Blu-ray Review Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 1 (Ultimate Collector's Edition) Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

While Warner Home Video’s latest approach to the Looney Tunes catalog may not please everyone - especially those who have already bought into the “Golden Collection” DVDs - serious and casual fans alike should be thrilled with both the selection of shorts and their high definition presentation. An excellent set of special features celebrating the career of animation legend Chuck Jones is merely icing on the cake.





[SIZE= 24px]Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 1
(Ultimate Collector’s Edition)[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 15px]Release Date:[/SIZE][SIZE= 15px] Available now[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 15px]Studio:[/SIZE][SIZE= 15px] Warner Home Video[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 15px]Packaging:[/SIZE][SIZE= 15px] Three-disc “Digi-Book” in keepcase[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 15px]Year:[/SIZE][SIZE= 15px] Various[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 15px]Rating: [/SIZE][SIZE= 15px]NR[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 15px]Running Time:[/SIZE][SIZE= 15px] ~ 6 hours[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 15px]MSRP:[/SIZE][SIZE= 15px] $79.98[/SIZE]












THE FEATURE

SPECIAL FEATURES



Video

1080p high definition 16x9 1.33:1

Standard and high definition



Audio

Dolby Digital: English 1.0, Spanish 1.0 (additional German 1.0 on select shorts only)

Various



Subtitles

English SDH, French (German SDH on Disc One only)

Various







[SIZE= 19px]The Collection: 4.5/5[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 15px]The “Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 1” includes 50 cartoon shorts drawn from the vast Warner Brothers’ “Looney Tunes” and “Merry Melodies” animated series. Though the selections are undeniable classics and are bound to trigger endless fits of nostalgia, the majority of the shorts were previously released on the DVD format -- on the “Looney Tunes Golden Collection” DVDs released between 2003 and 2008, the “Movie Collection” DVD released in 2005, the Warner Brothers Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection in 2008, and the “Superstars” DVDs released in 2010. In addition there appear to be a handful of cartoons never before released, which should please some collectors, but also presents a bit of a conundrum for those who have previously purchased all the DVDs. Though the Blu-ray format offers an obvious upgrade in picture quality, it’s a little unfortunate the “Platinum Collection” isn’t a 1:1 port of the DVD releases’ contents, but yet another collection for fans to invest in (and ultimately cross check with the DVDs). Consequently, anyone who buys the “Platinum Collection” shouldn’t expect to sell off any of their previous Looney Tunes purchases if they want to maintain their library of shorts, or at least not right away if subsequent volumes are indeed forthcoming. For first time purchasers of any Looney Tunes material (or those who weren’t able to keep up with the “Golden Collection” releases), a purchase should be a little more clear cut, as the “Platinum Collection” undeniably features the “best of the best” from Warner Brothers’ cartoon library, presented in impressive high definition quality.[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 15px]I’ve done my best to determine which of the cartoons in the “Platinum Collection” previously appeared on which DVD releases, and they break down by the following:[/SIZE]

• 
  Golden Collection Volume 1: 13 shorts
• 
  Golden Collection Volume 2: 13 shorts
• 
  Golden Collection Volume 3: 2 shorts
• 
  Golden Collection Volume 4: 5 shorts
• 
  Golden Collection Volume 5: 4 shorts
• 
  Golden Collection Volume 6: 2 shorts
• 
  Movie Collection: 2 shorts
• 
  Superstars: Bugs Bunny: 3 shorts
• 
  Superstars: Daffy Duck: 1 short
• 
  The Warner Brothers Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection
  
  : 1 short
• 
  Not Previously Available: 4 shorts

[SIZE= 15px]The “Platinum Collection” includes the following 50 titles. The following key shows on which DVD release the cartoon previously appeared.[/SIZE]

• 
  V1-V6: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volumes 1 to 6
• 
  MC: Looney Tunes Movie Collection
• 
  S:BB / SD: Looney Tunes Superstars: Bugs Bunny / Daffy Duck
• 
  AA: The Warner Brothers Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection
  
• 
  X: None of the above, not previously available

[SIZE= 15px]Disc One: [/SIZE][SIZE= 15px]Focuses on the most famous and popular Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny (#1-#8), Daffy Duck (#9-#13), Porky Pig (#14-#18), Tweety (#19-#20), Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote (#21-#22), Foghorn Leghorn (#23), Pepé Le Pew (#24), and Speedy Gonzales (#25).[/SIZE]

