History Film / LooneyTunesBackInAction

The second feature film attempt at reviving the LooneyTunes franchise since the fall of the original WarnerBros. cartoons, after ''Film/SpaceJam''. Released in 2003, this film is another good example of the RogerRabbitEffect. DaffyDuck is fired from the Warner Studio and falls in the middle of a search for a mysterious Blue Monkey diamond that the secret agent father of a security guard is also trying to find before the Head of Acme does. Without Daffy, BugsBunny just can't do his job, and he heads out across the world with the VP of Comedy to retrieve him. Brendan Fraser and Jenna Elfman star as said security guard and VP, Joe Alaskey voices both Bugs ''and'' Daffy, and SteveMartin is a live-action villain who is the Head of the [[AcmeProducts Acme]] Corporation that apparently invents all the malfunctioning devices known to cartoon-dom. Creator/JoeDante directs. Eric Goldberg, who animated ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}''[='=]s Genie, directs the animation.

* EfficientDisplacement: The cartoon characters, of course.

->''What am I talkin' to you for? All you gotta do is munch on a carrot and people love you.''

The second feature film attempt at reviving the LooneyTunes franchise since the fall of the original WarnerBros. cartoons, after ''Film/SpaceJam''. Released in 2003, this film is another good example of the RogerRabbitEffect. DaffyDuck is fired from the Warner Studio and falls in the middle of a search for a mysterious Blue Monkey diamond that the secret agent father of a security guard is also trying to find before the Head of Acme does. Without Daffy, BugsBunny just can't do his job, and he heads out across the world with the VP of Comedy to retrieve him. Brendan Fraser and Jenna Elfman star as said security guard and VP, Joe Alaskey voices both Bugs ''and'' Daffy, and SteveMartin is a live-action villain who is the Head of the [[AcmeProducts Acme]] Corporation that apparently invents all the malfunctioning devices known to cartoon-dom. Joe Dante directs. Eric Goldberg, who animated ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}''[='=]s Genie, directs the animation.

Rumor has it that Dante made this revival in response to his deep hatred for the previous film incarnation, calling this the "anti-''Space Jam''". Ironically, its working title was ''Spy Jam'', and had an action-oriented, JamesBond-like feel to it, instead of spoofing sports movies. It also was going to star [[JackieChan Jackie]] [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Chan]]. The secret agent story remains, but Bugs and company are AnimatedActors under contract at the Warner Studios lot, instead of otherworldly residents separate from our own. Rather than make all of them friends, they cast Elmer Fudd and the other supporting Tunes as enemies of Bugs and Daffy, several of which live around the world.

* CreatorBacklash: Since the film came out, JoeDante has really only discussed this movie publicly ''just once''. The one time he did all he could talk about was the ExecutiveMeddling behind it, and "the less said about [the movie], the better." He did say though that "At least it's better than SpaceJam".

* SingleMindedTwins: Don and Dan Stanton show up as "Mr. Warner" and "Mr. Warner's Brother". Joe Dante fans might remember them as the grown-up versions of Ernest and Bertram Wilson from EerieIndiana.

** Bugs recreates the iconic scene from Psycho.
** There's a scene in the casino of every Looney Tune dog character playing poker.

'''This film provides examples of:'''

--> '''D.J''': What I really do is I... I'm a stunt boy!
--> '''Daffy''': HA! You, a stunt boy!? Please!
--> '''D.J.''': I am! You seen those ''[[TheMummy Mummy]]'' movies? I'm in them more than Brendan Fraser is!

** One would think this evidently leads to TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, since it ends Bugs' historic survival instinct (besides cross-dressing which he was discouraged from doing anymore due to how modern audiences perceive the act). He really [[LargeHam milks his injuries for all their worth]] in front of the big executives too. Like all classic cartoons, [[IGotBetter he gets better by the next shot]].

* RapeAsComedy: Parodied by Pepe Le Pew (big surprise there)
-->'''DJ:''' There's a... man whose got a woman. She's tied up in a burlap sack. He's taking her to the Eiffel Tower.
-->'''Pepe:''' Ahh! It is spring. Is it not?

