Tiny Toon Adventures: Viva le vacanze!

It is in the opinion of this reviewer that the best time to be a child was in the 1990's, a period when cartoons were not heavily censored and talented and creative minds were responsible for some of the best family entertainment to hit the air-waves. The best producers of Saturday morning animation were at Warner Brothers Television, who experienced a major Golden Age with the dream-team of Steven Spielberg, Tom Ruegger and Paul Dini. Along with serious and dark series like Batman, they also revived zany, outlandish cartoons made famous by the Looney Tunes. Animaniacs was the biggest hitter with its dark adult humour and homages to the celluloid of yesteryear and today, but Tiny Toon Adventures was equally popular by re-inventing the Looney Tunes for a new generation, while still keeping that crazy cartoon violence and intelligent comedy that can hold onto any age group, no matter how old. Even when the Tiny Toons were stretched to a feature-length with How I Spent My Vacation, it did not feel like a longer episode of the television series, a curse that so often plagues other feature-length adaptations of popular animated shows.

The Tiny Toon Gang are young off-springs of the classic cartoon characters who made audiences laugh back in the 1940's and 1950's and are currently learning cartoon comedy to "earn their Toon Degree." Summer Vacation has started and each character has their own idea of what to do. Buster Bunny (Charles Adler) and Babs Bunny (Tress MacNeille) start a water gun fight which ultimately leads to Acme Acres getting flooded and them both sailing down the Mississippi. Plucky Duck (Joe Alaskey) joins Hamton Pig (Don Messick) on a cross-country car trip to the Happiest Theme Park in the World, but Hamton's family proves to be more difficult than he imagined. Meanwhile, in other stories scattered throughout, Elmyra Duff (Cree Summer) tries to find a cat to hug and squeeze, Fifi Le Fume (Kath Soucie) attempts to go out on a date with her favourite skunk star and Shirley the Loon (Gail Matthius) goes to the cinema with a loud-mouth Fowlmouth (Rob Paulen).

While the premise sounds thin for a feature-length film, the many directors and screenwriters make all the stories work well together. The best of these is Plucky's unfortunate road trip, which utilises a golden comedic opportunity very well: feeling pity for somebody, while also laughing at their predicament. Plucky's annoyed reaction to all the bad things that happen to him are a perfect blend of script and animation, all in the confines of a small car stuffed with pork. Elmyra's story definitely ranks second just to see how a little, almost innocent girl can cause fear into so many jungle animals. The aforementioned cartoon violence definitely comes to the fore-front with Buster and Babs' story, which makes us smile not only due to the hilarity of the outcomes, but also nostalgically, since Ruegger and company would probably not be allowed to show half of what they do in that segment. Practically half of that segment plays as a parody and homage to Deliverance, including a clever twist on the dueling banjos scene, featuring the unforgettable Tiny Toon Adventures theme song.

Part of the universal appeal of the Tiny Toons is that the humour proves to be very intelligent as it targets subjects with a ferocity that proves that it does not at all deserve the title of "children's fare" that people seem to slap it with. An entire segment featuring Fowlmouth's poor etiquette at the cinema pokes fun at yappers in a note-perfect way, along with an additional jab at Lucasfilm's THX logo. That scene is done so perfectly that it should be featured before every cinema showing. There are also a couple of moments that poke fun at Disney World, cinematic plot holes and even Warner's legal department. The fact that today's cartoons are bland and un-creative makes those intelligent moments even more treasuring as there probably will not be another animated series that will come close.

After watching How I Spent My Vacation for the first time in many years, I can say with all certainty that they do not make cartoons quite like they used to. With the ongoing censorship that today's family entertainment receive, one wonders whether anything like this will ever be made again. This review is not only a recommendation of a truly smart film, but also a plea for Spielberg, Ruegger and Dini to team up again and bring forth a magical creation to our minds once again. Lord knows that the children of the twenty-first century is in need for something with the intelligence of Tiny Toon Adventures. This is not a simple cash-grab, it is a wonderful film with full of spirit, madcap mayhem and hilarity.

