I just had the most fun watching “Looney Tunes: Back in Action.” I’ve gone through a long dry spell when it comes to film and this was a blessed relief.
Brendan Fraser stars as DJ Drake, a security guard on the Warner Brothers lot. Jenna Elfman is Kate, the vice president, who wants to make meaningful movies and can’t picture Daffy Duck as contributing to her overall goals. Bugs Bunny, she’ll keep, but the duck has got to go. Telling DJ to throw Daffy off the lot, Kate is sure she’s done what’s best for the company, but the Warner Brothers themselves aren’t so sure and fire her, giving her until Monday to get the duck back.
Meanwhile, DJ has lost his job as well, and goes home. He’s been keeping a secret from everyone on the lot – he’s the son of Damien Drake (Timothy Dalton) the star of many a spy movie. But Damien has been keeping a secret of his own – he really is a spy, and when DJ gets a call for help from his father, he’s shocked. He’s surprised again when Daffy pops out of his backpack, and he can’t get rid of him.
Following the clues his father gave him, DJ makes his way to Las Vegas, with Kate and Bugs on his tail. Kate wants Daffy back, DJ wants to get rid of him, but the duck just won’t go.
Our villain in this film is Steve Martin, playing the evil Mr. Chairman of the Acme company. He is after the Blue Monkey, a diamond with amazing supernatural powers. He wants to use the diamond to turn everyone into monkeys so he can speed up the production line on his products. A dastardly plot, to be sure, and that is why Damien has been after him. Now only DJ can save the world from the fate of monkeyhood.
I really liked this film. There were so many one-liners, sight gags, prat falls, and inside jokes – in fact, DJ was Brendan Fraser’s stunt man in the Mummy movies. And it was essentially clean – you could watch it with your younger children.
So I give this PG movie two thumbs up and heave a blissful sigh — good movies do still exist in this world.