VIDEO:
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection arrives at blu ray with MPEG-4 AVC 1080p 1.33.:1 encode. This is a collection of 50 of the most famous shorts, spread over 2 discs. Disc one is comprised of familiar characters, chiefly Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Disc two is home to some of the more obscure, yet memorable characters that we've seen over the years. Taz, Marvin the Martian, Witch Hazel, Ralph Phillips and Marc Anthony all get their chances to shine. All the shorts varied from 50 to 70 years old. Because of the age of the original print, nicks, scratches, scuffs, dirt, dust and marks occasionally appear. However, each imperfection is inherent to the original source and animation cels, and has little or nothing to do with the tender, loving, restorative care Warner has afforded the various shorts. The palette is alive and kicking, with bright, vibrant colours, vivid primaries and inky blacks drizzled from the animators' pens. Every last detail and flick of the wrist is present and accounted for as well, and it holds up well under high definition scrutiny. (4/5)
AUDIO:
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection has no lossless DTS Mono track. Instead, we were given Dolby Digital Mono track. It isn't terrible, but audiophiles and 'Looney Tunes' fans alike are going to be disappointed that they don't have a lossless track to go along with their favorite cartoons. The mix handles the frantic action on screen with relative success. Dialogue is clear, although it's sometimes hampered by cracks and hisses. It's easy to tell the age of these soundtracks from the tinny sound that they give off from time to time. (3/5)
CONTENT:
The set that I purchased (while it was on sale) is the Limited Edition (21668 of 36000). There are three blu ray BD-50 discs, with an excellent 52-page Blu ray Book with rare images and Cartoon Guide by Historian Jerry Beck, plus the following goodies: a framed litho cel with certificate of authenticity, a souvenir tin sign, plus a 2.5 oz character collectible glass (mine was Bugs Bunny). Wonderful! (content: 5/5)
Disc 1: (1) Hare Tonic (2) Baseball Bugs (3) Buccaneer Bunny (4) The Old Grey Hare (5) Rabbit Hood (6) 8 Ball Bunny (7) Rabbit Of Seville (8) What’s Opera, Doc? (9) The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (10) A Pest In The House (11) The Scarlet Pumpernickel (12) Duck Amuck (13) Robin Hood Daffy (14) Baby Bottleneck (15) Kitty Kornered (16) Scaredy Cat (17) Porky Chops (18) Old Glory (19) A Tale Of Two Kitties (20) Tweetie Pie (21) Fast And Furry-ous (22) Beep, Beep (23) Lovelorn Leghorn (24) For Scent-imental Reasons (25) Speedy Gonzales (plus six Extra Features)
Disc 2: Six One Shot Classics: (1) One Froggy Evening (2) The Three Little Bops (3) I Love To Singa (4) Katnip Kollege (5) The Dover Boys at Pimento University (6) Chow Hound; The Complete Marvin The Martin: (7) Haredevil Hare (8) The Hasty Hare (9) Duck Dodgers In The 241/2th Century (10) Hare-Way To The Stars (11) Mad As A Mars Hare; The Complete Tasmanian Devil: (12) Devil May Hare (13) Bedevilled Rabbit (14) Ducking The Devil (15) Bill Of Hare (16) Dr. Devil And Mr. Hare; The Complete Witch Hazel: (17) Bewitched Bunny (18) Broom-Stick Bunny (19) A Witch’s Tangled Hare (20) A-Haunting We Will Go; The Complete Marc Anthony: (21) Feed The Kitty (22) Kiss Me Kat (23) Feline Frame-Up; The Complete Ralph Phillips: (24) From A To Z-Z-Z-Z (25) Boyhood Daze; (plus five Extra Features)
Disc 3: Over 5 hours of Content Saluting Animator Chuck Jones, including a Greeting from the Master, insightful Documentaries and Additional Rare and Unique Shorts from Jones and others.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I still remember vividly that when I was a young kid, I always had the anticipation of any Looney Tunes cartoons before the Main Feature, and thoroughly enjoyed those shorts. As far as this set is concerned, yes, it is a little disappointing that Warner Bros. stuck us with another lossy audio, but the rest of the collection is superb, including the exhausting array of special features, documentaries, and bonus cartoons. Looney Tunes should be enjoyed by many generations to come. I also appreciate and treasure those extra goodies that came with this Ultimate Collector’s Edition. At 71% off, the price is certainly right. If you don't want those extra goodies, you can also get the regular edition for $4 less. Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 1 (regular or Collector’s edition) is highly recommended for fans and casual viewers alike.