Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Looney Tunes: Bugs Bunny: 80th Anniversary Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Bugs Bunny is one of the most beloved characters in the history of animation. Throughout the passage of time, audiences have continued to love the beloved animated icon in many ways – from sharing the character with their family and friends – to dressing up as the iconic bunny for Halloween parties. The 80^th anniversary collection of Bugs Bunny animated shorts (released by Warner Bros.) is a testament to the enduring legacy of the character.

Created by Leon Schlesinger Productions before becoming a staples of Warner Bros. Animation, the lovable animated legend was voiced by the great Mel Blanc and appeared in over 160 short films produced during the golden age of Warner Bros. animation (including shorts within the Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes monikers). With creative visionaries including the likes of Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, and Friz Freleng working on the Bugs Bunny animated shorts behind-the-scenes, the history of the iconic bunny was only just beginning.

The character celebrates the special anniversary with style and long-time fans of the sly bunny will be thrilled to have a fantastic set containing an assortment of classics from over the years. Fans of Bugs Bunny will find the set a treasure-trove of forgotten classics and beloved favorites from over the 80 years of the iconic character. Warner Bros. has crafted a loving set as tribute to the animated hero.

The collection includes a plethora of all-time favorites: including the must-see “Rabbit Season/Duck Season” shorts featuring the unforgettable feud between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Then there's “What's Opera, Doc?” and it's genius portrayal of opera through the medium of animation. These brilliant shorts and more are included in this jam-packed set.

Time for a home run, Bugs.

As a child, I used to devour Bugs Bunny cartoons as fast as possible (often watching the cartoons for hours on end). Every single video-cassette tape I could get my hands on with Bugs Bunny shorts was something I would watch – and re-watch, over and over again. The cartoons always made me smile (and often laugh out loud). The characters were goofy and a little looney – with Bugs Bunny as my favorite.

There was something truly exceptional about the character of Bugs Bunny that made these cartoons so entertaining – perhaps it was the smart-Alec sense-of-humor. My mother would purchase me bags of giant orange carrots, which I would eat all around the house while repeating the “What's up, doc?” phrase over-and-over again. In some respects, I was obsessed. Who wasn't?

Revisiting the cartoons in high-definition (across the three-disc set jam-packed with shorts) is something special. The zany comedy hijinks hold up to this day. There are no extraneous shorts. Everything seems important (and holds a special place in the pantheon of animation history). Bugs Bunny will never age – even if we do. Yet the journey taken with Bugs Bunny is one that never grows old.

Looney Tunes: Bugs Bunny: 80th Anniversary Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Bugs Bunny 80^th Anniversary Collection is a fantastic three-disc Blu-ray collection containing an assortment of shorts from across decades of the animated icon. The set features high-definition masters of the shorts and it is clear that a lot of love went in to assembling this fantastic set. The shorts are just as I remember them, with beautiful film grain left intact (and no obtrusive DNR to ruin the experience).

Though the shorts show some slight age, the resolution boost is incredible and the encoding is so much better than ever before. There are few issues to report with regards to compression artifacts and the set manages to give ample space to each short-film so that the presentation quality doesn't suffer. Fans of Bugs Bunny should look no further – the 80^th anniversary collection contains nice masters of all-time classics and is well worth a look.

Looney Tunes: Bugs Bunny: 80th Anniversary Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes each short is Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio. Though the audio is faithful to the original sound design, it is a little lackluster to see that no lossless audio option was provided (such as DTS-HD Master Audio or Dolby TrueHD). Nonetheless, the audio tracks fare just fine – and are never a distraction from enjoyment. Dialogue remains clear and easy to understand.

Music sounds quite nice and surprisingly cinematic in scope (and only seems to lack some of the extra finesse of modern-day film and television productions that have lossless high-resolution audio). It is hard to imagine most viewers finding significant qualms with the audio quality. Though it could perhaps sound a little bit better, all but the most discerning of audiophiles will find any fault.

Looney Tunes: Bugs Bunny: 80th Anniversary Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The box-set includes a Bugs Bunny Funko figurine. As a fan of Funko figurines, I was a excited to see the inclusion of a special limited edition figurine. However, I realized upon receipt of the set I wasn't as pleased with the pack-in: the Funko figure has glitter on it and it seems far lass enticing. I certainly wouldn't want to display it as a collectors piece and get glitter on my bookshelf. However, Bugs Bunny fans who are less discerning might find it a nice extra toss-in. Consider it an added bonus (and not as the main attraction of the set).