How I Spend My Vacation puts closure to the television series that aired from 1990 to 1992. I've always enjoyed the series for what it is. I've never compared the series to the Looney Tunes of the old days. The video release was split up in four or five episodes (I can't remember as I'm writing this) for television and it's included in the episode list of the series. What's good about this series is that All the main characters of the show have a major role in the story. We see what they all do during their summer vacation in different parts of the world. Elmyra is with his parents in a Safari, Plucky and Hampton crossing the country with Hampton's parents, Fifi is in some beach, etc. The climax is very good and at the end all Tiny Toon characters reunite for the start of a new year in the "Looniversity", thus practically ending the good run of this tv show.

I love this movie... it can make me laugh! =^_^= Which is kinda hard to do. This movie is one of the best cartoon adaptations ever. It doesn't warp the characters like other movies out there. Everyone is in character and has a role to play!

The movie focuses around Buster and Babs going down river after a flood (courtesy of Buster), to Plucky going on a trip with Hamton (hilarious stuff), Elmyra running around torturing animals (as usual), Fifi following her crush around for an autograph, and Shirley and Fowlmouth going to the movies.

In my own personal opinion, I didn't like the Buster and Babs segments that much, although they had some notable dialogue and jokes. I have got to say the Plucky and Hampton 'Vacation' parts were the best! Hamton's family is HILARIOUS! I especially like Uncle Stinky. Fifi in the hotel was also hilarious. I love the actor cameos during this scene. :D

Probably the most famous part in this movie, again IMHO, is when Fowlmouth and Shirley are in the movie theater... LOL! You've got to see it to appreciate it! And when Hamton and Plucky go through the tunnel to make a wish... :)

Although this movie moved slowly during the Buster/Babs parts, the rest is pure gold! I rate this movie 8/10. Show this to your kids one day... or even adults yourselves - WATCH THIS MOVIE! You won't regret it.

When the film was first released me and my friend had rented it (being Tiny Toon fans) and boy were we shocked! Not only did we fall out of our seats laughing so hard, we watched it six times that weekend. About two years ago I found it at Blockbuster previously viewed so I own the film and its become a classic to me. I just wish Warner Bros. would hurry up and release it on DVD so I can have it for all of my time. It's a great film for your kids to see when they are a little older because it does have a lot of sick humor and your typical cartoon slapstick jokes.

My most favorite part in the movie is when they go to the movies. The sound system "Thud" was a laugh riot because that's exactly what people experience at the movies. I love it! I want to give a special thanks to Steven Spielberg for creating the hilarious series and wonderful full length video. I would love to see more! MY advice to you is go buy it if your a fan of classic Warner Bros. cartoons.

Available now on video for the entire family =)

I discovered this nearly ten years ago at the video store rented it several times then bought it, because I was a huge Tiny Toon Adventures fan. The movie was so funny and just plain bizarre that it's one of my childhood favorites. Buster and Babs Bunny end up going on a Huck Finn Odyssey down the Mississippi, mistakenly after the two of them have a repetitive water fight where no matter what Buster pulls some wisecracking act to squirt Babs. Plucky ends up going on a tedious never-ending road trip to Happy World land. Where he gets hit by the car over and over, until Hamton's folks let him come. Plucky is hyper, and egotistical while Hamton on the other hand is tender and always goes with flow. Buster is witty and loves to pick on Babs with the water gun, while Babs is the showy actress. Elmyra goes to a Wildlife Safari to get a kitty, Foulmouth Lepew brings his girl Shirley The Loon to "Skunknophobia", and Fifi searches the entire globe for her dream guy Skunk. One of the best moments is when Hamton's folks pick up a psychotic killer with a buzz saw, and think he's such a sweet guy. Happy World Land is so bizarre and hilarious it's the best most unforgettable part, with only 6 rides and 400 gift shops, where it makes Six Flags look like the carousel like the Happy Go Pukey ride, a bullet train that shoots in the air then drops and explodes, a hand that slaps to the ground with the riders. Buster is really alert and worreis too much as implied when he and babs escape from possums that want to cook them for dinner, and there's a 7-mile tunnel, where Hampton and his folks play a game where they hold their breath the whole time pretending to get their wish if they do which was so memorable it started me on timing how long I could hold mine. Buster's squirting gets pretty annoying after a while, but just hold on for the end!