The Essential Bugs Bunny

Fans may not agree that the 12 Looney Tunes shorts presented on this set's first disc—spanning the years 1940 (including “Elmer's Candid Camera,” with a proto-Bugs and an early Elmer Fudd, but with neither distinctive voice) to 1957—are “essentials.” But they're a well-curated selection of key cartoons that illustrate individual landmarks, from the first ‘toon to utter the wise-guy signature line “What's up, Doc?” (“A Wild Hare,” 1940) to caricatures of Warner Bros. studio movie stars Peter Lorre (“Hairdevil Hare,” 1948) and Humphrey Bogart (“8 Ball Bunny,” 1950). And the compilation boasts three of the greatest and most creative Bugs episodes of all time: the hilarious highbrow farce “Rabbit of Seville” (1950); “Rabbit Fire” (1951), with Bugs and Daffy Duck turning vaudeville wordplay into surreal sparring; and the brilliant Wagner parody “What's Opera, Doc?” (1957), all directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The second disc features more recent animated originals and TV shows, archival goodies, and a featurette on Bugs' brilliant career, but the highlight is the previously released 1976 TV special Bugs and Daffy's Carnival of the Animals, with the characters reading Ogden Nash verse to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns. The lavish Looney Tunes: Golden Collection boxed sets featuring these seminal cartoons are still the preferred choice, but as the best bargain alternative available, this is definitely recommended. (S. Axmaker)