Operation: Rabbit (1952)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Excellent but underrated film

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

A fine, but surprising, piece of work by Chuck Jones (read my "Batton Bunny" comment). Why is it surprising? Glad you asked, because this is the first time that Wile E. Coyote talk. Usually in the Road Runner cartoons their is no dialog but "Beep! Beep!" and Coyote holding signs to express himself. Here he meets Bugs Bunny, who uses his clever, but funny skills to stop the carnivore. So there is no choice but to put dialog in this cartoon. Since Bugs is used to foiling the plans of Elmer Fudd, Yosimite Sam, Rocky and Mugsy and Marvin the Martian, it is Wile E. Coyote's turn to have his plans foiled but the rabbit. I saw it on the "Bugs Bunny and Road Runner Show" back in the 80's on CBS. Good old days. Bottom line: I highly recommend it! Not rated, but a G would work perfectly.

Chuck Jones's 'Operation: Rabbit' is something of an oddity in the Warner Bros. canon. Part of a very short lived series in which Wile. E. Coyote pursues Bugs Bunny instead of the Road Runner, 'Operation: Rabbit' offers a different take on the Coyote by giving him a voice. A posh, self-obsessed egotist, this version of the Coyote sits strangely with the mute wretch we all know and love. At the time 'Operation: Rabbit' was released, however, the Coyote was a brand new character who had only appeared in one Road Runner cartoon previously. I truly believe that, had Jones worked on more Road Runner cartoons prior to this cartoon, he would have rejected the idea of giving the Coyote a voice. This would have been wise. 'Operation: Rabbit' takes a similar spot-gag approach to the Road Runners but the dialogue slows down a series of gags which you can see coming a mile off and therefore would be better dispensed with in a more timely manner. I've never been partial to this vocal version of the Coyote but, thankfully, I am able to divorce this character from the character in the Road Runner cartoons, just as I am able to accept the almost identical Ralph Wolf as a different character. While it passes the time pleasantly enough, 'Operation: Rabbit' is mainly notable for being a failed character experiment.

Early Wile E. Coyote isn't chasing the Roadrunner, but Bugs Bunny! He's pulling these schemes we know so well from his later adventures with the miep-miep character, and obviously each time is losing out, getting blown up no less than 5 times.The schemes he pulls are pretty funny, although to me it doesn't match up to the episodes with the Roadrunner. In particular the overuse of his (annoying) voice doesn't work well. We hear him blabbing he's a genious about 10 times. Alright, we get it.Still, I had some good laughs from this decent cartoon. Interesting for those into the Coyote character I suppose. 6/10.

'Operation: Rabbit' is a Merrie Melodies cartoon featuring Bugs Bunny and Wile E. Coyote, both voiced by Mel Blanc. It is the first cartoon where the coyote tells us his real name. He thinks he is a genius and in the first scene he puts a door in front of a rabbit hole, knocks the door and waits for Bugs to open. He then explains how smart and fast he is and that it is better for Bugs to surrender himself to the coyote. It is a great start for a great cartoon.Of course Bugs will not surrender and so the coyote has to come up with a couple of plans to catch the rabbit. And although we know he will fail with every attempt the gags are not really predictable. Directed by Chuck Jones, who makes almost everything work, this cartoon is definitely worth watching.