1. 
   Hare Tonic (8:20) [V3]
2. 
   Baseball Bugs (7:36) [V1]
3. 
   Buccaneer Bunny (7:30) [V5]
4. 
   The Old Grey Hare (7:38) [V4]
5. 
   Rabbit Hood (7:57) [V4]
6. 
   8 Ball Bunny (7:09) [V4]
7. 
   Rabbit of Seville (7:31) [V1]
8. 
   What’s Opera, Doc? (6:54) [V2]
9. 
   The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (7:36) [V2]
10. 
    A Pest in the House (7:51) [V5]
11. 
    The Scarlet Pumpernickel (7:06) [V1]
12. 
    Duck Amuck (6:59) [V1]
13. 
    Robin Hood Daffy (6:39) [V3]
14. 
    Baby Bottleneck (7:04) [V2]
15. 
    Kitty Kornered (7:08) [V2]
16. 
    Scaredy Cat (7:25) [V1]
17. 
    Porky Chops (6:59) [V1]
18. 
    Old Glory (9:05) [V2]
19. 
    A Tale of Two Kitties (6:40) [V5]
20. 
    Tweetie Pie (7:04) [V2]
21. 
    Fast and Furry-ous (7:08) [V1]
22. 
    Beep, Beep (6:49) [V2]
23. 
    The Lovelorn Leghorn (7:20) [X]
24. 
    For Scent-imental Reasons (6:57) [V1]
25. 
    Speedy Gonzales (6:44) [V1]

[SIZE= 15px]Disc Two: [/SIZE][SIZE= 15px]Focuses on the one-shots (#1-#6) and supporting characters that have grown in popularity despite having limited appearances in the golden era of the franchise. Included in the latter group are the complete shorts of Marvin the Martian (#7-#11), the Tasmanian Devil (#12-#16), Witch Hazel (#17-#20), Marc Anthony the bulldog (#21-#23), and chronic daydreamer Ralph Phillips (#24-#25).[/SIZE]

1. 
   One Froggy Evening (6:53) [V2]
2. 
   The Three Litlle Bops (6:44) [V2]
3. 
   I Love to Singa (8:15) [V2]
4. 
   Katnip Kollege (7:26) [V2]
5. 
   The Dover Boys at Pimento University (8:58) [V2]
6. 
   Chow Hound (6:56) [V6]
7. 
   Haredevil Hare (7:44) [V1]
8. 
   The Hasty Hare (7:34) [X]
9. 
   Duck Dodgers in the 241/2th Century (7:05) [V1]
10. 
    Hare-Way to the Stars (7:00) [MC]
11. 
    Mad as a Mars Hare (6:47) [S:BB]
12. 
    Devil May Hare (6:55) [V1]
13. 
    Bedevilled Rabbit (6:49) [S:BB]
14. 
    Ducking the Devil (6:40) [SD]
15. 
    Bill of Hare (6:28) [MC]
16. 
    Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare (6:36) [S:BB]
17. 
    Bewitched Bunny (7:00) [V5]
18. 
    Broom-Stick Bunny (7:10) [V2]
19. 
    A Witch’s Tangled Hare (6:24) [X]
20. 
    A-Haunting We Will Go (6:21) [V4]
21. 
    Feed the Kitty (7:23) [V1]
22. 
    Kiss Me Kat (7:08) [V4]
23. 
    Feline Frame-Up (6:30) [X]
24. 
    From A to Z-Z-Z-Z (7:09) [AA]
25. 
    Boyhood Daze (7:24) [V6]

[SIZE= 19px]Video Quality: 4/5[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 15px]All 50 cartoon shorts are accurately framed at 1.33:1 and presented in 1080p with the AVC codec. While viewers will certainly spot instances of dust and dirt, physical “imperfections” from the hand-drawn animation process, and a faded quality to some of the older pieces, nothing should be considered distracting or problematic if one is aware of their history. In fact it’s a little surprising the pieces look as good as they do, as they generally have deep, saturated colors, solid contrast and black levels, and consistently healthy levels of grain. Problems that were sometimes found in the past DVD collections - namely digital noise reduction, macroblocking, and compression noise - are nowhere to be found, giving the animation a beautiful overall sense of depth and transparency. For those of us who grew up watching the cartoons broadcast over standard definition TV, this is undoubtedly the best they’ve ever looked, while for those who may have seen them screened theatrically, it’s the best they’ve looked in a long, long time.[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 19px]Audio Quality: 3/5[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 15px]Dialogue in the Dolby Digital 1.0 track is consistently clear, detailed and intelligible. LFE is non-existent, but the tracks exhibit good depth and dynamic range, with few instances of strain or distortion. There’s slight variations in levels and tonality from piece to piece, but considering the variety of pieces included in the set, that’s not exactly surprising. While a lossless option would have been nice in principle, the lossy track gets the job done without any major offenses.[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 19px]Special Features: 5/5[/SIZE]
[SIZE= 15px]Many of the items in the vast complement of extras will be familiar to owners of the “Golden Collection” DVDs - audio commentaries, isolated music and vocal tracks, and various behind-the-scenes featurettes. While they offer a wealth of information, the third disc includes the most interesting pieces - three separate, but ultimately unique, documentaries on Chuck Jones, and several of his projects created for the U.S. Government. Some quaint physical items round out a package that is ultimately varied, entertaining, and informative.[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 19px][Disc One][/SIZE]

