Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume Three Blu-ray Movie Review

Another must-have collection of classic shorts...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown August 19, 2014

Like the first two volumes of the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection, Volume Three isn't a chronological dream come true, nor does it include every Looney Tunes short lifelong fans may be hoping for. But the words "Volume Three" continue to reinforce the promise made with the first Platinum Collection release: never fear, there are plenty more to come! The latest batch of shorts bode particularly well for future releases, which will eventually fill the gaps of completists' dreams-come-true. (I remain enthusiastic for whatever complete character collections await us in future volumes.) The third Looney Tunes compilation once again functions primarily as a greatest hits reel, as well as a showcase of lesser known animated shorts; a satisfying meal and a tasty treat sure to leave fans hungry for more; a strong standalone collection and the third entry in an increasingly exciting series. Perfection would be a chronologically arranged, 28-disc opera omnia. You know it, I know it. We all know it. But we'll get there, one hilarious, value-packed volume at a time.

Twenty bucks on the rabbit!

"Some of the cartoons you are about to see are a product of their time. They may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were commonplace in American society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. While the following does not represent the Warner Bros.' view of today's society, some of these cartoons are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed."

Cynicism dictates that studios are profit-driven machines. That every release is designed to accommodate a pre-determined budget and little else. That quality is, first and foremost, anchored to cost. Bah, I say. Flawed reasoning all around. Budgets are a crucial force in preservation, remastering and releasing, yes. But the men and women who set those budgets, to say nothing of the talented individuals who work within difficult parameters to deliver a first-rate product, are driven by a deep affection, a reverence even, for the films, series and shorts being restored, remastered or released. Look no further than a release like the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume Three. While every decision -- from short selection, to presentation, to special features -- could be picked apart and criticized, piece by piece, it's clear that tremendous love and care has gone into every aspect of the 2-disc set. That doesn't translate to perfection, mind you. Few releases are flawless. Lossless audio would have been appreciated, across-the-board high definition extras would have been ideal, more shorts... well, that's stretching things a bit. But the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection is something special regardless, and it's obvious when exploring each disc, with every short and with every feature.

Part of the joy of digging into Volume Three -- and hopefully all future volumes -- is the sheer surprises that lay in wait around the next corner, on the next disc, in the next menu. It could be a favorite short. Or a beloved character. A forgotten guest of honor. A story that brings childhood memories flooding back. And it isn't just the showcase shorts everyone remembers either. It could be a documentary that enriches the experience. A commentary that casts an old classic in a new light. Or the rare bonuses and vintage materials scattered across the set. Working my way through Volume Three wasn't a chore. Not in the slightest. It was a blast. Often a blast from the past, but sometimes something more. Not every short holds up. Not every short is essential. Some are simply integral milestones in the evolution of the Looney Tunes catalog. But few opportunities are missed and even fewer mistakes are made. I, for one, can't wait to see what Volume Four has in store.

The fifty shorts featured on the third volume of the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection are as follows:

1.		Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt		26.		Porky Pig's Feat
2.		A Corny Concerto		27.		Scrap Happy Daffy
3.		Falling Hare		28.		Plane Daffy
4.		Little Red Riding Rabbit		29.		The Stupid Cupid
5.		Hair-Raising Hare		30.		Draftee Daffy
6.		Acrobatty Bunny		31.		Nasty Quacks
7.		The Big Snooze		32.		The Stupor Salesman
8.		A Hare Grows in Manhattan		33.		Wholly Smoke
9.		Easter Yeggs		34.		Swooner Crooner
10.		Slick Hare		35.		Life with Feathers
11.		Gorilla My Dreams		36.		Canary Row
12.		High Diving Hare		37.		Tree for Two
13.		Hillbilly Hare		38.		Sandy Claws
14.		Bunny Hugged		39.		Dog Pounded
15.		Operation: Rabbit		40.		Satan's Waitin'
16.		Bully for Bugs		41.		Birds Anonymous
17.		Bugs and Thugs		42.		Mouse and Garden
18.		Knighty Knight Bugs		43.		The Pied Piper of Guadalupe
19.		Honey's Money		44.		A Gruesome Twosome
20.		The Hep Cat		45.		Guided Muscle
21.		Pigs in a Polka		46.		Beep Prepared
22.		A Ham in a Role		47.		Walky Talky Hawky
23.		Dog Gone South		48.		Rhapsody in Rivets
24.		A Bear for Punishment		49.		High Note
25.		Steal Wool		50.		Nelly's Folly

Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume Three Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Although the quality of the various shorts struck me as more inconsistent this time around, Volume Three's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is still no slouch. The only issue to report is print damage -- all of it inherent to the source elements -- some of which can become quite a distraction, particularly in regards to the oldest animated shorts. Fortunately, grain has been lovingly preserved, detail is excellent, the integrity of the animators' original line art is crisp and fully intact, and none of the specks, scratches, nicks or hairs that appear are really all that troubling in the big scheme of things. Colors are bright and bold, once again stealing the show. Primaries pop, with vivid Acme reds and striking blues. Black levels are rich and inky, without much in the way of muting. And contrast and saturation are nice and vibrant, with only a handful of shorts' palettes coming on a bit too strong. Add to that a complete lack of macroblocking, banding and other encode-related anomalies and you have yet another volume of the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection that impresses. Again, not quite as much as volumes One and Two, but still well worth the cost of admission.

Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume Three Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Like volumes One and Two, the only real disappointment to be had with Warner's 2-disc Volume Three set is its lossy 192kbps Dolby Digital Mono track. Though more than serviceable -- particularly when bolstered by the work that's gone into cleaning up the shorts' original elements without sacrificing the clarity of the voices, effects and music -- the Dolby offering begs the question: would a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono mix sound better? Significantly better? It would certainly be more ideal, and ensure a higher quality and purer presentation. But when dealing with decades-old animated shorts, there just isn't a whole lot to gain, other than perhaps peace of mind. Lossy or no, the soundscape is thin, and no amount of restorative work could make the shorts sound as if they're anything grander than products of their era. I'm content. Not 100% satisfied, but content.

Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume Three Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentaries: Disc One offers thirteen commentaries: "A Corny Concerto" with historian Michael Barrier and director Bob Clampett, "Falling Hare" with animators John Kricfalusi and Bill Melendez, "Hair-Raising Hare" with Barrier and filmmaker Greg Ford, "The Big Snooze with Melendez, "Slick Hare" with Barrier and background artist Paul Julian, "Gorilla My Dreams" with historian Jerry Beck, "High Diving Hare" with Ford, "Hillbilly Hare" with Barrier, " Operation: Rabbit" with writer Paul Dini, "Bully for Bugs" with Barrier, "Honey's Money" with Beck and actor June Foray, "Pigs in a Polka" with historian Daniel Goldmark, and "A Bear for Punishment" with Barrier.
  
  Disc Two includes thirteen more: "Porky Pig's Feat" with filmmaker Joe Dante, "Scrap Happy Daffy" with Ford, "Plane Daffy" with Ford, "The Stupid Cupid" with contemporary animator Eddie Fitzgerald, "Draftee Daffy" with Fitzgerald and Kricfalusi, "Wholly Smoke" with Goldmark, "Swooner Crooner" with Goldmark, "Canary Row" with Beck, "Birds Anonymous" with Beck and animator Art Leonardi, "A Gruesome Twosome" with Kricfalusi, "A Gruesome Twosome" with animator Milton Gray, "Walky Talky Hawky" with Barrier" and "Walky Talky Hawky" with Beck.
• Alternate Audio Programs (Discs 1 & 2): "Hillbilly Hare" Music and Effects Track, "Bunny Hugged" Music and Effects Track, "Operation: Rabbit" Music and Effects Track, "A Bear for Punishment" Music and Effects Track, "Satan's Waitin'" Music and Effects Track, "Birds Anonymous" Music Only Track, "Guided Muscle" Music Only Track, and "Nelly's Folly" Music Only Track.
• Behind the Tunes (SD, 140 minutes): Disc One offers five featurettes. "Bugs Bunny: Ain't He a Stinker?" takes a look at the popularity, personality and evolution of the Looney Tunes icon. "The Art of the Gag" touches on the elements of a successful gag, from development to writing to animation. "Drawn to Life: The Art of Robert McKimson" examines the life and career of animator and director Robert McKimson. "Wild Lines: The Art of Voice Acting" trots out a parade of voice artists and historians to discuss their craft and the history of their profession. And a "Hair-Raising Hare Storyboard Reel," which shows a short in its earliest stages of animation.
  
