In yet another installment from the wacky group of animated characters, we meet DJ, a Warner brothers lot security guard who is down on his luck trying to make it as a stuntman. Meanwhile company executive Kate fires Daffy Duck from the company after tests show he has no fan base despite Bugs insistence he needs him, so DJ is forced to escort Daffy from the premises and the two end up at his house where DJ discovers his father, Damien Drake (Timothy Dalton), the most famous actor in a series of spy movies is actually a spy. He begs DJ to rescue him in Las Vegas, now he and Daffy must trek to Vegas to rescue his father, and Kate and Bugs are on their tail attempting to re-hire Daffy into the studios.
Brendan Fraser more than manages to keep up with the Looney tunes as a bit of cartoonish character himself. Together Fraser and Elfman have a lot of chemistry on-screen and manage to play off well against Daffy and Bugs who are very funny here, including Bugs who reverts back to his usual wise aleck, smug but smart persona. Director Joe Dante seems to have a lot of respect for these animated characters which shows in the film. “Back in Action” has a lot of the spirit of the old toons and practically re-captures what makes them icons. Kids will love the pure madcap zaniness of the plot, the characters and a lot of the gags, and I had a very good time. The film, while pretty funny, also works more as an homage of the tunes than an actual movie featuring them.