Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

gavin6942 The short-tempered Daffy Duck must improvise madly as the backgrounds, his costumes, the soundtrack, even his physical form, shifts and changes at the whim of the animator.Although I was never big on Looney Tunes, I saw most of them. Maybe all of them. And some are clearly more memorable than others. This has to rank among the most memorable of all, because it just had such a strange approach to the whole idea of cartoons.Maybe now it is not too odd to break the fourth wall, or manipulate cartoons. It has happened. And in some cases, they sure have gotten much stranger. But Daffy as that weird flower creature? What the heck is that? Chuck Jones (or whomever) was going beyond Dali and others and just being quite surreal.

Neil Doyle Daffy Duck lives up to his name in this completely wacky cartoon in which he's at the mercy of an unseen animator who puts him through his paces and then some. There's a wild streak of Disney going through all this, derived from the way the Disney artists used their brushes to create characters and backgrounds for THE THREE CABALLEROS and SALUDOS AMIGOS. So no, the idea isn't completely original. The concept has been used before.But it's definitely a superb example in the way it treats the idea of an animator having complete control over backgrounds and situations, as well as costuming and design. It works on every level.The surprise twist at the end reveals who the animator is.Summing up: An essential Chuck Jones cartoon. Not to be missed.

phantom_tollbooth Where to begin with 'Duck Amuck'? I guess I should begin by stating that not only is Daffy Duck my favourite cartoon character of all time but that I genuinely consider him to be one of the greatest comedians of all time, alive or animated. No matter which animator was drawing him, scriptwriter was writing for him or director was directing him, Daffy always elicits a positive reaction from me whether the cartoon in question is decent or not. In the case of 'Duck Amuck', "decent" is the understatement of the century! If pressed to name my favourite cartoon of all time (and there are literally hundreds of candidates), I would have to say Chuck Jones's 'Duck Amuck'. It's a miraculous achievement which I never tire of seeing.In 'Duck Amuck', Daffy battles with an unseen animator who deconstructs the film around him. Pencils, brushes and erasers intrude on Daffy's world, changing the scenery and even the appearance of Daffy himself and Jones also introduces jokes involving sound, colour and camera positions. It's an incredible premise which expands on earlier experiments with similar concepts like the Fleischer Brother's 'Out of the Inkwell'. The best part for Daffy fans like myself is that 'Duck Amuck (until its final few seconds) is an entirely one-personality cartoon. It hinges on Daffy's beautifully scripted monologue which makes the most of the characters distinctive turn of phrase and manic energy. Only Daffy could pull off a solo cartoon like this (as confirmed by 'Rabbit Rampage', an unsuccessful attempt to remake 'Duck Amuck' with Bugs Bunny in the central role). There's plenty to please fans of most Daffy persona's here. Although the greedy and selfish side of the little black duck is absent (making him all the more likable and therefore rendering the cartoon even more deliciously sadistic), his prominent ego is apparent from the opening frame and the manic energy of his early incarnation is quickly drawn upon as he becomes more and more frantic about the crumbling of his world. It's a true tour de force.I don't think I have ever come across anyone who has a bad word to say about 'Duck Amuck'. It is quite simply one of the most perfect cartoons ever made, perhaps the most perfect. It's confirmation, if any was needed, of the genius of Chuck Jones and the comedic superiority of Daffy Duck over any of his animated associates.

ackstasis In 1924, Buster Keaton fell asleep during a film screening and suddenly found himself stepping into the movie screen. As the picture desperately attempted to eject its unexpected guest, an unfortunate Keaton found himself unpredictably teleported from one location to the next, taking a beating at every turn. 'Duck Amuck (1953),' a Warner Bros. "Merrie Melodies" animated short, was directed by Chuck Jones, and toys with a similar idea. Breaking the fourth, fifth and sixth walls of the cinema screen, Jones engineered a cleverly self-referential farce, in which Daffy Duck is unceremoniously "jerked around" by a mischievous animator who doesn't want to adhere to traditional animation guidelines.As the animator regularly switches Daffy's background, sound effects, clothing and physical form, the exasperated cartoon character must feverishly improvise every scene. Whenever the story begins to regain some sense of normality, Daffy finds his circumstances suddenly altered again, and the repeated changes lead towards steadily-escalating feelings of resentment towards the animator. 'Duck Amuck' really is a marvellous piece of abstract cinema, as Daffy continually speaks, not only directly to his animator, but also to the audience sitting down in the cinema. Mel Blanc, of course, provides the film's vocal characterisations, and he does an excellent job of translating the incredible frustration that poor Daffy is feeling.Though perhaps not as "laugh-out-loud" hilarious as I've heard many people describe it, 'Duck Amuck' is such a brilliant cartoon that multiple viewings are certainly required. Much fun is had with the traditional conventions of cartoon animation, such as the definition of a close-up, the perils of a consistently-changing setting, and the trouble that ensues when a Merrie Melody tries to end before the cartoon character is ready to leave. The ending (the second one) was terrific, and, believe it or not, I didn't see it coming. Chuck Jones remains American animation's brightest spark, and I look forward to enjoying a few more of his entertaining works.