* SingleMindedTwins: Don and Dan Stanton show up as "Mr. Warner" and "Mr. Warner's Brother". Joe Dante fans might remember them as Ernest and Bertram Wilson from EerieIndiana.

* CelebrityParadox: See Art Shift above. Also, as stated above: DJ Drake, played by Brendan Fraser, punches in the face... Brendan Fraser.

The second feature film attempt at reviving the LooneyTunes franchise since the fall of the original WarnerBros. cartoons, after ''SpaceJam''. Released in 2003, this film is another good example of the RogerRabbitEffect. DaffyDuck is fired from the Warner Studio and falls in the middle of a search for a mysterious Blue Monkey diamond that the secret agent father of a security guard is also trying to find before the Head of Acme does. Without Daffy, BugsBunny just can't do his job, and he heads out across the world with the VP of Comedy to retrieve him. Brendan Fraser and Jenna Elfman star as said security guard and VP, Joe Alaskey voices both Bugs ''and'' Daffy, and SteveMartin is a live-action villain who is the Head of the [[AcmeProducts Acme]] Corporation that apparently invents all the malfunctioning devices known to cartoon-dom. Joe Dante directs. Eric Goldberg, who animated ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}''[='=]s Genie, directs the animation.

* MythologyGag: [[SpaceJam "Let's do some drills."]]

* {{Retcon}}: The whole reason this movie exists (see opening paragraph for an explanation). It managed to be truer to the characters and humor than ''SpaceJam'', but barely anyone saw it in theaters!

* RuleOfFunny: As opposed to ''SpaceJam'', which had a more conventional plot, this is basically a Looney Tunes short extended to 90 minutes that just happens to be partially-made in live-action. Accept this, as it's the only way you could possibly enjoy the movie.

** Also, during Mr. Chairman's succession of unmaskings, one of the disguises is... [[SpaceJam Michael Jordan.]] Which is quickly discarded.

Financially, it performed even worse than ''Space Jam''... in fact, it's estimated that Warner Bros. lost between $60 million and $80 million on the film, making it one of the biggest box office flops ''ever'' -- [[FranchiseKiller theaters retracted the film out of embarrassment, and the series of brand new theatrical cartoon shorts were all canceled...]] some of which ''were already finished''. This film made the company realize there doesn't seem to be any clear future for the Tunes, except for the occasional television special, [[DuckDodgers a faithful new TV series]] and [[LoonaticsUnleashed some controversial]] [[http://www.deadline.com/2010/08/warner-bros-next-movie-star-bugs-bunny/#more-61224 updates]] (at least until ''TheLooneyTunesShow''). Still however fans have been known to state the movie is much better than ''Space Jam'', bringing the characters back to their roots, and has gained a cult following on DVD. In fact, many claim one of the main reasons the film failed at the theaters was due in part to the lousy marketing of Warner Bros.

* ScoobyDoobyDoors

* UnpopularPopularCharacter: Daffy, perhaps here more than ever, as WB statistics show that his fanbase is made up entirely of BasementDwellers. In real life, he has had [[DuckDodgers his own series]], he gets [[SpotlightStealingSquad almost all the focus]] in ''TheLooneyTunesShow'', and has a far larger role than Bugs in ''this very movie''.

* ArtShift: Shaggy and ScoobyDoo have a short cameo threatening bodily harm to Matthew Lillard in the studio cafeteria after seeing his performance of the former in the live action film.. They are rendered in the same art style as the ''Scooby Doo'' cartoons.
** The above also qualifies as HilariousInHindsight. Guess who's voicing Shaggy now?

* ProductPlacement: Lampshaded when Bugs mentions this very trope while noticing a Walmart in the middle of a desert.

* YouHaveFailedMe: Mr. Chairman has Taz eat one of the VPs for questioning him. Also, a DeletedScene reveals the reason why the VPs had to press their buzzers before speaking up.

** Ron pearlman's character (the VP who gets devoured by Taz), is a not-too subtle caricature of Ted Turner.

--->'''Sam:''' THROW. IT. OUT.

--->'''Sam:''' '''THROW IT OU-''' *explosion*