Chuck Jones' Collection DVD Credits:

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Chuck Jones' Collection DVD Release Date: 6th November 2007

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Chuck Jones' Collection DVD Review:

BE VEWY VEWY QUIET…

We are hunting cwassics. The Chuck Jones collection from Lionsgate offers up just that: six classic animated shorts produced, written and directed by Chuck Jones from the mid-seventies. From “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” to “A Very Merry Cricket” The “Collection” runs the gamut of settings, styles and themes. Unfortunately, unlike most of his other work, the collection doesn’t really stand the test of time. The three pieces adapted from Rudyard Kipling tend to be somewhat slow and the occasionally cartoon like aspects tend to distract somewhat from the more sober stories.

Despite this, the story of a mongoose’s protection of a young boy and his family in “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is still touching. In fact, this particular piece is what drew me to the collection as a whole. I had seen this episode on television many years ago, and was interested in how well it would hold up to an adult viewing. I was pleasantly surprised, but not inordinately so. Perhaps it’s the strict diet of Looney Tunes growing up, but there were some points where this piece and the others tended to drag for me.

The White Seal on the other hand held no interest for me at all. My girlfriend remarked on the overall cuteness of the piece, and I can’t say that I feel the need to argue with her, but cuteness alone can’t carry me for a half hour cartoon. I’m not sure whether or not this piece would hold the attention of the intended demographic either.

Mowgli’s Brothers was another piece where the cartoon-like style tended to distract from the depth of the piece. I’m not sure if Kipling intended for these stories to be children’s stories or not, but there is a level of sophistication to them that doesn’t mesh well with Wile E. Coyote’s cameo as a jackal.

The last three shorts in the collection revolve around the adventures of Chester C. Cricket, a mouse named Tucker, voiced by Mel Blanc, and a cat, named Henry. First through the streets of New York, then as the writers of the Declaration of Independence, and Yankee Doodle Dandee, which inspires a nearly five minute musical number with the other farm animals, and finally back to New York in an attempt to inspire New Yorkers with the Christmas Spirit.

Whatever I may say about these cartoons they were definitely nostalgia inspiring. Chuck Jones has had a marked and lasting impact on animation and every afternoon and Saturday morning growing up I watched something by Chuck himself or in the very least, inspired by. The music and sound design, right down to the roar of Sher Khan was all from sound stock. All in all, the same sounds that I’ve heard hundreds of times before. Unfortunately, that nostalgia isn’t enough to make me want to watch these shorts again.

There’s very little that I can say about the specs on the DVD, Full screen presentation in Dolby Mono. There’s a few trailer for kid’s stuff like the Bratz movie, and a Clifford cartoon. What really needs to be watched by any Chuck Jones fan is the “Heart and Soul: The timeless art of Chuck Jones” featurette. This fifteen minute long retrospective features his wife, Marian Jones, June Foray, a well established cartoon voice actress who is instantly recognizable, and Eric Goldberg, a director and animator. Eric has some particular interesting things about the work of Chuck Jones, and a particularly insightful commentary on the evolution of Jones’ animation. The ladies offer interesting anecdotes about Chuck Jones the man which rounds out a rather deep featurette.

All in all, this is Chuck Jones experimental era, beautifully animated, solidly built, but may not have stood the test of time with regard to pacing and carrying the interest of kids. But it’s definitely a nostalgic trip for the over twenty-five cartoon watching crowd, and worth viewing for the featurette.

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Chuck Jones' Collection DVD review written by: Joe Burns