  Disc Two includes four more. "Daffy Duck: Ridicule Is the Burden of Genius" turns its focus to the temperamental water fowl. "Unsung Maestros: A Director's Tribute" homes in on the filmmakers who brought the shorts to life, some of whom are legends, others of which have all but been forgotten. "Tish Tash: The Animated World of Frank Tashlin" is a biography of one of the founding fathers of Looney Tunes. Finally, "Strictly for the Birds: Tweety & Sylvester's Award-Winning Teamup" moves from Bugs and Daffy to Friz Freleng's immortal cat-n-bird duo, who've delighted audiences for decades.
• That's All Folks! Tales from Termite Terrace (Disc 1, SD, 33 minutes): The first documentary in Volume Three dissects the fundamentals of comedy, the elements that make a good cartoon short, the use of exaggeration in portraying relatable human behavior, the genesis of various characters, the contributions of the voice actors, the tireless work of the animators, and the blending of animation, humor, dialogue and music. Interview segments feature animation director Chuck Jones, director Friz Freleng, animator Willie Ito, voice actor Mel Blanc and others.
• Irreverent Imagination: The Golden Age of Looney Tunes (Disc 1, SD, 50 minutes): Modern animators and filmmakers talk about the debt they owe the original Looney Tunes shorts, for everything from the sheer entertainment value of the series to the inspiration it provided. Narrator Stan Freberg also provides an overview of the history of animation (beginning at the turn of the 20th century), the rise of the short, and the legacy of the Looney Tunes franchise. Interview segments feature Frank Darabont, Joe Dante, Don Hahn, Willie Ito, Leonard Maltin, Bill Melendez, Jerry Beck, June Foray, the extended families of Mel Blanc, Tex Avery and other key animators, voice actors and directors, and many, many more.
• Drawn for Glory: Animation's Triumph at the Oscars (Disc 1, SD, 60 minutes): It was a long, hard-fought road from the earliest days of feature animation to the Oscars. This is the story of animation's struggle to be recognized, legitimized, respected and honored among the animators and filmmakers' peers. Jerry Beck and other historians, along with several industry insiders and professionals, deliver numerous insights into the century-long journey.
• Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices (Disc 2, SD, 70 minutes): This feature-length documentary begins with voice actor Mel Blanc's tragic auto accident, but soon travels back to birth, early forays into voice performance and his first work on Looney Tunes, eventually returns to the accident he miraculously survived, and then follows him into his late career. Actors, filmmakers, voice artists, animators, colleagues, historians and family members are on hand to sing his praises and discuss his legacy.
• The Boys from Termite Terrace (Disc 2, SD, 57 minutes): An older documentary in two parts, both of which were produced in 1975 for the arts series "Camera Three." (Shortly before Warner Bros. re-hired Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng to create new Looney Tunes shorts, films and specials.) Interviews feature Jones, Freleng, Bob Clampett and Mel Blanc.
• Frank Tashlin's Storybooks (SD, 14 minutes): Two animated shorts written and illustrated by Tashlin -- "Little Chic's Wonderful Mother" and "Tony and Clarence" -- both of which were discovered in a sketchbook from 1951, but had never been completed or published.

Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume Three Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Another Looney Tunes Platinum Collection release and another compilation of fifty classic animated shorts, decked to the nines with hours upon hours of special features? Yes please. Volume Three is a no-brainer, with plenty of value for Looney Tunes completists and purists, casual animation fans and audiences of all ages. The only real downside? Lossy audio. But if that's enough to prevent you from picking up the latest entry in Warner's Platinum Collection series -- especially since volumes One and Two are no different -- you need to reevaluate your priorities. Would I have liked to see a lossless audio track included? Absolutely. Am I about to let that get in the way of revisiting an amazing collection of unforgettable shorts? Of reliving a piece of my childhood? Not this guy. I impatiently await Volume Four!