Am i the only one who thinks........Average?
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
View MoreThe movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
View MoreThis is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama
View MoreAs a guy who grew up in the 1990s, I can say that this was the time when cartoons had a lot of freedom behind them. Tiny Toon Adventures, an animated TV series produced by filmmaker Steven Spielberg, was one of those shows. It's basically a modern day take on the Looney Tunes featuring characters that are supposed to be their successors. It was quite the success, running for three seasons within a time span of five years, and its spiritual follow-up Animaniacs, also produced by Spielberg, would follow in its footsteps. So in 1992, a direct-to-video feature film was made, and it's just as funny as the show is.The movie is a series of side-stories mixed into one feature film starring the main cast of the television show. In one story, Buster and Babs Bunny (no relation) get into a water gun fight that turns into a white water rafting trip. Then there's the story of Plucky Duck and Hampton Pig traveling to an amusement park on the road trip from Hell (in the spirit of National Lampoon's Vacation, the original, not the terrible remake they made last year). There's also Fifi Le Fume's quest to get an autograph from a skunk movie star, why you should never go see a movie with Fowlmouth...ever, and finally, Elmyra finding another pet to hug and squeeze to the point where it would be considered torture. Oh, and did I mention that some of our main characters come across a murdering psychopath with a chainsaw?Originally, the film was going to be released in movie theatres, but in a last minute decision, Warner Brothers decided to make it a home video release, which is a shame, really. The show was at its peak when it was released, because it appealed to both kids and especially adults who get the more mature references and crude humor riddled within. Plus, having the label "direct-to-video" usually has a bad connotation attached to it, because most movies that were released directly to home media usually suck. Thankfully, this is one of those that doesn't suck. In fact, this is probably one of the best DTV films ever put out, period. The entire film is hilarious from beginning to end, with great, fast- paced animation and great writing. Perhaps the most memorable moments, for me, included the entire story arc of the aforementioned Hellish road trip with Plucky and Hampton, and Buster and Babs encountering a family of back-country possums who want them for dinner, a la John Boorman's 1972 thriller Deliverance.For a while, the film did not see a re-release on DVD when VHS bit the dust, but as of 2012, Warner Brothers did re-release the film on DVD, and though the picture quality is nowhere near up to HD standards, you can still watch it just fine. If you can deal with that, I highly recommend giving this movie a watch, and if you can manage to get every single pop culture reference this thing throws at you, then either you'll fit right at home or someone should be concerned.
View MoreIt is in the opinion of this reviewer that the best time to be a child was in the 1990's, a period when cartoons were not heavily censored and talented and creative minds were responsible for some of the best family entertainment to hit the air-waves. The best producers of Saturday morning animation were at Warner Brothers Television, who experienced a major Golden Age with the dream-team of Steven Spielberg, Tom Ruegger and Paul Dini. Along with serious and dark series like Batman, they also revived zany, outlandish cartoons made famous by the Looney Tunes. Animaniacs was the biggest hitter with its dark adult humour and homages to the celluloid of yesteryear and today, but Tiny Toon Adventures was equally popular by re-inventing the Looney Tunes for a new generation, while still keeping that crazy cartoon violence and intelligent comedy that can hold onto any age group, no matter how old. Even when the Tiny Toons were stretched to a feature-length with How I Spent My Vacation, it did not feel like a longer episode of the television series, a curse that so often plagues other feature-length adaptations of popular animated shows.The Tiny Toon Gang are young off-springs of the classic cartoon characters who made audiences laugh back in the 1940's and 1950's and are currently learning cartoon comedy to "earn their Toon Degree." Summer Vacation has started and each character has their own idea of what to do. Buster Bunny (Charles Adler) and Babs Bunny (Tress MacNeille) start a water gun fight which ultimately leads to Acme Acres getting flooded and them both sailing down the Mississippi. Plucky