The package also includes a booklet featuring a break-down of every short-film included in the set and a listing of extras.

Disc One:

Audio Commentaries -

Elmer's Candid Camera featuring Jerry Beck

A Wild Hare featuring Greg Ford

Hold the Lion, Please featuring Greg Ford

Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid featuring Michael Barrier with Bob Clampett

Super-Rabbit featuring Paul Dini

What's Cookin' Doc? featuring Jerry Beck

Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears featuring Stan Freberg

Hare Ribbin' featuring Constantine Nasr

The Old Grey Hare featuring Greg Ford

Baseball Bugs featuring Eric Goldberg

Hair-Raising Hare featuring Greg Ford and Michael Barrier with Lloyd Turner

Bugs Bunny Rides Again featuring Greg Ford

Haredevil Hare featuring Michael Barrier with Pete Alvarado

What's up Doc? featuring Greg Ford

8 Ball Bunny featuring Jerry Beck

Bugs Bunny 80^th "What's up Doc-umentary!" (HD, 1:01:04) is a documentary paying tribute to the animated character for his 80^th anniversary. The feature-length documentary features an assortment of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage surrounding the history and production of the Bugs Bunny cartoon shorts. A celebration of the legacy of Bugs Bunny.

Behind the Tunes (SD, 8:03)

Disc Two:

Audio Commentaries -

Rabbit of Seville featuring Eric Goldberg

Rabbit Every Monday featuring Greg Ford

The Fair Haired Hare featuring Constantine Nasr

Rabbit Fire featuring Greg Ford with Chuck Jones

Lumber Jack-Rabbit featuring Jerry Beck

Baby Bugs Bunny featuring Constantine Nasr

What's Opera, Doc? featuring Chuck Jones, Michael Maltese, and Maurice Noble

What's Opera, Doc? featuring Daniel Goldmark

Alternate Audio Programs:

Rabbit Fire Music-Only Track

Baby Bugs Bunny Music-and-Effects Track

What's Opera, Doc? Music-Only Track

What's Opera, Doc? featuring a vocal track of Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan

Bugs Bunny: Looney Tunes - All Star 50^th Anniversary (SD, 47:31)

Behind the Tunes -

A Hunting We Will Go: Chuck Jones' Wabbit Season Twilogy (SD, 9:30)

Bugs Bunny: Ain't He a Stinker? (SD, 16:41)

Wagnerian Wabbit: The Making of What's Opera, Doc? (SD, 9:31)

Disc Three:

Audio Commentaries -

Show Biz Bugs featuring Greg Ford *with pre-score music

Knighty-Knight Bugs featuring Jerry Beck

Rabbit's Feat featuring Greg Ford

From Hare to Heir featuring Greg Ford

False Hare featuring Jerry Beck

(Blooper) Bunny!: Bugs Bunny's 51^st and ½ Anniversary Spectacular featuring Greg Ford

Behind the Tunes -

Hard Luck Duck (SD, 3:41)

Short Fuse Shootout: The Small Tale of Yosemite Sam (SD, 3:03)

50 Years of Bugs Bunny in 3 ½ Minutes (SD, 3:52)

Bonus Looney Tunes Cartoons:

Harm Wresting (HD, 4:32)

Pest Coaster (HD, 5:57)

Siberian Sam (HD, 7:02)

Big League Beast (HD, 7:02)

Buzzard School (HD, 7:27)

Pool Bunny (HD, 6:57)

Grilled Rabbit (HD, 5:32)

Vincent Van Fudd (HD, 5:12)

Hare Restoration (HD, 5:42)

Plunger/Fishing Pole/Bees/Mini Elmer (HD, 2:45) is the last "short" in the collection but is actually more like snippets from other episodes.

Lastly, the set comes with a note featuring a few words from animation historian Jerry Beck about the legacy of Bugs Bunny. 

Looney Tunes: Bugs Bunny: 80th Anniversary Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bugs Bunny is one of the most iconic and beloved characters in the history of animation. The 80^th anniversary Blu-ray collection from Warner Bros. is a treasure-trove of beloved shorts that fans of the character will appreciate being able to revisit again and again. The set features nice transfers of the shorts (even if the set lacks lossless, high-resolution audio) and offers a great value to fans (both new and old). The release is even jam-packed with extras. What's not to like, doc? Highly recommended.