WarnerMedia has launched it’s new streaming service HBO Max and with it comes a brand new Looney Tunes series. Fans of the classic WB animated comedy will be pleasantly surprised to know that the series tends to make a habit of sticking to its roots with all the slapstick they can possibly handle. 

Looney Tunes Cartoons is a 2020 reboot of the original 1930 Looney Tunes series, it is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by WarnerMedia Entertainment, it currently streams exclusively on HBO Max.

Editor’s Note: Minor spoilers for the first season of Looney Tunes Cartoons may be present within this review.

Looney Tunes is one of those cartoons that will probably be with someone until the day they die. No matter what year you grew up whether it was through the early afternoons of Cartoon Network in the 2000s or the very beginnings of Boomerang one way or another Looney Tunes has likely always been apart of your life. And WB always brings it back in some form or another, admittedly the last few attempts (that I personally saw) were enjoyable. The Looney Tunes Cartoons series will likely be a standout among these efforts due to the fact that it’s very reminiscent of its origins. 

THE GOOD: There are very few reboots these days that look to the use of yesterday in order for it to attract former and new fans to its initial premise, but Looney Tunes Cartoons takes full advantage of it’s history to give a near mirror image of its past self as a reason to watch it. As a person who’s seen far more Looney Tunes adaptations than the average Joe, I appreciate WB Animation taking a plunge to do the opposite of what a lot of Hollywood has done and that’s going back to square one at the roots of what made Looney Tunes so popular; the slapstick ultra violence and wacky characters. I’m not one of those people who tends to complain about a studio giving one of my favorite IP another try only to scoff at it from first glance. Normally I give it a chance then voice my opinion when WB dropped a teaser trailer for the show days before launch I knew exactly what I was getting with this show and I loved it. If it weren’t for the modernization and updated animation I’d swear I was looking at an episode of Looney Tunes from 1930. The show is presented in three to five segments a full arc featuring a couple of characters in conflict and a few shorts to break things up. The voice acting and character work is spot on and nearly identical to the iconic original as are the character designs. Thus far the characters featured in season one are Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Martian, Yosemite Sam, Grandma, Tweety, Sylvester, Ralph Wolf, Roadrunner, Coyote and Sam Sheepdog. It’s a short but sweet list and I couldn’t think of a better group of characters to get newer audiences into it.

Going back to the modernization of the new series, I understand that this annoys some people, but for the sake of it I’ll just say that while it’s there it’s very minor. For example there are instances where Bugs uses a smartphone and there are references to VR & some (I think?) computer usage this is where it ultimate begins and ends. A bunch of nothing nods to let you know that it’s still very much 2020 for these characters. Everything else from the classic is there including canons, dynamite, and rabbit holes. Granted with the coming of the times this also means that certain comedy elements aren’t ok so Elmer Fudd is still chasing Bugs around in the woods and all, he’s just not doing it while toting a shotgun around which is understandable to say the least. 

THE BAD: Cartoons aren’t as violent as they use to be. With a hyper focus on world and character building compared to the simplicity of animated entertainment during Looney Tunes’ golden era(s) not every modern kid is going to “get” the humor of two characters beating and outwitting each other senseless. And that’s ok, Looney Tunes Cartoons’ job is to appeal to the families of the fans of the original while also giving new fans an option to check it out should they choose. Honestly there’s worse ways to spend twelve minutes of your life than checking out the reboot.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: The 2020 reboot of Looney Tunes is a fantastic first go at HBO Max’s original offerings and I can’t think of a better franchise to kick off a streaming service. Easy to binge for downtime or a quick break at work Looney Tunes Cartoons sends the many iconic characters of the series into the modern age while never forgetting its roots in its effort to entertain viewers both old and new. Otaku Dome gives Looney Tunes Cartoons a 90 out of 100.