Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One

Get set to enjoy some of Looney Tunes' most beloved theatrical shorts on Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One. This extraordinary set showcases 50 of the best and most enduring cartoons, which have been re-mastered and released on Blu-ray for the first time. The selection features works by some of the most renowned directors in animation history including Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, Robert McKimson, and others. The featured lineup showcases a delightful mix of everyone's favorite characters including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Sylvester, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin the Martian, Tasmanian Devil, Witch Hazel, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepé Le Pew, and many more. (Tricia Spears)

The three discs are stored inside a Blu-ray™ Book that contains pages and pages of rare sketches and images, commentary by animation historian Jerry Beck, and a guide with synopses of the shorts featured in the collection. The book and discs arrive in a collector's box set that is limited and numbered and which contains Looney Tunes memorabilia, including a Looney Tunes litho cel with a certificate of authenticity, a souvenir tin sign magnet, and a character collectible shot glass. Special features on Disc One include 23 commentary tracks; alternate audio programs, which include five music-only tracks and a vocal track; six "Behind-The-Tunes" featurettes available with or without subtitles: Wagnerian Wabbit: The Making Of What's Opera, Doc? (SD 09:32), Twilight In Tunes: The Music Of Raymond Scott (SD 06:45), Powerhouse In Pictures (SD 02:10), Putty Problems And Canary Rows (SD 05:36), A Chuck Jones Tutorial: Tricks Of The Cartoon Trade (SD 13:23), and The Charm Of Stink: On The Scent Of Pepé Le Pew (SD 07:25); the "Happiness Is...A Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown™" trailer; and up-front ads. Special features on Disc Two include 14 commentary tracks; alternate audio programs, which include seven music-only tracks, one vocal track, and three music and effects tracks; and five featurettes available with or without subtitles: It Hopped One Night: The Story Behind One Froggy Evening (SD 07:09), Wacky Warner One-Shots (SD 09:14), Mars Attacks! Life On The Red Planet With My Favorite Martian (HD 14:48), Razzma-Taz: Giving The Tasmanian Devil His Due (HD 12:05), and The Ralph Phillips Story: Living The American Daydeam (HD 06:55). Disc Three is a special features disc, which includes "A Greeting From Chuck Jones" (SD 03:49); the following documentaries: Chuck Amuck: The Movie (SD 51:10), Chuck Jones: Extremes & In-Betweens, A Life In Animation (SD 01:24:59), and Chuck Jones: Memories Of Childhood (SD 26:16); the following under "The Animated World Of Chuck Jones": Point Rationing Of Foods (SD 06:16), Hell-Bent For Election (SD 13:06), So Much For So Little (SD 10:19), Orange Blossoms For Violet (SD 09:19), A Hitch In Time (HD 07:38), 90 Day Wondering (HD 08:14), Drafty, Isn't It? (SD 10:47), The Dot And The Line: A Romance In Lower Mathematics (SD 10:04), and The Bear That Wasn't (SD 10:21); the "How The Grinch Stole Christmas! Pencil Test" (SD 06:53); an animated featurette The Door (SD 06:43); and nine bonus cartoons (SD 01:04:40).

As would be expected with such a classic, historical rendering, the 1080p AVC picture exhibits some wear and tear in terms of scratches and dust imperfections inherent in the original source and hand-drawn animation cells. Still, overall, the Warner restoration and presentation is incredibly vibrant with rich and fully saturated colors and deep blacks, Overall resolution is excellent, with fine detail rendered, except for the occasional soft focus. Looney Tune fans will be enthralled with the picture quality and this fine collection of classic animated shorts. (Gary Reber)

The Dolby® Digital 192-kilo-bits-per-second encoded monaural soundtrack nicely services the shorts sonic spectrum from dialogue to song, capturing the essence of the compressed and dated fidelity. Viewed in this context, dialogue is intelligible, sound effects are crisp and punctuated, and the music is bright and cartoonish. While the occasional artifact is heard in the form of crackling and hiss, overall, this is a remarkable preservation and presentation of the original monaural soundtracks. (Gary Reber)