BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "Rabbit Transit" is an American animated short film from 1947, so this one has its 70th anniversary this year and it is of course from the Golden Age of Animation. But sadly, despite the efforts by legends like Freleng, Maltese, Pierce and Blanc of course, these 8 minutes never really gain as much steam as its protagonists. Maybe if you know a bit about old cartoons, then you have come across the hare vs. tortoise race battle on other occasions too as this is the third and final Warner Bros. cartoon on the subject, but other studios have picked up on this underdog story as well several times. But here the turtle really isn't the underdog because the only slow thing about it is his speaking. The technology hidden inside its shell lets him win the race easily, but again it is the underdog that triumphs eventually. This, however, is the only success for Bugs in here because for once he takes the role of Sam, Elmer etc. and the turtle takes the role that Bugs usually has. The tree painting scene is the best example. However, I did not enjoy the watch too much. I like this duel more the traditional way, without motors in shells and the comedy was also pretty mediocre I would say. The only outstanding thing is once again Mel Blanc's voice talent. It's okay they did not make a 4th film about these two. Number 3 gets a thumbs-down from me. Not recommended.

TheLittleSongbird I thoroughly enjoyed Rabbit Transit, I felt it was a lot of fun. The only real quibble I have is that although Bugs himself is great, he is not as confident as he usually is and he is shown to be easily tricked here. This wasn't distracting as such, it's just that I love Bugs and his persona and this wasn't quite the Bugs I fell in love with. That said, the story is wonderful, a very fun twist on The Tortoise and the Hare or so it seemed, the animation is colourful and lively, the music is rousing and there are enough witty dialogue and sharp sight gags to amuse even the fussiest Looney Tunes fan. And I loved Cecil, he is a turtle, but he is an endearing and funny one. Plus Mel Blanc's vocals are superb. Overall, a wonderful Looney Tunes cartoon, very funny. 9/10 Bethany Cox

phantom_tollbooth Friz Freleng's 'Rabbit Transit' is the final installment in the Tortoise and Hare trilogy. Although it is not a patch on its predecessors (Tex Avery's essential 'Tortoise Beats Hare' and Bob Clampett's bananas classic 'Tortoise Wins By A Hare'), 'Rabbit Transit' benefits greatly from a very funny script by Michael Maltese and Tedd Pierce, which is full of unexpected twists and turns. 'Rabbit Transit' deviates from the other two cartoons in the series in that Bugs doesn't seem to remember his past races against Cecil Turtle this time round which technically makes 'Rabbit Transit' more a remake than a sequel. The character of Cecil is also a little different in that he has been given a new sense of vulnerability. In Avery and Clampett's cartoons he was completely in control the whole time, exploiting Bugs' egotistical complacency with ease. In 'Rabbit Transit', Cecil himself has quite an ego and this makes him vulnerable to some reciprocal heckling from Bugs. While these differences aren't detrimental, they do disassociate 'Rabbit Transit' from its classic forerunners, as does the less attractive animation. Enjoyed without any comparisons, however, 'Rabbit Transit' is a hoot. The back-and-forth battle involving the jet-propelled shell throws up many inventive bits and even the one predictable gag in the cartoon (the old running-through-the-painted-scenery gag) leads to a brilliant sequence in which an out-of-body Bugs attempts to wake himself up. The ending puts a nice full stop on the trilogy as well, finally allowing Bugs to win the race in such a way that he also loses the battle. Despite being unworthy of the genius it attempts to emulate, 'Rabbit Transit' comes highly recommended as a solid piece of comedy.

bob the moo Relaxing in a spa reading Aesop's fables, Bugs is shocked to read of a tortoise beating a hare in a race. To prove his point he takes a challenge from a tortoise to have a race, however when the race starts it is evident that Bugs will need to use guile to win as the tortoise has a motor inside his shell!This cartoon has all the markings of a good cartoon - good story, good characters and plenty of opportunity for imaginative humour. For the most part it works very well and is pretty funny. The plot allows for some good gags, although a little too much mileage (!) is wrung out of the motorised shell idea. The short even has a good ending which nicely twists one of Bugs' own catch phrases on himself!The one weakness it did have was in it's lead character - which was a surprising thing to me. I love Bugs and enjoy seeing him twist things on those who would get him! I like to se the many ways he gets the upper hand. However here he was very much the lesser character in terms of scoring points. He is shown to be easily tricked and fooled and, at times, out of his depth. This didn't ruin the cartoon for me as it was still funny, but this was not the usual character I expect to see when I watch Bugs Bunny.Despite this, I enjoyed the film as it was funny with good sight gags covering the `topical' references that went over my head. The only thing to remember is that this is not Bugs Bunny in his normal, wise cracking confident self.