Bewitched Bunny (1954)

Simply Perfect

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

"Bewitched Bunny" is as the title of course gives away already another Warner Bros. cartoon, a pretty old one at that as it is from 1954, so it will have its 65th anniversary next year. The names Jones, Maltese, Blanc and Benederet stand for quality of course and their 7-minute short film here includes a bit more fairy tale than usual. The first half is closely linked to Hansel & Gretel and in the second half a misguided prince stops by, but Bugs sends him the right direction quickly. The scenes with the witch trying to catch Bugs for her rabbit stew are fine, but I liked the fat hungry two kids early on even more as they were pretty hilarious and in the end Bugs even gets his rabbit girl. Surprise surprise. Another okay BB cartoon by Warner Bros that is maybe faster than funnier, but the strong animation and attention to detail still make this one worth checking out. I give it a thumbs-up.

Anyhow, what I liked about this Bugs Bunny cartoon were the following things: the witch (who also appears in "Broomstick Bunny"), Bugs Bunny, the fairytale theme and quite a few of the jokes. The animation is also worth noting, it is done in a quite "comfortable" style and it fits the fairytale theme in the episode.In this Looney Tunes short, Bugs Bunny is walking in a forest, reading aloud the tale of Hansel and Gretel (who have very noticeable German accents). By pure coincidence, he spots a little cottage and a witch outside it welcoming a little boy and girl, who she invites in. Bugs Bunny realizes that the fairytale he is reading is beginning to come true and he is ready to rescue...I do not understand why the makers of this cartoon added an anti-feminist joke at the end. It was very annoying. The rest of the cartoon was good - a little too farcey - but good. I recommend this amusing episode to people who like fairy tales, to people who like Witch Hazel (if the people have watched "Broomstick Bunny") and to people who just love Bugs Bunny and Looney Tunes in general. Enjoy "Bewitched Bunny"! :-)

Directed by the great Charles M. (Chuck) Jones, "Bewitched Bunny" is a brilliant Bugs Bunny cartoon that cleverly parodies the famous fairy tale of Hansel & Gretel. Let's face it: Walt Disney played his fairy tale cartoons straight, so the Warner Bros. fairy tale cartoons HAD to have a humorous slant to them! Here are, in my opinion, the funnier moments from "Bewitched Bunny" (DON'T read any further until after you've seen this cartoon). Hansel & Gretel are two pudgy little kids who only care about eating sweets; the way they excitedly speak to each other in their mock German accents, loudly declaring that their sweets are "gut" and "yummy", is quite hilarious, as is their belief later on that the witch's mother rides a vacuum cleaner. AND when Bugs - and later, Prince Charming - says to himself, "Hansel? Hansel?? HAN-sel?!", it's really funny, and I don't know why! "Bewitched Bunny" is a lovable cartoon, from the facial expressions of Bugs & Witch Hazel, to the vocal performances of Mel Blanc & Bea Benaderet, to the musical accompaniment of Carl Stalling. Catch this amusing fairy tale on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 5 Disc 2.

I always like it when someone accompanies voice genius Mel Blanc in one of these Looney Tunes cartoons. It gives us a little more variation of the characters since Mel's voice - even with different characters - is pretty easy to spot. Here, Bea Benaderet of "Petticoat Junction" TV fame, adds to the fun with several voices of her own in this offbeat tale of "Hansel And Gretel."The story involves Bugs rescuing some kids from the mean old "Witch Hazel," who plans to eat them for dinner.....but then later decides a nice rabbit might be a better meal!There are some clever, dark comedy humor in this cartoon, such as the witch reading a book of recipes for eating children ("waif waffles," "urchin pie," "smorgas boy," etc.)If you have the opportunity, check out this cartoon on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 5 because the restoration on it makes this a real visual feast. The colors in here are spectacular!