platonism's Full Review: Stars of Space Jam - Tasmanian Devil
The Tasmanian Devil was created in 1954 by Robert McKimson, by far the least-known among the three Warner Bros. mainstays throughout the 50s and early 60s (the other two being Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng). McKimson rarely reached the heights of his two colleagues, but his cartoons were wild, energetic, and seldom boring. While Warner Bros. producer Eddie Selzer did not care much for Taz's debut, Devil May Hare (1954), Jim Warner himself loved it and wanted to see more of the character. McKimson went on to direct four other Taz cartoons, while Freleng directed a Christmas special starring Taz in 1979, two years after McKimson's death. Even though this VHS collection (released in the wake of the 1996 feature film Space Jam -- I have also reviewed the Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner collection) might seem short at six cartoons and barely forty minutes, it actually includes all of Taz's features appearances.
Devil May Hare introduces Taz to the world as dozens of animals run away from him; Mel Blanc's voice is truly inspired as the devil, delivering unintelligible sounds and occasional bits of dialogue. Curious at first, Bugs Bunny gets to know this bizarre creature and its... unique eating habits. Bugs tries to convince Taz that rabbits are not worth eating in the end, and Taz is repeatedly fooled by his adversary's varied tactics. His identity is already established: frenzied and eager, he is alternately innocent and perceptive as he runs through trees and mountains. Devil May Hare's frantic finish is capped off by an impromptu wedding.
Bedevilled Rabbit (1957) is a variation on the same themes. Taz eats dynamite, and some scenes are memorable: Bugs being salted and peppered as Taz prepares to eat him; Taz wildly shuffling through his salad of animals and vegetables. Bugs even masquerades as a Tasmanian She-Devil. Bill of Hare (1962) also co-stars Bugs, and most of its gags were already used in the two previous Taz-Bugs confrontations (Bugs promises to get Taz some meat, feeds him dynamite, etc.). The introduction, in which Taz promptly adds Bugs to the recipe Bugs himself was making, is adept and funny. Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare (1964) would rejuvenate the Bugs-Taz relationship and is one of the best films here. The setting is somewhat different, because most of the film takes place in medical huts. Bugs impersonates doctors and a nurse, he paints Taz's tongue green, feeds him Nitro Glycerin and even psychoanalyses him with a thick German accent!
The remaining two films are also very good. Ducking the Devil (1957) has some semblance of a narrative, with Daffy Duck trying to return Taz to the zoo in order to claim the 5,000$ reward. He uses music as his main weapon throughout his difficult quest. Taz is almost the good guy in this film, given Daffy's hopelessly greedy nature. In Fright Before Christmas (1979), Taz accidentally becomes Santa Claus and ends up in the house where Bugs reads a story to his nephew. Needless to say, milk and cookies are not enough for this hungry Santa - he proceeds to eat all of Bugs' Christmas decorations, in addition to Bugs' usual array of explosive presents.
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There is no denying that Taz is among the most limited characters in the Looney Tunes canon: his style is such that he can't be used in strongly contrasted settings. Still, when McKimson and Freleng tried to expand Taz's palette (as in Ducking the Devil, Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare and Fright Before Christmas), the results were worth repeated viewings. I thus recommend this collection to fans of the classic Warner Bros. short films.
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