Big Top Bunny

Sorry if I find it a little hokey when they make Eastern Europeans the antagonists in movies; they do that in "Big Top Bunny", as Bugs Bunny ends up in the circus and gets paired with a jealous Slovak bear. Bugs plays some funny tricks on the big guy - hell, with this big doofus, it's a cinch - but I would like to see a movie or cartoon in which Eastern Europeans are not the antagonists. I know that this cartoon was produced only a few years into the Cold War, when we were supposed to view the Soviet bloc as the evilest place of all time, but it just seems dated (particularly to someone like me, a student of Russian). Otherwise, it's a pretty funny cartoon, especially the diving scene.

Bugs Bunny always works best when he has a suitably obnoxious opponent and he has one here in Bruno the Magnificent, a vain and egotistical bear who most definitely wants the spotlight all to himself. Enter our hero, stage left, and a series of standard sight gags and some good lines. I loved this cartoon growing up and I'm glad it's in print. Cute short that's worth looking for. Recommended.

"Colonel Korny's World Famous Circus" is in town, featuring "Bruno, the Skobokian Acrobatic Bear." The colonel gets a phone call informing him of a talented rabbit and the boss says, okay, tell him to come down and I'll have him perform with Bruno. The big bear, overhearing this, is not happy. "Nobody shares the spotlight with Bruno The Magnificent," he tells us (the viewers), "especially a stinking little rabbit."

Anyway, the act starts that night and immediately, Bruno starts sabotaging Bugs, trying to ruin him. After Bugs takes some big-time licks, he catches on and the tables are turned. The two go at it the rest of the night and you know who will wind up the big winner. How Bugs brutalizes the beast is pretty funny with some clever ideas. The sight gags were good, too, such as Bugs "pedaling" a bicycle in midair. The movie ends with a bang, literally.

This is prime Bugs Bunny humor.

Big Top Bunny (1951)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Minor Looney Tunes has Bugs Bunny becoming partners with Bruno, the Slobokian Bear who isn't happy about having to share the spotlight. During their carnival act Bruno tries to destroy Bugs but things end up working out the opposite. This isn't a classic short or even a very good one but it does manage to get a few laughs, which make it worth watching. The best joke is during the finale where the two argue as to which one will jump hundreds of feet into some cement. One of the biggest problems with this short is the bear, which just comes off as a rather weak character. I really didn't care too much for his look, talk or any of his actions. Bugs is his typical classic self though.

A lot of people don't seem to like this short, which I'm ok with(after all it's just their opinion) but me. I actually really like this short, the jokes/gags were pretty funny, the animation's great, and the voice acting sounded good. The only thing I didn't like about this short is on how annoying Bruno was, I didn't really liked him. But overall great short so it is a 8/10