Duck (Joe Alaskey) joins Hamton Pig (Don Messick) on a cross-country car trip to the Happiest Theme Park in the World, but Hamton's family proves to be more difficult than he imagined. Meanwhile, in other stories scattered throughout, Elmyra Duff (Cree Summer) tries to find a cat to hug and squeeze, Fifi Le Fume (Kath Soucie) attempts to go out on a date with her favourite skunk star and Shirley the Loon (Gail Matthius) goes to the cinema with a loud-mouth Fowlmouth (Rob Paulen).While the premise sounds thin for a feature-length film, the many directors and screenwriters make all the stories work well together. The best of these is Plucky's unfortunate road trip, which utilises a golden comedic opportunity very well: feeling pity for somebody, while also laughing at their predicament. Plucky's annoyed reaction to all the bad things that happen to him are a perfect blend of script and animation, all in the confines of a small car stuffed with pork. Elmyra's story definitely ranks second just to see how a little, almost innocent girl can cause fear into so many jungle animals. The aforementioned cartoon violence definitely comes to the fore-front with Buster and Babs' story, which makes us smile not only due to the hilarity of the outcomes, but also nostalgically, since Ruegger and company would probably not be allowed to show half of what they do in that segment. Practically half of that segment plays as a parody and homage to Deliverance, including a clever twist on the dueling banjos scene, featuring the unforgettable Tiny Toon Adventures theme song.Part of the universal appeal of the Tiny Toons is that the humour proves to be very intelligent as it targets subjects with a ferocity that proves that it does not at all deserve the title of "children's fare" that people seem to slap it with. An entire segment featuring Fowlmouth's poor etiquette at the cinema pokes fun at yappers in a note-perfect way, along with an additional jab at Lucasfilm's THX logo. That scene is done so perfectly that it should be featured before every cinema showing. There are also a couple of moments that poke fun at Disney World, cinematic plot holes and even Warner's legal department. The fact that today's cartoons are bland and un-creative makes those intelligent moments even more treasuring as there probably will not be another animated series that will come close.After watching How I Spent My Vacation for the first time in many years, I can say with all certainty that they do not make cartoons quite like they used to. With the ongoing censorship that today's family entertainment receive, one wonders whether anything like this will ever be made again. This review is not only a recommendation of a truly smart film, but also a plea for Spielberg, Ruegger and Dini to team up again and bring forth a magical creation to our minds once again. Lord knows that the children of the twenty-first century is in need for something with the intelligence of Tiny Toon Adventures. This is not a simple cash-grab, it is a wonderful film with full of spirit, madcap mayhem and hilarity.
View MoreWhen I was a kid, I loved "Tiny Toons". I especially loved "Tiny Toons: How I spent my Summer Vacation". I thought it was laughs on the floor funny. A few years later, my friend had the video. And I figured I'd watch it for the good old days. I was still on the floors laughing. My opinion, the Plucky and Hampton skit is the best. They decide to go to "Happy World Land". And they end up having a crazy adventure to get there. All the skits are funny. I'm still looking for the video. So, if anyone has any tips. Please write me. This is one of the funniest cartoons I have ever seen. 10/10
View MoreWhen the film was first released me and my friend had rented it (being Tiny Toon fans) and boy were we shocked! Not only did we fall out of our seats laughing so hard, we watched it six times that weekend. About two years ago I found it at Blockbuster previously viewed so I own the film and its become a classic to me. I just wish Warner Bros. would hurry up and release it on DVD so I can have it for all of my time. It's a great film for your kids to see when they are a little older because it does have a lot of sick humor and your typical cartoon slapstick jokes.My most favorite part in the movie is when they go to the movies. The sound system "Thud" was a laugh riot because that's exactly what people experience at the movies. I love it! I want to give a special thanks to Steven Spielberg for creating the hilarious series and wonderful full length video. I would love to see more! MY advice to you is go buy it if your a fan of classic Warner Bros. cartoons.Available now on video for the entire family =)
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