Best movie of this year hands down!

Fresh and Exciting

Excellent but underrated film

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Directed by Friz Freleng, "Bugs and Thugs" pits Bugs Bunny against mob leader Rocky and his bigger, dumber accomplice Mugsy. Bugs gets the better of them, of course.Highlights: Rocky tells Bugs to get out of the car and check the railroad tracks for any oncoming trains; after Bugs imitates Mugsy in replying "OK, boss," he signals for the crooks to drive through, but they of course get run over by a locomotive. When the police (phony and real) arrive at the gangsters' hideout, Bugs convinces Rocky and Mugsy to hide in the stove; to further prove that the crooks are not in the stove, Bugs turns on the gas and throws in a lighted match! While at a gas station, Bugs calls the police and tells them he's been kidnapped by the two bank robbers; they drive off with Bugs while he's still on the line, and the policeman on the other end gets pulled through and dragged behind the gangsters' car."Bugs and Thugs" can be found on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1 Disc 4.

Bugs goes to the bank to get a carrot among many in his deposit box. At the same time, Rocky has robbed it and is about to get in his car with Mugsy as the driver when Bugs comes in first mistaking it for a taxi. When Rocky comes in with his bags of money, the rabbit at first thinks it's laundry. He wises up and attempts to call the police at a nearby gas station but is caught by Mugsy before he can complete it. It all results in one of the funniest police captures in cartoon history! This was one of my favorites as a little kid and seeing it today on The Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Vol. 1 brought back great memories of watching this on "Bugs Bunny and Friends" which aired every afternoon at 3:30 pm central time on WRBT-TV, Baton Rouge, La. (It's now WVLA). Kudos once again to Friz Freling.

Gangsters Rocky and Mugsy are first introduced in the short that has Bugs Bunny getting into the getaway car of the duo by accident when he mistakes it for a cab. The short is pretty funny, yet Bugs isn't really in the top of his form here. Still it's worth watching and contains a highly quotable line or two. The ending is a tad on the weak side however. It's still the best of the Rocky and Mugsy shorts (they were in two others I believe, but don't quote me on that). This animated short can be found on disc 4 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1.My Grade: B-

This Bugs Bunny cartoon is a personal favorite of mine and for good reason. Besides the very well done animation and superb voice talents from Mel Blanc, the jokes and gags were very funny and pulled off in nice fashion. Granted, not the best Bugs Bunny cartoon ever made, but a definite classic.