Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales (1982) Poster

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7/10
I'll be honest. I actually liked this!
TheLittleSongbird16 July 2010
At 18, I am a huge Looney Tunes fan. As a little girl, I loved watching them and laughing at the manic wit, marvelling at the colourful animation and admiring the playful and energetic music, not to mention loving the witty characters(especially Bugs and Daffy) and the fresh dialogue. Even if some cartoons were a little predictable in the story, I know some of the Speedy Gonzales cartoons were on the predictable side, I still loved them. And I still do, I've finished school now, and one of my guilty pleasures is watching Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry and Scooby Doo on Boomerang, I can't help it and I still love them.

So as a huge fan of Looney Tunes, I heard there were a few movies and compilation films and thought I would like to check them out. I had an inkling I had seen parts of 1001 Rabbit Tales before, as the parts in the palace struck a big bell with me, but I insisted on seeing the whole film. Overall, I enjoyed 1001 Rabbit Tales. I agree it is uneven, not a huge surprise for me as I have found in the past that compilation films have parts that work and parts that don't quite, but I liked it.

First of all, it was a delight seeing all those cartoons. I love a vast majority of the cartoons featured, especially One Froggy Evening, Bewitched Bunny, Ali Baba Bunny and Tweety and the Beanstalk, which have great animation, music, dialogue and sight gags. The ones that didn't strike me as quite as memorable was Mexican Boarders and Apes of Wrath(though Bugs and the drunken stork elevated it), Mexican Boarders because although it was an improvement over most Speedy cartoons it was my least favourite cartoon featured. I did like Goldimouse and the Three Cats too, it starts off slow but gets better as Sylvester falls victim to his own traps.

As for the film itself, it was pretty good, though it is the case where the shorts and characters are better than the story itself in my opinion. The animation on the whole is pretty good, admittedly better in the shorts than in the edited bits, which had a good "scratchy" style but the animation in the cartoons was much more fluid and colourful. The music was highly enjoyable throughout, very playful and energetic, and I loved the humour. The humour in the edited bits stuck to the style of the early cartoons, with the interplay between Bugs, Yosemite and the Prince standing out. Though when it comes to the cartoons themselves, I loved the dark humour of Bewitched Bunny, how Sylvester Jnr in Goldimouse and the Three Cats was named "spoiled brat", the running joke that Bugs ends up somewhere other than he wants due to a wrong turn and the hilarious ending of Red Riding Hoodwinked(not to mention the Big Bad Wolf's short-term memory).

It was a huge delight to see all the Looney Tunes characters, Bugs and Daffy of course are the stars of the show, Bugs having more to do, while Yosemite is a delight as the Sultan, they pretty nail what he was like in the earlier cartoons with the hot temper and the fact he is always up to no good. Porky and Elmer aren't given as much to do, but they are good enough, while Speedy is a lot less annoying in two of his better cartoons(The Pied Piper of Guadalupe being the other). The drunken stork and Witch Hazel also give delightful contributions. And all of these characters are brilliantly voiced, Mel Blanc deserving the most credit.

However what I didn't like so much was that the film is too short, for me anyway, and I think it should have been better finished than it was. The story is a good idea, contrary to what has been said already, however it takes a bit of a while to get going but when it does get going it is fine. The pacing is uneven here I think, not in the cartoons but parts at the beginning could have been better paced. Finally while I loved the characters, there was one character I didn't like and that was the Prince. I just found him irritating, not his dialogue(which was great actually) but how he was voiced and animated, too loud and abrasive and blocky when it comes to the animation. I understand he was meant to be irritating, but not that irritating.