[SIZE= 15px]Audio Commentaries[/SIZE]

1. 
   Baseball Bugs by Director Eric Goldberg
2. 
   Buccaneer Bunny by Director Eric Goldberg
3. 
   The Old Grey Hare by Filmmaker Greg Ford
4. 
   Rabbit Hood by Director Eric Goldberg
5. 
   8 Ball Bunny by Historian Jerry Beck
6. 
   Rabbit of Seville by Director Eric Goldberg
7. 
   What’s Opera Doc? by Director Chuck Jones, Writer Michael Maltese and Layout Artist Maurice Noble
8. 
   What’s Opera Doc? by Historian Daniel Goldmark
9. 
   The Great Piggy Bank Robbery by Director John Kricfalusi with Director Bob Clampett
10. 
    A Pest in the House by Writer Paul Dini
11. 
    The Scarlet Pumpernickel by Historian Michael Barrier with Voice Actor Mel Blanc
12. 
    Duck Amuck by Historian Michael Barrier with Director Chuck Jones
13. 
    Robin Hood by Director Eric Goldberg
14. 
    Baby Bottleneck by Historian Michael Barrier with Director Bob Clampett
15. 
    Kitty Kornered by Historian Michael Barrier
16. 
    Scaredy Cat by Director Eric Goldberg
17. 
    Old Glory by Historian Jerry Beck and Ink-and-Paint Girl Martha Sigall
18. 
    A Tale of Two Kitties by Historian Michael Barrier with Director Bob Clampett
19. 
    Tweetie Pie by Filmmaker Greg Ford with Director Friz Freling
20. 
    Fast and Furry-ous by Historian Michael Barrier with Writer Michael Maltese and Sound Editor Treg Brown
21. 
    Beep, Beep by Historian Michael Barrier
22. 
    For Scent-imental Reasons by Historian Michael Barrier with Writer Michael Maltese
23. 
    Speedy Gonzales by Historian Jerry Beck

[SIZE= 15px]Alternate Audio Programs: [/SIZE][SIZE= 15px]All tracks are presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 at 192 kbps.[/SIZE]

• 
  What’s Opera Doc? Music-Only Track (6:54, HD)
• 
  What’s Opera Doc? Voice Actor Mel Blanc and Voice Actor Arthur Q. Bryan Vocal Track (6:54, HD)
• 
  The Scarlet Pumpernickel Music-Only Track (7:06, HD)
• 
  Duck Amuck Music-Only Track (6:59, HD)
• 
  Robin Hood Daffy Music-Only Track (6:38, HD)
• 
  Speedy Gonzales Music-Only Track (6:44, HD)

[SIZE= 15px]Behind the Tunes Featurettes[/SIZE]

• 
  Wagnerian Wabbit: The Making of What’s Opera Doc? (9:32, SD): Not so much a making-of as a dissection and analysis of the cartoon short’s use of music, visuals, and voice acting. Includes Spanish and Castellano subtitle options.
• 
  Twilight in Tunes: The Music of Raymond Scott (6:45, SD): Composers and historians discuss the composer’s work and style. Includes Spanish and Castellano subtitle options.
• 
  “Powerhouse” in Pictures (2:10, SD): A montage of of various uses of Scott’s signature “Powerhouse” composition. Includes Spanish and Castellano subtitle options.
• 
  Putty Problems and Canary Rows (5:36, SD): Looks into the creation of the Tweety Bird character, Granny and aspects of Sylvester the Cat. Includes Spanish and Castellano subtitle options.
• 
  Chuck Jones Tutorial: Tricks of the Cartoon Trade (13:23, SD): Covers eight elements of the Looney Tunes cartoon storytelling style. Includes Spanish and Castellano subtitle options.
• 
  The Charm of Stink: On the Scent of Pepé Le Pew (7:25, SD): Explores the creation of the amorous French skunk character and his early cartoon appearances. Includes Spanish and Castellano subtitle options.

