DVD Corner

Looney Tunes: Collector’s Choice Volume 2 Blu-ray Review

“Looney Tunes: Collector’s Choice Volume 2” offers up more laughter.  

Fans needing their “Looney Tunes” fix are sure to be in cartoon heaven with “Looney Tunes: Collector’s Choice Volume 2.” The set contains the following 25 cartoon shorts: “Behind The Meat-Ball,” “Brother Brat,” “Catty Cornered,” “Cross Country Detours,” “Daffy’s Southern Exposure,” “Ding Dog Daddy,” “The Eager Beaver,” “Fair And Worm-er,” “Fin ‘n Catty,” “From Hand To Mouse,” “Ghost Wanted,” “Greetings Bait,” “Hamateur Night,” “Hare-Breadth Hurry,” “A Hick A Slick And A Chick,” “Hiss And Make Up,” “A Hound For Trouble,” “I Wanna Be A Sailor,” “The Leghorn Blows At Midnight,” “Lickety-Splat,” “One Meat Brawl,” “The Penguin Parade,” “Rabbit Rampage,” “The Rebel Without Claws,” and “The Wacky Worm.”

The stories of the above listed episodes involve dogs grappling over meat, Porky Pig babysitting, Jerry tricking Tom and another cat, a travelog spoof, Daffy in danger of becoming a meal, a dog falling in love with a statue, a little beaver, a food chain chase, a cat and a goldfish, a mouse outsmarting a lion, a ghost auditioning to haunt a house, a worm as bait, a talent show, Bugs Bunny and Roadrunner, 2 mice vying for the attention of a lady mouse, a feuding cat, dog and canary, Charlie dog becoming a waiter in Italy, a young parrot wanting to become a sailor, Foghorn Leghorn playing a trick, Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner shenanigans, Porky pig hunting groundhogs, a penguin night club, Bugs Bunny arguing with a cartoonist, Sylvester and Tweety during the Civil War and a worm escaping the clutches of a crow.

Given that “Looney Tunes” has remained a timeless franchise, it’s always a treat to revisit shorts from the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s from animation directing greats like Frank Tashlin, Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, and Fritz Freleng. Even when the stories are recycled, basic or dated (see the Italian stereotypes in “A Hound For Trouble”), the inventive sight gags and animation artistry always shines bright. While none of these 25 shorts are top ranked “Looney Tunes” toons, there is still much to admire here. Among the most notable entries for me included “Cross Country Detours” (an amusing travelog/nature documentary spoof), “Hare-Breadth Hurry” (in which Bugs Bunny takes the Roadrunner’s place of being chased by Wile E. Coyote), and “Lickety-Splat” (a good old fashioned Roadrunner v Wile E. Coyote short). The best short here though is “Rabbit Rampage.” While similar to the classic “Duck Amuck” (which is arguably the holy grail of “Looney Tunes” shorts), this one finds Bugs Bunny feuding with the animator. It’s a truly funny and clever short with a great payoff in the end.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.37:1 1080p. How does it look? The cartoons have been beautifully restored. The colors are rich and the B&W episodes look top notch. There are noticeable dirt specs and print flaws, but that’s to be expected given their age. 

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Viewers can expect nice clean dialogue, music, sound effects, anvil drops, and narration.

No extras have been included.

November 28, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Bugs Bunny, Looney Tunes, Looney Tunes: Collector's Choice Volume 2 Blu-ray Review, Porky Pig, Roadrunnder, Warner Archive, Wile E. Coyote