Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island

The biggest problem with this film is a common one in all these compilations: you can see (and probably have seen) most of this material elsewhere (mostly in Saturday-morning kiddie shows on TV). However, anyone looking for the trademark anarchic, sometimes surrealistic humor of the WB cartoons, surely won't be disappointed with "Fantastic Island". Of course, some episodes are more enjoyable than others; there is one dud (Porky Pig as a producer searching for talents), but there is also at least one short, starring a jive-talking rooster ("Crazy, man. C-razy!") that can perhaps be fully appreciated only by adults. (**1/2)

Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales are marooned on a desert island. Yosemite Sam and the Tasmanian Devil lose a sea battle with Bugs Bunny and a treasure map. Daffy and Speedy use the map to find a wishing well which grants any wish to the owner of the treasure map. Daffy creates a Fantasy Island resort which grants wishes to its visitors.

This is really an excuse to show old Looney Tunes episodes. The premise is bare-thread and unimpressive. It starts off with some odd pairings and then it becomes just an exercise in recycling. I'm a fan of the oldies and that keeps my interest. These are some of the better classics. However, it does nothing to create new material. The wishing well is no more than intermission between the old episodes.

"Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island" is Friz Freleng's third compliation film, following his previous two successes "Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie" and "Bugs Bunny's Third Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales". This third feature is a tremendous success in its' own right and it continues the winning formula Freleng introduced in his first film: he creates one humdinger of a story to place the footage in.

This time, Freleng spoofs the hit TV series "Fantasy Island" with Daffy Duck in the Ricardo Montalban role and Speedy Gonzales in the Tattoo role. It opens with a side splitting gag (Speedy tells Daffy: Ze Plane! Ze Plane!) and it never lets up for all of its 78 minute screen time. Freleng also uses the film to continue his Yosemite Sam/Bugs Bunny fight which occupies about 20 minutes of this feature.

Well, anyway, back to the story. The premise is that Daffy and Speedy are stranded on a deserted island which has a wishing well. Daffy, being the self described "greedy coward", decides to open a resort that can grant wishes. That's where the classic footage comes into play.

There are many highlights: Tweety, Sylvester and Spike in a pet hospital, Foghorn Leghorn and the womanizing rooster, Yosemite Sam will inherit several million pounds ONLY if he keeps his temper in check and Bugs is the executor of the will! And Daffy Duck is STUPOR DUCK!

As per the previous films, they work on two levels. For kids, as simple entertainment. For adults, savage satire. Most of the shorts here are shown in their entirety, although a few are trimmed for time. This is wonderful entertainment and a worthy addition to any video library.

**** out of 4 stars

This is certainly not the best of the Looney Tunes' work but it is still a lot of fun which really gives Daffy Duck the chance to shine as he takes the center stage alongside Speedy Gonzales who plays his faithful sidekick. There are some great lines and some hilarious gags, but this film is mostly a compilation of some of the best episodes. Everyone is in it, even Spike the bull-dog and his little friend, and surprisingly, Bugs Bunny doesn't have much more of a part than any of his other looney tune buddies (though there is a memorable scene where he has a cannon battle with Yuletide Sam). This film is well worth seeing, especially if you have children (well you don't want your kids to turn into little pokemon-loving bratts do you?). Enjoy! 8/10

Daffy Duck and Speedy are on a deserted island where they come across a treasure map which they hoped for treasure but instead they found a magic well that can talk. And it has the ability to grant anyone a fantasy of their own.

Daffy after experience a fantasy that didn't went too well. He demanded to be owner of the island or well keeper I think.

So the well changes the deserted island into a more tropical like island. Daffy and Speedy automatically got their own white suits to make them look like the owners of Fantasy Island.

A plane comes by with other Looney Tune characters who want to experience their own fantasies with the power of the well.

Meanwhile after a ship battle with Bugs Bunny, Sam and Taz got shipwrecked and ended up being on the same isle with the magic well. Sam notices his map is gone and is determine to know who took.

This movie is similar to the other early Looney Tune TV movies. About 50% of it is new footage while the rest is reused Looney Tune shorts done by Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng.

If you like Daffy Duck's Quackbusters, you'll like this movie.