Bunny chef d'orchestre

As a big fan of classical music, I was eager to re watch Baton Bunny. You see this was one of my first Bugs Bunny cartoons and I was interested to see how well it held up. I loved it when I first saw it and the several other times I saw it after, but after a long time while still very good it isn't quite as good as I remembered. I do agree it is more unique and clever more than it is funny. Don't get me wrong, there are some nice visual gags especially the ones involving Bugs' collar and ears but there are some that don't quite work as well as they should such as the one with the fly which I'm afraid came across as rather predictable and tiresome. The gags are not the best thing about Baton Bunny- that's the music which is outstanding, no surprise really as it was composed by Suppe, who always makes me smile regardless what piece of his is playing, it is so charming and rousing that it is hard not to get engrossed in it. The animation is very good too, with a lot of colour and vibrancy. In fact the only disappointment animation-wise is the character design of Bugs which is a little too scratchy for my liking. Baton Bunny is also well paced, has a unique concept, and while it isn't as clever or as funny as cartoons such as What's Opera Doc, Rabbit of Seville and Long-Haired Hare, it is worth watching for the music. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Bugs is the guest conductor of the Warner Brothers Symphony Orchestra, playing "Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna by Franz Von Suppe."

The whole cartoon is a spoof of overly-dramatic conductors. Bugs exaggerates most of his moves with the orchestra delivering what he's doing. Some of it is funny, some too far- fetched, but that was the idea. Also, the music cleverly also was in sync with little things happening to Bugs' apparel as it fell off here and there, giving him problems.

In all, this short is more clever than it is funny. It's definitely a unique one for Bugs Money and I give them an "A" for originality but a "D" for laughs. Since most of us watch these animations for laughs, clever-or-not this was not up to par.

The main reason I like this cartoon so much is that this is one of the most unique Bugs Bunny cartoons I've seen in quite some time. It finally takes a step away from the classic "Bugs gets chased" or also popular "Bugs in Hollywood" frames for this new idea, in which Bugs conducts a symphony at the Hollywood Bowl. Bugs gives a hilarious performance in the first place (the cuffs falling off his jacket has got to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen), but add to it a fly that keeps bugging him, and you get comedy in its finest.

Also, and this may not make much sense, but one of my favorite parts is when we see Bugs conducting and his coat-tails and ears start doing the work for him. I don't know why, but I just love seeing his ears do that, it makes me smile and giggle all the time. The music is great, and the animation truly follows it, proving once again that a cartoon is only as good as the music that supports it.

This is an interesting and unique Bugs Bunny short, with nothing but visual gags throughout. However, despite my Looney Tunes bias, I shall admit that Cat Concerto, a Tom and Jerry cartoon, used a similar premise about thirteen years prior. You could be wondering whether Bugs could be funny without words, but this proves all the sceptics wrong! The hilarious methods that Bugs uses to convey the notes to his musicians (who obviously and miraculously know how to interpret the antics of this mad rabbit, since the musical score is very good) never get old. The cartoon illustrates a surreal Western story when Bugs conducts in a flurry, and the fly that annoys him is fantastic! Bugs finally cracks in the end, and you see he can be just as hot-headed as Daffy Duck. This sets the standard for how a conductor/musician cartoon should be. Good to see on VHS and DVD. Highly Recommended.

I vaguely read the IMDb reviews for this cartoon before I watched it and there seemed to be quite a few negative comments, so I was not sure what I would think of it. However, I love it and it is one of my new favourites. The humour is nice and slow, very well done and you can still see quite a lot of Bugs Bunny's personality even though he does not say a single word, neither does anyone else. Usually I do not like the fact that certain Looney Tunes cartoons do not have enough speaking jokes, but in this episode it would have not been so good if there had been some. It is just funny the whole way through and the music is good. :-) The only negative thing I have to say about this gem is that the animation of Bugs was a bit scratchy, I prefer his smoother, more rounded style. Saying that - his collar was hilarious! :-)

I recommend this episode to people who like classical music, Bugs Bunny and for people who do not mind flies too much. Enjoy "Baton Bunny"! :-)