Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers

Story byProduced byGreg FordStarringJeff BergmanMusic byAnimation byLayouts byBackgrounds byColor processTechnicolorDistributed byWarner Bros.11:30LanguageEnglish

Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers is a Bugs Bunny cartoon directed by Greg Ford and Terry Lennon and released in 1992. The cartoon was intended for theatrical release but eventually aired as part of the television special Bugs Bunny's Creature Features on CBS. Its premise is modeled after the 1956 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and it is considered subversive and a lampoon of cheaply drawn animation.^[1]

Plot

Bugs Bunny finds himself facing a bizarre threat when peculiar carrots from outer space wreak havoc on Earth. As Bugs navigates his usual antics with Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, and Daffy Duck, he encounters strange occurrences at each filming set. Initially ignoring the odd carrots, Bugs soon realizes they are linked to a sinister plot when his friends are replaced by poorly animated doppelgängers. These imposters pressure Bugs into consuming the glowing carrots, leading to a nightmarish encounter when a limited-animation clone of himself attempts to harm him. Refusing to let the story end there, Bugs embarks on a mission to defeat the clones and restore his friends.

Discovering the clones' origin on planet Nudnik, Bugs devises a plan to send them back into space using a rocket. After a thrilling showdown, the original characters return, and Bugs reflects on their unique friendship, tinged with the daily threat of harm.

Voice cast

• Jeff Bergman as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, the Black Hole, and Porky Pig^[2]

Production

Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers was produced at a time when newer Looney Tunes shorts were being released to introduce Warner Bros.' cartoon characters to a modern generation — a process that was, thanks to the tepid reception of 2003's Looney Tunes: Back in Action, eventually discontinued for some time from 2004 to 2009.^[3] The doppelgängers' friendly personalities (except the Bugs clone) were done as an even more critical jab toward the executives at Warner Bros. for their handling of the characters (who were made friendly and wholesome) at the time than Greg Ford and Terry Lennon's previous Bugs Bunny cartoon, (Blooper) Bunny.^[1][4] According to one of the animators, the clones' limited animation (influenced by Mel-O-Toons, Jay Ward, UPA, Gene Deitch's Terrytoons and Terry Gilliam, and using Synchro-Vox for the Daffy clone at one point) was a jab at the "inconsistent" animation quality control of Tiny Toon Adventures (the series' animation was handled by different studios).^[5] The animators had a contest on who could make the ugliest Elmer Fudds, Yosemite Sams and Daffy Ducks, with animator Nancy Beiman's Daffy winning. Voices were provided by Jeff Bergman.^[2] The cartoon was intended for a theatrical release, but aired as part of the television special Bugs Bunny's Creature Features.^[1]

Home media

The cartoon was released as a part of the Bugs Bunny Halloween Hijinks VHS special. It was later released, albeit in edited form on the Space Jam Two-Disc Special Edition DVD as a special feature. In the Space Jam version, Yosemite Sam's scenes are removed. They were taken out by Warner Bros. due to "time allotment". Sam can still be heard in the edited version when all of the Looney Tune "pods" are about to be launched into space.^[6] The uncut version was later released as part of The Essential Bugs Bunny DVD set.^[7]

References

External links

• Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers at IMDb