Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.
Chuck Jones deserved, and still does deserve, his status as one of animation's most legendary, greatest and most important directors/animators. He may have lacked the outrageousness and wild wackiness of Bob Clampett and Tex Avery, but the visual imagination, wit and what he did with some of the best-known and most iconic characters ever were just as special. He has definitely done far superior cartoons than 'A Feather in His Hare', but it is an enjoyable cartoon and indicative enough of why Jones was revered as much as he was and still is.
Sure, the story is typical, formulaic Bugs Bunny fare and there are a couple of jokes that don't completely land. Regarding the Indian he is a stereotype and not the most subtle of ones, but compared to the stereotypes (racial and other) in the worst of the Censored 11 (i.e. 'Angel Puss') and some of Van Beuren's output ('Plan Dumb', 'Laundry Blues', 'Dixie Days') it is nowhere near as blatant or as offensive as those.
Bugs is true to character and demonstrative of why he is one of my favourite animated characters and one of animation's most iconic. The Indian is a fun foil and has some very amusing antics and lines.
As pretty much always for Jones, 'A Feather in His Hare' is beautifully animated. It's fluid in movement, crisp in shading, vibrant and atmospheric in colour and very meticulous in detail. Jones does direct very solidly.
Ever the master, Carl Stalling's music is typically superb. It is as always lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, not only adding to the action but also enhancing it. The use of pre-existing music is inspired.
Gags are never less than very amusing, the best of them hilarious, and are timed inventively. The dialogue is suitably witty. Another master in his field, Mel Blanc's voice work is typically bravura and immensely versatile, this is a good if not the best representation of why Blanc was one of the greatest voice actors who ever lived.
Overall, very good though Jones and Bugs are not at their very best. 8/10 Bethany Cox
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