Bunny Hugged

It is the world heavyweight wrestling championship. The Crusher is the defending champion. Ronald the Nature Boy is the challenger and Bugs Bunny is his mascot. Ronald is overwhelmed and needs help. Bugs enters the ring as Ronald's substitution, The Masked Terror.

This is one of the classic Bugs Bunny cartoon. When I think of a classic Bugs Bunny fighting cartoon, this has many of the most memorable scenes. It is top notch from start to finish. Bugs trying to wrestle Crusher's head is perfection and it all flows after that. It is one great gag after another. I like this even more than Rabbit Punch (1948).

Almost half a century before everyone got really obsessed with wrestling, that carrot-chomping rascal engaged in it...with a vengeance. After belligerent wrestler The Crusher clobbers a challenger, Bugs Bunny quickly enters the fray. At first, The Crusher has the upper hand, but of course Bugs has some tricks up his sleeve. Some of Bugs' antics seem a little risqué, especially for 1951, but there's nothing offensive here. These sorts of cartoons are the REAL definition of "family fun". As Chuck Jones once noted: "Bugs Bunny does what most of us would like to do, but don't have the nerve to do." Splendid.

If it hadn't been for this cartoon, I would have never watched professional wrestling today, watching Legends and Superstars like Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Randy Savage, Mick Foley, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Goldberg, The Rock, and more! Bugs Bunny made his "debut" as a pro wrestler with the gimmick called "The Masked Terror," substituting Ravishing Ronald's position as challenger for the World Title. The champion at that time was a bald and bearded heel (bad guy) named the Crusher. At the end, with a "little strategy," Bugs Bunny took off his mask and knocked out the champion with a safe and went for the pin. That is why I'll worship Bugs Bunny forever, along with Mickey Mouse, Hulk Hogan, and more of the greatest heroes there had ever been.

Bugs Bunny has to go Mano-a-rabbito as "the Masked Terror" for a wrestling bout with the Crusher after he easily pummels his former opponent and Bug's source of income, Ravashing Ronald. The rascally rabbit is also outmatched physically, so he has to pull some cunninggly clever yet somewhat devious tricks from his sleeves. I liked this cartoon a lot and it makes me chuckle every single time I see it. This animated short can be seen on Disc 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2. It also features an optional music and effects only track.

My Grade: A

Good Bugs Bunny cartoon, if a little predictable,and not as well paced, plus I am sorry to say but the stitching scene did not work for me. That said, the climatic scene is funny, and Bugs is still his outlandish self.

The animation is nice and detailed, the music is good as always, the story is fine and the voice characterisations from Mel Blanc, a truly brilliant voice actor, are spot on. Also good are the writing and a vast majority of the sight gags. However, as I have said already, it is predictable, somehow I knew that Bugs would win in the end and the pace was rather uneven.

Overall, not a favourite of mine I admit but I do recommend it. 7/10 Bethany Cox