talented child stars since Shirley Temple.
McDermott is decent as the lawyer that helps out but his acting isn't helped by the others and it is horribly wasted. No doubt, what so ever, that this one is regularly left off his filmography when going in for an audition. Luckily this horrible remake has faded away into the relative obscurity of the bargain bin buried under countless other garbage. Even then, thankfully you only come across it once a year as your looking for something actually worth seeing. If it doesn't say (B&W1947) or even (Colorized 1947) then it isn't worth wasting your life on.