[SIZE= 15px]“Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown” Trailer (1:26, HD)[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 19px][Disc Two][/SIZE]

[SIZE= 15px]Audio Commentaries[/SIZE]

• 
  One Froggy Evening by Historian Michael Barrier with Director Chuck Jones, Writer Michael Maltese, and Layout Artists Maurice Noble and Corny Cole
• 
  The Three Llittle Bops by Historian Jerry Beck and Voice Actor Stan Freberg
• 
  I Love to Singa by Director Eric Goldberg
• 
  The Dover Boys at Pimento University by Historian Michael Barrier with Layout Artist John McGrew, Background Artist Paul Julian and Background Artist Gene Fleury
• 
  Chow Hound by Director Eric Goldberg
• 
  Haredevil Hare by Historian Michael Barrier with Background Artist Pete Alvarado
• 
  Duck Dodgers in the 24th-1/2 Century by Historian Micahel Barrier with Layout Artist Maurice Noble
• 
  Devil May Hare by Historian Jerry Beck
• 
  Bewitched Bunny by Director Eric Goldberg
• 
  Broom-Stick Bunny by Voice Actor June Foray
• 
  Feed the Kitty by Filmmaker Greg Ford
• 
  From A to Z-Z-Z-Z by Author Amid Amidi
• 
  From A to Z-Z-Z-Z by Director Eric Goldberg
• 
  Boyhood Daze by Director Eric Goldberg

[SIZE= 15px]Alternate Audio Programs: [/SIZE][SIZE= 15px]All tracks are presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 at 192 kbps.[/SIZE]

• 
  One Froggy Evening Music-Only Track (6:53, HD)
• 
  The Three Little Bops Music-Only Track (6:44, HD)
• 
  The Three Little Bops Voice Actor Stan Freberg Vocal Track (6:44, HD)
• 
  Hare-Way to the Stars Music-Only Track (7:00, HD)
• 
  Ducking the Devil Music-Only Track (6:40, HD)
• 
  Bewitched Bunny Music and Effects Track (7:00, HD)
• 
  Broom-Stick Bunny Music and Effects Track (7:10, HD)
• 
  A Witch’s Tangled Hare Music-Only Track (6:24, HD)
• 
  Feed the Kitty Music-Only Track (7:23, HD)
• 
  Feline Frame-Up Music and Effects Track (6:30, HD)
• 
  Boyhood Daze Music-Only Track (7:24, HD)

[SIZE= 15px]Behind the Tunes Featurettes[/SIZE]

• 
  [COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)]It Hopped One Night: The Story Behind One Froggy Evening (7:09, SD):[/COLOR][COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)] Describes how “One Froggy Evening” came to pass, its animation methods, the music, and its enduring legacy and influence. [/COLOR]Includes Spanish and English subtitle options.

• 
  Wacky Warner One-Shots (9:14, SD): Describes the experimental works generated by the WB animation directors and the respite the projects provided from the monotony of churning out the usual Looney Tunes shorts. [COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 0)]Includes Spanish and English subtitle options.[/COLOR]
• 
  Mars Attacks! Life on the Red Planet with My Favorite Martian (14:48, HD): Describes the creation and development of the Marvin the Martian character. [COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 0)]Includes Spanish and English subtitle options.[/COLOR]
• 
  Razzma-Taz: Giving the Tasmanian Devil His Due (12:05, HD): Describes the creation and development of the slobbering, whirlwind of a character. [COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 0)]Includes Spanish and English subtitle options.[/COLOR]
• 
  The Ralph Phillips Story: Living the American Dream (6:55, HD): Describes the creation and development of the chronic daydreaming schoolboy. [COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 0)]Includes Spanish and English subtitle options.[/COLOR]

[Disc Thr

You missed one other WB animation collection in your breakdown -- The Warner Brothers Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection. The short "From A to Z-Z-Z-Z" had previously been included in that set. That would make it 4 "Not Previously Available".

Thanks for the information. I've updated the review.

Sounds great! Can't wait for my set to arrive!

Yep, this is definitely one to own even if you already shelled out for the 'Golden Collections' like I did. Can't say I agree with some of the choices to be included in this debut but that's purely subjective. Quality wise, everything that should be there - is! And that's in no small way thanks to George Feltenstein and Ned Price. Respect those men for their continued commitment to quality on vintage catalogue titles. Sounds silly to be praising a studio for just doing right by their classic titles, but then again there's My Fair Lady from CBS! So, respect must be paid to the good people at Warners for once again taking the high road and respecting the consumer.

I’ve done my best to determine which of the cartoons in the “Platinum Collection” previously appeared on which DVD releases, and they break down by the following: Golden Collection Volume 1: 13 shorts Golden Collection Volume 2: 13 shorts Golden Collection Volume 3: 2 shorts Golden Collection Volume 4: 5 shorts Golden Collection Volume 5: 4 shorts Golden Collection Volume 6: 2 shorts Movie Collection: 2 shorts Superstars: Bugs Bunny: 3 shorts Superstars: Daffy Duck: 1 short The Warner Brothers Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection: 1 short Not Previously Available: 4 shorts

Click to expand...

This perfectly summarzes why I will not purchase this set. If I were to purchase it, I would still have to keep all of the previous sets that I paid very good money for. Double-dipping is one thing, but double-keeping is an entirely different thing.......and one that I just cannot support.

Thanks for your extra awesome review!!!