La Guéguerre des étoiles

The original premiere Looney Tunes version of the first Marvin the Martian stories has this simple promise:

"Marvin the Martian is a diabolical genius who wants to destroy the Earth, but Bugs Bunny stops him"

Michael Maltese writes a script for Haredevil Hare(1948) following the promise above. In Haredevil Hare, Bugs Bunny is sent to Moon for a given mission: To establish the first radio contact between Moon and Earth. So he goes to Moon, just after he thinks he is the first creature to land on Moon, he meets with Marvin. Marvin wants to destroy the Earth. But Bugs distracts him, so he accidentally blows up his spaceship. Not only Bugs saves Earth from being destroyed he also completes his mission. But the plot-hole, a huge logical deficiency, here is that the space engineers establishing the first radio connection with Moon, doesn't know that a Martian wants to destroy the Earth, and even at the end of the episode Bugs Bunny didn't tell them so.

Director Chuck Jones and writer Michael Maltese make a revision 10 years after Haredevil Hare, naming it Hare-Way to the Stars, to keep it easily marketable rhyming it both with that earlier episode and also with Ella Fitzgerald's popular country song title(Stairway to the Stars). This way it became one of the most marketable cartoons of Warner Bros all time. In the production side, not only that the problems with the plot are fixed, but also Looney Tunes wanted them to create a more funny, more combative, more challenging cartoon. So Jones and Maltese started a new opening image and a unique set-up, putting Bugs in a bad morning mood after he wakes up to go and get himself a nice morning shower. The first funny and challenging moment is here in the set-up that, Bugs is not aware that he is going to Moon, unlike Haredevil Hare. Also when on the Moon, even though the same story 10 years ago follows its identical sections step by step, this time Marvin the Martian is more prepared to the combat, he has back-up for everything Bugs does. Bugs find himself in a tough challenge killing Martian soldiers one by one in most funny ways possible. And ultimately at the end, again unwillingly and uncontrollably, just like how he came to Moon, Bugs returns to Earth bringing Martians with him, creating a perfectly funny and suspended ending.

The next most noteworthy episode of Marvin the Martian story with him trying to blow up the Earth is "Mad as a Mars Hare"(1963) a Merrie Melodies touch to the Marvin the Martian series. What's different production-wise than the Looney Tunes episodes is that, as always Merrie Melodies are more concerned with the humour not with the story. In Mad as a Mars Hare, we will find Marvin the Martian more prepared to fight, more angrier, more challenging and hence more funnier, with cool sci-fi ideas that only add more booze to the excitement of the episode.

Badly hung over from mixing radish juice and carrot juice the night before, bugs staggers up his stairs and accidentally into a space rocket that has been established as a launch point directly above his home. When the rocket reaches his destination, Bugs stumbles into a plot by an alien to destroy the earth - a plot Bugs has no option but to try and foil.

This film is one of the many that started to cash in on the whole sci-fi scene and saw the creation of the alien character who has faced up to several of the usual characters. The plot here is too simple for my tastes and doesn't create that many funny sequences. The overly silly setup is happily put aside as soon as it can be to create a battle of wits between Bugs and alien. Sadly this chase is full of daft looking monsters who are easily outwitted by Bugs - but only in one amusing sequence. Before you know it the film is finished (and with a whimper at that).

Bugs is good and the alien is funny if you like him; the problem seems to be with the material, which is uninspired and lacking in real imagination or spark. Bits of it are still pretty amusing but mostly I found it to be quite lacklustre considering the characters involved. Overall, it is worth seeing because all Bugs Bunny films are, but it would have been nice if the material had ran to a few more sequences with more laughs.

I really do not understand why this cartoon was banned, I must have seen it 10 times in the past month and I don't find anything offensive about it. And I personally think it is better than Mad as a Mars Hare, which I liked for the voices, animation and music but I found it too talky and was disappointed at how little Marvin was given to do. Back on target, this cartoon is wonderfully imaginative; the animation is truly stunning and the music is atmospheric enough. Marvin is given more to do here, though if anything he could've done with a tad more, and Bugs is great. The writing I thought was excellent, Bug's last line "run to the hills, otherwise you'll be up to your armpits in martians" was hysterical. I think it was how Mel Blanc, brilliant again, delivered it. Overall, I enjoy this a lot, it is imaginative, beautifully animated and just fun really. 10/10 Bethany Cox

First I'll say that Marvin and Bugs are very good in this Looney Tunes episode. Secondly I'll say that I did not like the other parts of this cartoon nearly as much. Stuff that I liked were the two main characters, the quotes and I thought the plot was quite good. The jokes are - in places - mediocre, at least the farce and slapstick ones are.

Personally I prefer "Mad as a Mars Hare" a slightly similar cartoon also featuring Bugs and Marvin. This particular cartoon is more for people who like the slapstick and farce in Looney Tunes, although this for people who like Bugs Bunny as well - at least to watch once, anyhow.

Planktonrules submitted a good point in his review: Why is this cartoon banned? I had not heard it was until I read his review and I think the reason may be something to do with the idea of "exploding the earth" and perhaps the fact that it is set in a demolition site may be something to do with it. These are complete guesses, but it's something to think about while you watch this cartoon.

Bugs Bunny, having had carrot juice and radish juice mixed, feels absolutely dreadful and is having a sort of hangover. Due to some circumstances (that you have to watch to understand properly) Bugs climbs into a space rocket and finds himself in space, on a comet and in some sort of space station where a little alien is very excited....

I recommend this to all Bugs Bunny fans, people who like space Looney Tunes and people who like farce at least a little bit. Enjoy! :-)

Occasionally I like to browse Google using the search term "banned cartoons" as many of these suppressed films are interesting--especially from a historical point of view. With most of these cartoons I can understand why Disney and Warner Brothers have decided to withdraw them from general distribution, as they have some horribly insensitive and hurtful portrayals of minorities. However, SOME of them are excellent entertainment and aren't the least bit offensive to anyone other than a humorless corporate executive. Now why THIS PARTICULAR one was removed from circulation is beyond me and I wonder if it has NOT been pulled by Warner--especially since it features the ever-popular Marvin the Martian. Was, perhaps, someone offended because it made fun of aliens? I doubt it and seriously think this film was never repressed and someone labeled it "banned" incorrectly.

Now as for this cartoon, this is one of the most famous Warner toons and has been very popular with audiences over the years. Bugs accidentally gets shot into space where he meets Marvin--who is about to blow up the Earth since it obstructs his view of Venus!! Very funny stuff and featuring the best Chuck Jones-inspired artwork.