The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie - Daffy and Porky Find Buddy-Comedy Mojo

By John Kirk

Rating: A-

We’re way overdue for a Looney Tunes adventure featuring the original comedy duo of funny-foul, Daffy Duck and straight-man, Porky Pig. But The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie was definitely worth the wait.

It’s a modern story that pays homage to the vintage stylings of this pair of characters, a blast from the past that should last for a new generation of cartoon aficionados.

I honestly can’t remember the last time these two were paired together in a story exclusively devoted to them. But according to the internet, it was in an ABC one-hour film special, titled Daffy Duck & Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies. And given the descriptive nomenclature, yeah, it was the 70’s -1972, to be exact, and it was a wacky, weirded-out story involving the Knights of Camelot and all sorts of mayhem.

Back then, both Porky Pig and Daffy were voiced by legendary voice-over talent, Mel Blanc. Canada boasts the successor to this performer, Scarborough boy, Eric Bauza. Eric voices both Porky and Daffy in this film. With a run-time of 91 minutes, it’s a virtuoso display of talent, with Bauza running dialogue back and forth between principal characters for the entire length. He keeps it fresh, individualised and loaded with such energy, it’s no wonder he is Warner Brothers’ choice to not only voice these characters but every other Looney Tunes character in the roster.

We asked Eric how he felt about voicing these two renowned cartoon characters.

“I guess as a Looney Tunes Fan myself, I am extremely grateful to be a part of this historic movement in Looney Tunes history. The first ever stand-alone feature film to showcase these iconic characters. I hope the true LT Fans out there enjoy this rollercoaster ride of a movie, and hopefully we will see them on the big screen like this many more times to come!”

I can’t argue with that. I mean, if there’s anyone who we can rely on as a Looney Tunes expert, it’s Bauzilla, a home-grown talent with a historical awareness of the way to present legendary characters.

As you watch this film, the throwback hallmarks to the classic animation style of the Looney Tunes that Gen-X’ers grew up with unabashedly announce their presence. There’s a glaringly exaggerated sense of physical abandonment of personal safety, a shocking dependence on the employment of over-sized mallets and, of course, the flagrant disbelief in the forces of gravity and other laws of physics.

It’s the overwhelming sense of goofiness that enthralls a cartoon audience for more than an hour. Which begs the question: why haven’t we had more of these cartoons to date?

Here’s the story: we meet a young Daffy and Porky, literally threatened by wolves, until the kindly Famer Jim (Fred Tatasciore) rescues them and gives them a home in his farm. He instills within them the value of staying together and taking care of their home. This becomes their mantra when they have to get jobs and protect their dilapidated home from a house inspection.

This becomes the plan until they discover that the Earth is threatened by the invasion of alien-infected bubble gum that threatens to take control of the planet. When Porky meets scientist Petunia Pig (Candi Milo), they face off against an alien invader (Peter MacNicol) who isn’t what he seems.

Yeah, it’s a wild story. But it’s consistent with the weird Looney Tunes we mature folk remember watching after walking home from school both ways, uphill, and in the snow.

Another vintage draw to this film is that it’s hand-drawn. It’s a  feature to appreciate and gives one a sense of what this film was trying to accomplish, pay homage to those features that made the original WB Looney Tunes great: simplicity, zany and comical characters, exceptional voice talent and art that was handcrafted and true to the artists’ talent.

This is a film that reminds us why Looney Tunes were so appealing, combining the simple virtue of characters who existed just to make us laugh. The wisecracker Bugs Bunny was an instant success because we all know people with that nature. Daffy is a complete nut, when paired with Porky Pig (with Bugs, he was more of a foil). But Porky is the virtuous nice guy who winds up rescuing Daffy from his mistakes.

They’re classic characters drawn for our entertainment in a style that still holds validity in this day of special effects, computer animation and flash. It’s a classically styled animated film that relies on old-school methodology to enthrall and entertain its audience … and it succeeds.

It's great to see Daffy in his original incarnation as the force of chaos again. With his frequent cries of “whoo-hoo!” and his proclivity for disruption.

Fun fact: In the Looney Tunes universe, a male duck – Daffy - can apparently lay eggs (as he did in the 1950 short Golden Yeggs, albeit with a gun to his head). It’s a feature of his cartoon history that is revived in this film. Meanwhile, Farmer Jim is animated in a style that’s reminiscent of Ren & Stimpy, and that appeals to viewers who came of age in the ‘90s. There’s a great deal of vintage-sourced techniques and material in this film directed at a variety of generational audiences.

Take the kids to an afternoon screening and call it a field trip. It’s a lesson in vintage fun.

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. Directed by Peter Browngardt. Voicecast: Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol, Fred Tatasciore, Laraine Newman, Wayne Knight. In theatres Friday, March 14.