Warner Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 29th, 2008
MSRP: $44.98
I can remember the first time I saw the Tiny Toons: I was still in college. I had no afternoon classes on Thursdays and was sitting home. I started flipping through the channels, looking for something worthy of my attention. To my delight, I came across what appeared to be a modern version of the cartoons I grew up on! I loved the original Looney Tunes, so it was with some trepidation that I watched these new ones (teenagers may have no time for cartoons, but kids and college students dig them mightily). I worried more than a little that these newbies would fall short and perhaps even tarnish my cherished memories. My fears proved to be unfounded.
Warner had done it again.
Tiny Toons is part reworking, part sequel, of the Looney Tunes so many of us watched as children. What we get here are characters that are similar to the original crew (Buster Bunny is close to bugs, Montana Max= Yosemite Sam).
While it would have been easy to offer up cheap imitations, these new characters are worthy heirs to the Warner Animation throne. The new crew is full of spunk and energy. The voices are outstanding and the music is great (Like the originals, a full orchestra is used).
The Tiny Toons debuted in 1990 and were the start of an impressive revival of the Warner Studios animation department. After TTs came Pinky and the Brain, the Animaniacs as well as Batman, Superman and several other DC superhero series.
Volume one contains 35 episodes, each 22 minutes in length, and the quality is solid all the way through. There are a few that seem dated, but most hold up very nicely.
One gripe I do have is the use of two-sided DVDs. These are a pain to handle and seem more likely to become scratched over time, especially considering children will almost certainly handle them.
Extras: We get one featurette: From Looney Tunes to Tiny Toons: A Wacky Evolution. This runs twenty-two minutes and offers comments from the creative team, as well as some from the children and other relatives of the Looney Tunes crew. It features some wonderful vintage clips that will tickle anyone old enough to remember the originals. A nice piece, I only wish it were longer.
With the Tiny Toons, Warner embraces its past while moving into the future. Children and adults alike will be delighted with Babs and Buster Bunny, Plucky Duck and the rest of the gang.
Jeremy Lynch
For more reviews from myself, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.
