Robert McKimson's 'Devil May Hare' introduced one of the most popular Warner Bros. characters of all time, the Tasmanian Devil. Although he only starred in five original Warner shorts, Taz (as he would eventually be known) became a prominent part of the 90s Warner Bros. Merchandising and went on to star in his own brilliant cartoon series, 'Taz-mania'. An appealingly vicious creature, the Tasmanian Devil would be a genuine threat to Bugs Bunny (who co-stars in the cartoon) were he not so dumb. Bugs repeatedly fools him with a series of fake animals for him to eat, each of which causes him severe grief. Unfortunately, aside from giving birth to a fantastic character, 'Devil May Hare' doesn't have a great deal going for it. It's unattractively drawn (just look at Bugs raising his eyebrows in the climactic telephone scene for proof) and the gags are mostly not that inspiring. The appeal all rests on the shoulders of the Devil who steals the cartoon with his deranged squeals and grunts. The main reason to see 'Devil May Hare', then, is to witness the first steps of a cartoon legend. Other than that, it's a decent but unhilarious film.
Review of Devil May Hare
