'Tiny Toon Adventures' proved frequently that it could do episodes structured as (mostly three) segments very well. The quality in most may not have been consistent, with for example one segment being especially great and another only average, but all the show's segment-structured episodes have a huge amount to recommend. It is hard not to be excited by "Return to the Acme Acres Zone" if a fan of the show, because its premise sounds so promising.
Which fortunately "Return to the Acme Acres Zone" does not waste. As well as an eerily off the wall strangeness (without going overboard on it), the sharp wit and wackiness that one expects from 'Tiny Toon Adventures' and what can be seen too in classic Looney Tunes are present. The show's segment structured episodes are not always consistent in quality for reasons as said above, but "Return to the Acme Acres Zone" (also one of the show's better episodes in a while) is a case of all three segments working and equally brilliantly.
"Real Kids Don't Like Broccoli" is inspired in making the most of a suitably mysterious and entertainingly strange premise and quite inventive in how it renders its futuristic setting. It is admittedly quite weird in a good way and the weirdest segment of the three, Buster carries the segment incredibly well and Babs was a great choice for the femme fatale type role with a Kathleen Turner-like influence.
"Boo Ha Ha" when reading the synopsis on paper does sound quite predictable and mundane as the premise is quite old. Actually found it to be a suitably spooky and very funny take on haunted buildings in execution, and Plucky and Hamton's pairing fondly reminds me of Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. Characters wise they are very different, very like Daffy and Porky, but they gel and interact so well. It also has one of the episode's best lines in "I'm sorry, our phone is dead".
"Duck Dodgers Jr" perhaps is the best of the three. It is full of wit and energy and the closest in evoking the spirit of classic Looney Tunes with a hip vibe too. Duck Dodgers, a wonderfully manic character, and Marvin are a fun pairing and while it actually would have been as great a segment with just the two of them Plucky is suitably wacky and holds his own.
Moving onto talking about individual elements, the animation is vibrantly coloured and beautifully rich in detail, not just the backgrounds but also the expressions and reactions of the characters which are wonderfully loony. The music is dynamic and characterful as always and the theme song has always brought a smile to my face. Something that was the case when a child and still is now.
Characterisation is spot on as is the voice acting and there are plenty of sharp lines that made me laugh out loud.
Summing up, wonderful. 10/10
7 out of 7 found this helpful