Rabbit Punch

Avid fans may note the resemblance of this toon's plot to Freleng's Baseball Bunny (1946); i.e. Bugs berates big, hulking athlete(s) for playing dirty and boasts that he can defeat said athlete(s) and athlete(s) takes him up on it (actually, lots of toons borrowed plots and themes from other toons, but whatever). Chuck Jones was a big fan of Friz Freleng and didn't think he was in the same league (though I myself would beg to differ). I see this cartoon as either an attempt to place himself in that league or a tribute to recognize Freleng's ability. Whatever it is, it's a great cartoon. Those toons where Bugs defeats his adversary but not without taking a few lumps himself tend to be the best Bugs cartoons. This one's one of my favorites.

TIDBIT - Rabbits never fight fair.

And nowhere is that more evident than in this classic "Rabbit Punch" where boxing fan Bugs jeers and heckles a boxing champion until he finds himself in the ring with the aforementioned champ to duke it out.

And anyone who knows what Bugs Bunny is capable of pretty much expects the champ to get the worst of the deal.

Director Chuck Jones makes a veritable ballet out of the antics in the ring and manages to make Bugs (naturally voiced by Blanc) and the champ (Bletcher) graceful, clumsy, victorious and beaten up badly in equal turns.

And granted, this is the only boxing match you'll ever see axle grease, bricks, cannons and trains used in.

Ten stars and a golden glove for "Rabbit Punch" and for our champ Bugs.

Chuck Jones's 'Rabbit Punch' is a great cartoon in which Bugs is drawn into a boxing match with The Champ (later redubbed The Crusher in the far inferior wrestling-based sequel 'Bunny Hugged') and ends up going 110 rounds with him, each round escalating in its levels of violence until finally Bugs finds himself tied to a train track! A fast paced, beautifully orchestrated cartoon which eventually turns into a series of unusual spot-gags, 'Rabbit Punch' is full of great sequences, the best being Bugs's grease-assisted ice skating routine which is abruptly ended by a glove to the head. There's also a famous ending in which Bugs admits psychical defeat by resorting to tampering with the very cartoon itself. Unlike the lifeless follow-up 'Bunny Hugged', 'Rabbit Punch' is filled with invention and moves along at a fast lick, making it an enormously enjoyable short.

This old Merrie Melodies short transports one of our favorite cartoon heroes of all time, Bugs Bunny, into the world of professional boxing. The World Heavyweight Champion, known as the Champ, punched a Puny Boxer. Bugs criticized him for being a "dirty fightah," allowing him to be the new challenger, substituting for the Puny Boxer against the Champ. At last, Bugs survives after 110 rounds of boxing and wrestling combined. I liked the part where Bugs and the Champ took their boxing gloves off and made the sport look like wrestling. But in real life, you could be disqualified (DDQ) for that.

Rabbit Punch reminded me very much of Bunny Hugged, except I think Rabbit Punch is better, the pacing is more secure here for one thing. The story may be nothing special, but what does compensate are some wonderful, colourful animation and a beautifully orchestrated music score. What also added to the sense of fun was some nice witty dialogue and clever visual gags. Not to mention a great performance from Bugs, voiced as ever with real exuberance by the one and only Mel Blanc, who immortalised these great cartoons and characters that shaped my childhood, and for that I am very grateful. Overall, a very good Bugs Bunny cartoon, that is definitely worth watching. 8/10 Bethany Cox