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The Unfair Failure of Looney Tunes: Back in Action

Isenhart Productions

215,712 views

In this video essay I explore 2003's Looney Tunes: Back in Action to dive into the history behind the film, why it fell short at the box office, and offer up some of my personal thoughts on the project.

Thank you so much to ‪@tam11225‬ for editing the video!

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Chapters:

Intro: 0:00
Behind the Film: 0:36
Why it Failed: 7:51
My Thoughts: 10:26
Conclusion: 16:16

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Letterboxd:
https://boxd.it/5NDWn

Instagram:
Instagram: isenhart_productions

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Music Attribution:

"Vibing Over Venus" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

"Study and Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Smooth Lovin" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Apero Hour" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

"Backbeat Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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Sources:

https://animatedviews.com/2012/artist...

https://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2007/06/...

https://www.suicidegirls.com/girls/an...

Facebook: 10162635652513645

Facebook: 1267365396746625

https://x.com/TheBillyWest/status/155...

https://web.archive.org/web/202104102...

https://animesuperhero.com/toon-zone-...

https://x.com/BobBergen/status/194842...

https://x.com/BobBergen/status/170124...

https://x.com/BobBergen/status/149797...

https://chicagoreader.com/blogs/the-o...

https://www.thedigitalfix.com/brendan...

20 Comments

@tam11225 1 month ago

Back in Action walked so Coyote vs. Acme could run

@ishyk10 1 month ago

This was genuinely the most important movie to me when I was 10 years old, I saw it opening night in theaters after getting first place in my fifth grade spelling bee. Incredible memories.

@KerryLT1980 1 month ago

Back in Action was definitely underrated, I preferred it to Space Jam.

@KadinHarmon-y5z 1 month ago

This movie and Who Framed Roger Rabbit are certified classics. We haven’t gotten a 2D animation - Live Action hybrid film that was nearly as good since.

@JoseOrichalcum 1 month ago

Fitting that this showed up today after having come back from watching Coyote VS Acme.

@benwasserman8223 1 month ago (edited)

Back in Action was always criminally underrated. I still love the Louvre chase and Bugs' lightsaber carrot moment.

@omniviewer2115 1 month ago

I think the best hint of what could have been is when Bugs and Daffy have their very brief semi-heart-to-heart by the campfire. It was the closest thing we had for a while to the characters having a real emotional moment. The fact that Daffy finally says that Bugs doesn't understand what it's like living in his shadow, and that Bugs has no snappy comeback, lands much better than anyone would expect. Imagine if the movie had explored that just a bit deeper.
As it stands, though, I still really enjoy it.

@themagicbanjoman 1 month ago

2003 was just a crazy hard year to compete in the film industry. Pirates of the Caribbean, lord of the rings, finding Nemo, master and commander, holes, elf…it’s going to be difficult for any movie to face off with so many that are still considered to the gold standard to this day.

@zillauniverse7208 1 month ago (edited)

With how messy the production of the movie was it’s a miracle it still managed to end up being entertaining

@nayadadedjouma8490 1 month ago

Clearly Warner Brothers has learned nothing 20 years later.

@chasehedges6775 1 month ago

I love Looney Tunes Back In Action so much.

@Chaox56 1 month ago (edited)

I literally always find it extremely odd, whenever I think about it, that this movie flopped because everyone my age was excited about it and I've heard VERY few people say a bad word about it since it dropped. Same with live action Rocky and Bullwinkle.

@comradethatmetalguy 1 month ago

Honestly, I always liked this one better than Space Jam.

@Zombiesnyder13 1 month ago

In the end

Warner Bros does NOT deserve what they have

@starbringer771 1 month ago

When I was a kid, I thought the villain had to go to the bathroom, which is why he moved so weirdly. lol

@alonelyweirdo7251 1 month ago

I was SO obsessed with this movie as a kid. I watched the DVD of it so much that even 17 years later I can still quote a few jokes. I tried re-watching it again and without nostalgia goggles on it’s pretty mid film but man is it so much fun.

@Mrchickentoday 3 weeks ago

It’s a shame that this movie failed at the box office because after seeing the movie, it’s one of those movies where it could make some sort of profit like space jam but since the studio didn’t market it at all, it lost a lot of potential box office numbers

@lakegroce685 1 month ago

I need this to help me distract me from Dolly Parton and Tim Curry dying a day apart.

@CharileWaffles 1 month ago

11:56 I have found memories of those Boomerang commercial bumpers. I hate that they removed them in favor of what they have now. Thanks for mentioning it!