Devil May Hare

The Tasmanian Devil makes his first appearance in this funny Bugs Bunny short directed by Robert McKimson. In the cartoon, Bugs is cleaning his rabbit hole when he's overrun by a stampede of animals of all kinds running for their lives from the Tasmanian Devil. Bugs has to look Taz up in an encyclopedia because he has no clue what it is. He finds out, though, when Taz shows up and tries to eat him.

Taz is pretty low on my list of favorite Looney Tunes characters but I do enjoy his earliest appearances with Bugs. This is a very funny short that works because its 'brains vs. brawn' premise is right in Bugs' wheelhouse. There are several great gags and lines in this. Mel Blanc does wonderful work as Bugs and Taz. The animation is fluid with some lovely colors and backgrounds. The music is energetic and fun. It's probably the best use of Taz in any of the shorts he appeared in during the classic era, which wasn't many.

Just as Coyote was introduced opposing Bugs, we get to meet Taz opposing Bugs. Just like in the Coyote meeting, Taz talks too. I am not personally aware of any other Looney Tunes where either Coyote nor Taz talks. Sure, here and elsewhere we get a lot of "OOH EH AH UH UH!" But if you listen, Taz actually says some words. The one where the savage beast is soothed by music and Bugs has to use this to get the Taz back to the zoo...watch that one and listen for any lines by Taz. But here, he has the classic line, "And rabbits." Bottom line, they rarely get as good as this. A Looney Tune keeper all the way.

I love the Tasmanian Devil. Isn't he so cute? So what if he eats everything! I found Bugs' tricks rather cruel, after all a Taz Devil has to eat right?

In this cartoon, his first appearance, he comes across Bugs in his usual hunger rampage and wants him for dinner. But Bugs has other ideas and resorts to his old schemes and traps. Standard fare but funny and Taz is wonderfully hug-able. His TV show from the early 90's was terrible but as a character he is great. There are not a lot of Looney Tunes characters with so much potential as their own franchise but Taz is to Warner what Winnie the Pooh is to Disney.

I was not expecting to be so impressed by this episode, as I am not terribly keen on Taz (in fact, hardly at all). The only reason I had any interest whatsoever to watch this in the first place was that this was Taz's debut (and I am very interested in cartoon debuts). I watched this and found to quite like Taz's appearance here, as well as enjoying Bugs Bunny's contribution and the other highlights of the episode.

Taz's highlights: His animation, some of his gags (especially his first proper one) and the way in which he trusts Bugs Bunny (which makes the episode much more entertaining).

Bugs' highlights: Just being himself, making funny comments throughout and the way he tries to stop Taz eating him.

The other highlights: The animation, a little deer that randomly appears, a few of the sight gags (which are surprisingly clever) and most of the oral gags.

The bad stuff: The fact that the plot was a little too predictable, but that only comes from watching so many Bugs Bunny cartoons where the baddies reach their comeuppance in the same way, it is very clever each time (on Bugs' part). Also Taz is still not my favourite Looney Tunes character by any means.

In this episode, Bugs Bunny is going about his life normally, when he sees a large crowd of animals (from all over the globe), come charging past his burrow. He wants to know what the commotion is, but no-one will stop and tell him. Eventually Bugs stops a shockingly fast tortoise and the tortoise explains to him that the Tasmanian Devil is on the loose. Interested in what a "Tasmanian Devil" could be, Bugs pops down to his bookshelf to look one up. Meanwhile, Taz is coming closer and closer...

I recommend this episode particularly to anyone who likes Taz, or to people who like traditional Bugs Bunny. Enjoy "Devil May Hare"! :-)

Definitely not the best of the Looney Tunes canon, but an entertaining one at that. The animation is beautiful and colourful, and the vocal performances as usual are stellar. Also the music is wonderful, and the gags come by thick and fast and are funny. Bugs is still his funny and somewhat arrogant self, and Taz in his debut despite his ravenous appetite is immensely huggable. I did think though that the story was a little on the predictable side, the gags were well done on the whole, but knowing the plot line before watching the cartoon I kind of knew what I had in store. That said, it was a very entertaining short, and works on repeated viewings.

8/10 Bethany Cox