Overall, despite its faults, I liked it. When it comes to the compilation films, I felt Daffy Duck's Quackbusters had the better story and it felt better paced, but the humour and a vast majority of the cartoons here work splendidly. 7/10 Bethany Cox
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8/10
Very Good
afonsobritofalves4 March 2019
Although the idea of making films with Looney Tunes short films has already been used, this film is not behind the others, I think it's better, it has a great set of intelligent jokes, fun stories, interesting characters, among many other points positive experiences that will entertain children and adults. Highly recommend.
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6/10
Yet another Looney Tunes package film that feels rather sloppily assembled.
IonicBreezeMachine31 July 2022
Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are traveling book salesman for Rambling House publishing who go on separate routes to sell their books. Eventually Bugs Bunny winds up at the palace of Arabian sulta Yosemite Sam and is forced by threat of boiling oil to read stories to Sam's obnoxious bratty son Prince Abba-Dabba.

Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales is the third compilation film of Looney Tunes shorts released by Warner Bros. And repurposed as a feature, Unlike The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie by Chuck Jones or the Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie by Friz Freling, there's no credited director for this third film as it uses a mixture of cartoons from multiple directors. Like the previous films it too was given a limited theatrical release before being sold for television rights. Much like the previous film Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie, the film takes the individual shorts and daisy chains them into a narrative, but it's not a great representation of the shorts as they're heavily truncated and altered to fit.

Unlike the previous film which was a bunch of half-hour stories tied together with the shorts, this third film tries to have a feature length plot by organizing itself as a road movie with Bugs and Daffy trying to sell books and getting into various misadventures that are comprised of the original shorts. On paper its not an unworkable idea, but the structure really has to bend and twist itself to justify this premise with the whole second half of the film basically boiling down to a remake of Hare-Abian Nights, which itself was also a stock footage short. There's a good collection of shorts used even if they're heavily altered with Ali Baba Bunny chopped to pieces after having already been seen in the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie, and Bewitched Bunny and One Froggy Evening have their best punchlines excised and abruptly stop.

Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales is probably the weakest of the Bugs Bunny fronted compilation films released by Warner Bros. While the movie attempts to be a cohesive whole across the entire films plotline, it doesn't do so particularly well and is pretty sloppily put together. Like the previous there's not much reason to watch this as the original shorts are now widely available across home media and streaming, and it's really only a historical curiosity and the fact it's the first time Arthur Q. Bryan is credited as the voice of Elmer Fudd.
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WONDERFUL ENTERTAINMENT
KatMiss5 July 2001
While I do agree with the fact that this is not the best way to see these wonderful cartoons, there's no denying that for some this is the only way. Regular TV programming has fazed out Bugs Bunny cartoons. Great video compliations are out-of-print. And if you don't have cable TV, you're screwed.

It edits the original shorts with new linking material, which is not a new practice. Robert Youngson made a career out of this genre; his titles include "4 Clowns" and "Laurel and Hardy's Laughing 20s". Also, the MGM That's Entertainment! series, which is up to three. Most critics tend to praise those titles, but condemn the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes films.

That is not fair. "1001 Rabbit Tales" is a very good movie on its' own terms. Supervised by the late, great Friz Freleng, the linking material is the best so far in this series. The "plot" involves Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck as salesmen for Rambling House Publishing (a great in-joke that's just one of many). They go their separate ways and Bugs ends up being a storyteller for Yosemite Sam's son (this is where the old cartoons enter in)

Freleng selects some of the very best Looney Tunes shorts for this film. His selections include "One Froggy Evening", one of the greatest of all time and "Goldilocks and the Three Cats" (featuring Sylvester Jr.) and his editing is seamless this time round, unlike previous entries where it looked more obvious.

Those critics who feel obliged to hate a film like this can go back on the horse they rode in on. Even Maltin thought it was decent at 2 1/2 stars. This is wonderful entertainment and considering today's entertainment, timeless.

**** out of 4 stars
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6/10
Good
kainacesar-163895 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It's a good movie of the adventure. Bugs Bunny Always the best my favorite character of acme. But, daffy duck is very good too.

