Daffy Duck's Quackbusters

This will be the first of at least 3 reviews going up today, so that I can play 'catch up.'

First up we have 'Daffy Duck's Quackbusters' which is certainly an interesting addition to the Looney Tunes lineup of films. Released in 1988, Quackbusters has two short films that are exclusive to this release while a number of older shorts are used for various segments. This causes Quackbusters to feel rather episodic, even with the wraparounds of each short providing a single story.

The first of the segments occurs right at the start of the film as we watch 'Night of the Living Duck,' which is also the first of the two exclusive shorts to Quackbusters. The entire short is probably my favorite of Daffy's shorts, which is surprising given my usual dislike of the Duck. I highly suspect the main reason I enjoy this short is largely because Daffy is entertaining a whole crowd of classic movie monsters.

After this segment, we move into the main story, revolving around Daffy earning the inheritance of a rich businessman and having to spend it on a service to the people. Upon realizing that the deceased benefactor is making his newly found wealth vanish, Daffy decides to rid the world of ghosts and other monsters. To do this, he enlists some hired 'help' in the form of Porky Pig, Sylvester, and Bugs Bunny. Not wanting to do any work at first, Daffy sends the three on a series of jobs around the world. Along the way, Porky and Sylvester encounter some killer mice, while Bugs Bunny meets up with Count Blood Count, and Hugo the Abominable Snowman. Daffy himself finally gets involved and joins Bugs to square off against Hugo, and also manages to successfully exorcise some ghosts from a possessed lady duck. This latter segment is the second exclusive short to the film, and also rather hilarious. The film finally ends when a series of miniature elephant sightings prompts Daffy to go on air to debunk the silly notion, only to have it blow up in his face and puts him out of business.

Quackbusters is.... certainly odd. The chosen shorts are all a lot of fun on their own, however the filler that wraps around them can vary from entertaining to feeling a bit subpar in comparison. The animation is fairly consistent, and never seems to be off at all. The main critique I have, aside from the mediocre filler, is that at various points in the film, Porky Pig sounds a lot like Bugs Bunny. Part of this is because Mel Blanc lent his voice to several characters. Normally each character sounds rather different, but not this time around.

In the end, Quackbusters is certainly a fun way to watch a few good shorts and is definitely worth watching for the two exclusive shorts as it is.

Favorite Quote:

Possessed Duck-Woman: Mary had a little lamb... 
[turns into a demon] 
Possessed Duck-Woman: But I *ate* it! 

3 1/2 / 5