Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes, Hanna and Barbera and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons. Actually appreciate it even more now through young adult eyes, thanks to broader knowledge and taste and more interest in animation styles and various studios and directors.
As said, have loved and still do love Looney Tunes with all my heart, the best of them being animated masterpieces, being both hilarious and extremely well made. Daffy to me is one of the best, funniest and most interesting Looney Tunes characters in terms of personality and how the humour is delivered. Like Marvin too. And have surprisingly liked quite a few of the Looney Tunes shorts from the 90s, not on the same level as prime-era Looney Tunes but a long way from being disgraces.
'Marvin the Martian in the Third Dimension' is not one of the best from that period and it doesn't do Daffy or Marvin justice. They're better than this.
It does have good things certainly. The animation is bright and colourful with some nice detail, a few inventive visual ideas (though they are too far and between) and characters drawn with smoothness and not ugliness. Joe Alaskey, while no Mel Blanc (then again who was?), does a great job with the vocal characterisations particularly as Daffy.
There are a few amusing and clever moments, again too far and between. While not action-enhancing, the music still has energy and orchestrated appealingly. Daffy does what he can taking the laughs while also being true to personality and having well done facial expressions, one can see why he is one of animation's best and most interesting characters.
On the other hand, there is too much of a seen it all before feel, everything is too familiar and there is nothing surprising. It's not even an innovative idea in animation, certainly has been done much better, and the execution lacks freshness. It doesn't really feel like a Looney Tunes cartoon either, because the zaniness and razor sharp wit isn't there enough and neither is the visual imagination or wackiness.
Marvin is bland with little to his character or material, very problematic considering strictly speaking he's the main character yet Daffy is far more of that, and the 3D was not necessary and sloppy. Dialogue lacks wit and is far too talky, with a lot of the writing being mediocre at best that was a big problem The laughs aren't really enough and the sight gags even less, because of the over-familiarity and tiredness.
Overall, not terrible but pretty average, for Looney Tunes average isn't enough. 5/10 Bethany Cox