Movie watched 5 of july of 2022.
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10/10
Good Looeny Tunes movie!
Movie Nuttball5 July 2005
I thought that the characters were really funny and all had great personalities. The animation in My opinion was crisp, clean, and really clear. Not to mention beautiful! Most of the characters in this show are hilarious Looney Tunes characters that we all love. in My opinion these characters are the funnies and talented ever seen. In fact, The things that goes on in this series' cartoons are in My opinion nuts which that is what makes them hilarious! There are so many to like and laugh at and the silly things they do! If you like the original Looney Tunes and animated films then I strongly recommend that you watch this movie today!
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5/10
boiling oil
lee_eisenberg8 July 2005
After the creative team that made the classic Looney Tunes cartoons stopped making original cartoons, they made compilations of varying quality (after they all died, the cartoons turned into total garbage). "Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales" has Bugs and Daffy as book salesmen who go their separate ways to try and sell books. Eventually, Bugs arrives in the Arabian desert, where Yosemite Sam is the sultan and has a spoiled brat son. So, Bugs agrees to read to the boy, under the threat of bathing in boiling oil if he fails.

I guess that overall, this compilation is pretty harmless. If nothing else, they still had Mel Blanc doing the voices. But are compilations really that necessary?
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5/10
bugs Bunny's 3rd compilation
pkzeewiz14 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Friz, Chuck and others all had shorts featured on this one.

I love Looney Tunes and have the golden collection sets and watch them and love them and they are put together really well. I think that we all know how people in the movie business are good at putting out any product to make money off of. This here is a perfect example of how..

This is a compilation of shorts pieced together with popular shorts and new material written to piece it all together.

The good thing is that these shorts are not as common as shorts on the first two movies, however they are still popular. Things like Michigan Dave and the stork who takes bugs to a family of gorillas are nice additions.

I love how slow poke Rodriquez was added here as thats not a popular one, as well as Daffy and the trophy duck.

I was disappointed to see a short in this film that was also in The Great American Chase. How can this be a sequel and have the same thing as part 1.

I liked this one better than any of the "movies" but it still was nothing spectacular and we've seen it all so much. I wanted for once there to be an actual movie. I haven't seen the two daffy duck movies that are considered sequels to this, maybe some more original stuff was included in those.

This one gets 5 out of 10 stars cause I have seen them less, and liked the connecting theme more.
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Ridiculous Recycling.
tfrizzell30 July 2002
Another one of the quick-fix movies by the Warner Bros. studio to make some fast money off the famed Looney Tunes characters. Old cartoons starring most all the major characters are held together by an unfunny new cartoon that has book salesman Bugs Bunny telling stories to Yosemite Sam's young brat of a son in a palace in the middle of the desert. Naturally there is also Daffy Duck trying to survive the harsh desert environment. It is tough to survive this harsh cut-and-paste mess. Watch the Cartoon Network instead. 2.5 out of 5 stars.
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5/10
Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales
jboothmillard8 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This was the last Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies compilation film made up of loads of already made cartoons, concocted into a story. Basically Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are working for a book selling company. They split up to sell books in different areas, however Daffy wants to head south to migrate. Bugs meets Daffy after mistakingly being given to gorillas by the Stork and chased by Elmer Fudd, and they both end up in Arabia. Bugs finds a kingdom run by Yosemite Sam. He is told to read his 1001 stories for his prince, or face being boiled in oil. This is obviously an excuse to use many good episodes involving fairy tales, e.g. Jack and the Beanstalk, Hansel and Gretel, a Pied Piper story, and a Singing Frog. Daffy Duck was number 30, Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies number 20 and Bugs Bunny number 10 on The 100 Greatest Cartoons. Worth watching!
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5/10
Fine Animation Film
RECB313 March 2024
This is a great enough animation film for all viewers to watch and enjoy. The crew did a brilliant job in creating this animation film. The storyline of this animation film might have been slightly simple and straightforward but it worked. The cast selection was alright enough. They did not exactly fully commit nor connect to the storyline nor to their respective characters. The chemistry that was displayed by the cast members was weak and could have been better and stronger for this animation film. There were some parts in this animation film that did not make sense but it is still fine for everyone to watch and enjoy.
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Bygone . . .
The_Film_Cricket4 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
What makes the Warner Bros. animated shorts created between the early 30s and the late 50s so interesting is that are brought to life through a combination of perfect timing, wonderful writing and a wicked sense of humor. That wicked sense of humor got passed the Hays office in the early 30s probably because the censorship watchdogs assumed that they were simple-minded cartoons and paid them no mind (or they were too busy crabbing about the length of Betty Boop's skirt). These dayts that attitude comes mostly from distributors who routinely pigeonhole these works of comic art as 'kiddie fare' (which explains why the great black and white Popeye cartoons of the early 30s are always shown in color) so they routinely chop, cut and trim them to fit a time schedule.

