Rabbit Fire

This is the first of Chuck Jones' famous "Hunting Trilogy". The premise of all three films (Rabbit Seasoning and Duck! Rabbit, Duck! being the other two) is that Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck try to persuade Elmer Fudd as to whether it's duck hunting season or rabbit hunting season. All three are classics, and all are very close to being a continuation of the previous one. Many stations wouldn't air these because of violence, and when Fox used to have a show called Merrie Melodies, they cut the scenes where Daffy Duck gets shot.

If I had to choose the best of the bunch, I pick this one because it has one of the funniest endings of any cartoon ever made.

This is the first short in the "Hunting Trilogy", that included this, 'Rabbit Seasoning' and 'Duck, Rabbit, Duck!'. All of the three are classics. This short has so many classic sequences and holds so many laughs, thats it's a wonder that it could be crammed into a seven minute cartoon. This definitely ranks as one of the best Looney Tunes shorts ever. And with the other two aforementioned cartoons constitutes quite possibly THE best cartoon trilogy ever. Not just Looney Tunes, but the best of ANY cartoon trilogy!! This superbly great cartoon is on Disk 2 of the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1"

My Grade: A+

Rabbit Fire has some of the absolutely funniest lines and sight gags that have ever been seen on film. It is one of three cartoons done as more or les a series and is, in my opinion, the best of them. From Elmer's opening line to the hilarious final line, this is an unalloyed delight. There's also a beautiful gag with an elephant. Much as I love Tex Avery, Chuck Jones's work here and elsewhere is the equal (and, sometimes, superior) to Avery's best. Very much recommended.

In the first of a series of three, Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny argue over which one of them should be hunted and shot by the ever-gullible Elmer Fudd. Bugs is too smart to be outwitted by the reactionary and hyperactive Daffy. He keeps it cool and collected as Daffy screams his head off never knowing what he really IS saying. He even grabs Elmer's shotgun and screams 'Duck season! Fire!', resulting in his bill being blown off. It's the biggest laugh in the cartoon. And it's a laugh so good Joe Dante re-used it in Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Though at the end of this one, Elmer Fudd gets what he deserves and Bugs and Daffy get a little payback.

Followed by Rabbit Seasoning and Duck, Rabbit, Duck.

Daffy Rules!

10/10 It is hard to say what is the best trilogy ever made. Some would say Star Wars, others The Godfather, some Die Hard, and a few would say Evil Dead. Oh, and the Tim Burton Batman trilogy. You know what? None of them reach the height of the shorts Rabbit Fire, Rabbit Seasoning, and Duck! Rabbit! Duck!; aka The Hunting Trilogy. If more people watched these shorts, they would agree, but so far, I'm lonely in this compartment. If you liked this one, Rabbit Seasoning and Duck! Rabbit! Duck! are even better. Watch, and enjoy.