Looney Tunes: Golden Collection, 4-disc DVD set

For years, animation enthusiasts have eagerly awaited the arrival of Warner Bros. cartoons on DVD. The Warner shorts, unlike the Disney and MGM films, never enjoyed the same budgets or prestige, and despite deserving more, they won fewer Oscars. However, decades after their creation, these quintessential Hollywood cartoons remain unparalleled - brash, fast-paced, uproariously funny, and uniquely American. The set features 56 cartoons (out of a studio output of over 1,000), all of which have been transferred from good prints, allowing viewers to appreciate the dust, scratches, and occasional mistakes by the cel painters. The films are presented in their uncut form, defying the efforts of those who have pushed for the censorship of perceived "violence" in the versions aired on television.

Warner Bros. is clearly gauging consumer response with this collection. While the eclectic selection includes many classics, purists will rightly argue that it neither offers a fair representation of the directors' bodies of work nor provides a cohesive history of the characters or the studio's style. Nearly half of the films were directed by Chuck Jones, with only three by Bob Clampett, and none by Tex Avery or Frank Tashlin. Nevertheless, it seems petty to nitpick about omissions and biases when the discs present excellent, uncensored prints of some of the funniest films ever made, not just in the United States, but anywhere in the world.

Virtually every American under the age of 60 grew up watching these films, both in theaters and on television. The Warner shorts never commanded the same budgets or prestige as the Disney and MGM productions, and they won fewer Oscars than they deserved. Yet, decades after their creation, they remain the quintessential Hollywood cartoons - brash, fast-paced, aggressively funny, and uniquely American.

The set of 56 cartoons (out of a studio output of over 1,000) has been transferred from good prints, allowing viewers to appreciate the dust, scratches, and occasional mistakes by the cel painters. The films are presented in their uncut form, defying the efforts of those who have pushed for the censorship of perceived "violence" in the versions aired on television. Warner Bros. is clearly testing the market with this collection, and while the eclectic selection includes many classics, purists will rightly argue that it neither offers a fair representation of the directors' bodies of work nor provides a cohesive history of the characters or the studio's style.

Nearly half of the films were directed by Chuck Jones, with only three by Bob Clampett, and none by Tex Avery or Frank Tashlin. However, it seems petty to nitpick about omissions and biases when the discs present excellent, uncensored prints of some of the funniest films ever made, not just in the United States, but anywhere in the world. These cartoons, which have delighted generations of viewers, are now available to a new audience, allowing them to experience the timeless charm and humor that has made them enduring classics.

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