What's Opera, Doc?

With my speaw and Magic Hewmut! Magic Hewmut! Kiww the wabbit! Kiww the wabbit!

Immortal lines. Like those other famous lines: "Here's looking at you, kid." "Put your lips together and blow!" "I'm Woodrow Wilson, go to bed!" "How do you split a car in half!"

This little cartoon got me hooked on opera in general and is certainly the best Bugs Bunny around! There are no other!

And, if you never see it, look out for that horse! It takes a lot not to enjoy the sure absurdity of this story! If they ever give a DVD with just this ONE cartoon on, I will probably buy it.

Consider yourself exceptionally lucky if you lay eyes upon this cartoon! It's the crown jewel of classic animation! None of todays sci-fi recycled trash a la Pokemon-Digimon things come near the Wagnerian majesty of WHATS OPERA, DOC?

Every aspect of this cartoon is outstanding, and that's coming from someone who hates opera! The illustrations in this are fantastic, the direction super and the dialog in this "opera" is hilarious.

Kudos, too, to Mel Blanc (Bugs Bunny) and Arthur Q. Bryant (Elmer Fudd) for their outstanding voice-work having those two characters sing and talk in this opera. I appreciated their work in here more than about anything, although the direction by Chuck Jones and that artwork is really tremendous. All of them outshine the story in here.

No, I still don't enjoy the "opera" but I will always enjoy this stunning-looking cartoon, which is part of Volume Two on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection.

There's a tender Bugs-Elmer duet, set to Wagner, that goes like so:

Elmer: Oh, Bwunhilde. You're so wuvwy.

Bugs (in drag): Yes, I know it. I can't help it.

Elmer: Oh, Bwunhilde, be my WUV...

Scholars may detect actual commentary in this seven-minute masterpiece on the seeds of Nazism as sown by Wagner, the absurdity of the opera music-theater construct, or the multiple ironies of anthropomorphic cross-dressing. The rest of us just find it deadpan-knockout funny, musically glorious, and enacted on the greatest Wagnerian set ever built. Bravo tutti, and a deep, grateful bow to the late, great Chuck Jones; we shall never see his like again.

In the style of a classic opera, Elmer Fudd, resplendent with magic helmet, seeks to kill the rabbit Bugs Bunny. However, dressing as an opera dame, Bugs attempts to outsmart and avoid Fudd the best he can. However, can he make the ruse last.

In terms of laughs, this is by no means Bugs's funniest cartoon. However it is easily one of my favourites of his simply because it is not a basic chase-em-up style comedy that relies on physical gags. In fact the reason I love this cartoon is part of the reason it isn't funny - simply because it is almost too clever to waste time making me roar with easy laughs. The plot is perfectly set to the music and it is surprisingly emotional for it. Bugs does his usual dressing up stuff but the music gives it all an edge it hasn't had before - and it is very interesting.

My favourite thing about this short is the style with which it is delivered. Look at some of the WB cartoons of the mid-sixties and you'd never believe those same drab animations could come from the same studio as this. Visually it is imaginative, style and very impressive - it easily matches the epic feel of the music. So much care has been put into it that it is difficult not to feel impressed by the look of the whole cartoon.

Fudd is a good character and here merges his usual meek personae with the epic operatic warrior to good effect. Bugs is his usual tricky self but he is down played a little bit as the cartoon seems less concerned about hilarity than about a witty, quality product. The two of them are adapted perfectly to the music and the cartoon is great with them.

Overall this is not the funniest of Bugs' shorts but it is easily my favourite. The cartoon is perfectly set to the music and it is intelligent and quite amusing. The look of the film is rich and well designed and fits the music really well - visually it is impressive, but then so is the whole cartoon.

This short has always been one of my favorites.It combines humor,excelent music and feelings.Seing Mr.Fudd's love, wrath and sadness in what is probably his best performance makes it very memorable.Less silly visual jokes than most Looney Tunes and making comedy out of Elmer's and Bugs' interaction with each other realy makes it even better than the oftenly over-rated "Rabbit of Seville".Nice introduction to Wagner by the way.