Those same distributors who like to package these great works as 'kiddie fare' are primarily responsible for what doesn't work in 'Bugs Bunny's Third Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales', the third of Warner Bros. compilation films linking new (rather ersatz) material to introduce old classic cartoons.

The linking premise this time has Bugs and Daffy as book salesmen for Rambling House going their separate ways to try and see who can make more money. Bugs ends up at a castle in Arabia run by Yosemite Sam who demands that Bugs read 1001 stories to his loudmouth son Prince Abba Dabba. The first problem is that the premise is lame and the character of the son is irritating with his loud mouth and hyena whine every time Bugs refuses to read him a story. Daffy meanwhile has unmemorable incounters with Porky Pig and Elmer Fudd.

The other problem is that the classic cartoons that they include have been cut mostly to fit the storyline of the new linking material. One of the greatest animated shorts ever made was Chuck Jones' brilliant 'One Froggy Evening' in which a greedy construction worker finds a box containing a frog that can sing and dance. The downside being that the frog won't sing for anyone but him. This falters all of the man's attempts to make money selling him as an act. The greatest irony of this cartoon is that there are no speaking parts except when the frog sings. The problem in this movie is that new narration by Bugs as he reads the story interrupts the quiet comic flow and worst of all, the hilarious, wicked final punchline is cut off.

I was afraid that this kind of prepackaged butchery was becoming a trend until Cartoon Network put together three shows which really celebrate how important these shorts are. The best is 'Toonheads' which has a theme every week showing how different artists interpreted different characters. The others are 'The Tex Avery Show' and 'The Bob Clampett Show' which spotlight the best works of each artist and allow the viewer to learn a little about what went into their inspiration.

'1001 Rabbit Tales' is an example of a practice in the 1980s of hurling any moving cartoon image at children and assuming that it would stick. Thankfully, that era has passed.
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I'd have preferred a plain "best of" instead.
jadompierre14 February 2015
I've been watching Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies bunch for as long as I can remember. I grew up in the 60's before so many of the cartoons were gutted due to concerns about violence, and before they were edited for time.

This vid, and the others in the series, makes use of all the old cartoons and splices them together in an effort to create some kind of common time line, and I supposed if you hadn't seen the originals it would be pretty slick, but for me it doesn't work very well. Hiccupy, if that's even remotely a word, is how I would describe it. Little modifications, some substantial cuts, and the overlying *effort* needed to fall into the new storyline takes away a lot of the magic for me.

But the cartoons are good, solid classics. Watch it for those.
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The Bugs Bunny tales
Petey-1024 October 2011
Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are book salesmen.They go different ways to sell books and a lot of fun stuff happens to them.Bugs ends up in Sultan Yosemite Sam's palace, where he is forced to tell tales to Prince Abadaba.Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales (1982) is directed by Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones and Robert McKimson.It has a compilation of classic Warner Bros. shorts.As voice artists you can hear Mel Blanc, who does the voice of Bugs, Daffy, Porky Pig and so on.Arthur Q. Bryan is Elmer Fudd.June Foray (who is 94 years old today!) is Granny and some others.Shepard Menken is Old Storyteller.Lennie Weinrib is Abadaba.Bill Roberts is Michigan J. Frog.I had most fun watching this.As did my 7-year old cousins.It's hilarious when Daffy pretends to be the stuffed duck.Or Sylvester trying to catch the gigantic Tweety in the beanstalk tale.Not to forget Sylvester as the Pied Piper and Speedy Gonzales doing his thing.These Looney Tunes tales are great fun- for both kids and adults.
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