Transcript
Zach Sheets: Hello and welcome to the Everything Actioncast podcast week of August 24th, 2026. I'm your host Zach.
Chris Prime: I'm your cohost, Chris.
Zach Sheets: And this year we're getting meta with Looney Tunes Back in Action because we've got a movie that... At one point was never going to see light of day coyote versus Acme coming out in theaters right now.
Zach Sheets: it It survived being a tax write -off.
Zach Sheets: And apparently by all like ba like critics, it's like I think it's like 95 % on Rotten Tomatoes right now. so Everyone's loving it.
Chris Prime: it It deserved not to be like sacrificed to tax gods.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, hopefully this will go well at the box office because that that's going to be the test of like if Bros. is going to like say like we told you so or not. if it like Bombs.
Chris Prime: m
Zach Sheets: but Hopefully he doesn't.
Zach Sheets: But I think back in action. was kind of a box office failure when it came out.
Chris Prime: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: definitely Definitely not though does as big as Space Jam, which is it's... predecessor.
Chris Prime: It it all didn't reach the same height. Uh... critically and financially a space jam. I think critically, I think like a lot of people still. Thought Space Jam is fine for kids and not so much for adults.
Chris Prime: But. then back in action showed up and went this is but fine for neither because it didn't know like who to target
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: Like honestly, Space Jam. Is. fine as like A 90s kid's... Sports movie. Because not all those movies age well, especially when you throw in...
Chris Prime: A meta -ness to it. where you have to know who this person is. I... Kind of like Back in Action more because it's like a clean slate. You don't need to know. Every.
Chris Prime: like You don't need to know the main characters. like real life story to get this you know like there's a little bit of a hint of it but not not as much as space jam
Zach Sheets: You're...
Zach Sheets: You don't even know this is like... Space Jam was like... A weird... Narrative of why Michael jackson like michael Jordan returned to basketball.
Chris Prime: Correct. Correct. Where this one It's playing off that. there's a guy that looks like Brendan Fraser. And. That's about it.
Zach Sheets: Yep.
Chris Prime: You know what I mean? like there's there's no greater like. Did you know, like... during this time burton frazier was going through a divorce and that's why in this he doesn't Have like a typical love story. like it It doesn't have. It doesn't need that at all.
Zach Sheets: Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: So... I mean. It... It doesn't. hold the same nostalgic power or... I don't know. like momentum as Space Jam because, like...
Chris Prime: The, like... The whole point of Space Jam in the first act was getting ready for the Space Jam. Then the final Space Jam is actually like 20 minutes. like
Zach Sheets: Hmm.
Chris Prime: And then this movie. I think. just the first 10 minutes establishes the premise and then The rest of it is just like. A caper. Or like, you know.
Zach Sheets: We go, we... we go We go to a place and then a different Lootunes villain. It's like... fight We had to fight them for like... 10 minutes, then we go to another place.
Chris Prime: yeah and you know the formula is fine i actually do enjoy that you know like it's
Zach Sheets: Hm?
Chris Prime: It's sort of like the setup payoff, setup payoff, and then on to the next. scene and Maybe they'll bring up like... some old reference but i do like that in this world they kind of like they They play around with.
Chris Prime: The different. characters, you know? so it's It's kind of like the Muppets where. There could be just regular Muppets that aren't. Part of... the Muppets world, you know, they're just like mupppeet Muppet people with jobs sort of like, okay, like.
Zach Sheets: mm -hmm
Chris Prime: Sometimes you're served by humans. Sometimes it's a puppet person. Like, okay. And this is it's sort of the same thing where there are cartoons that exist, but it seems like every cartoon is famous, though.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, and and not just the Looney Tunes, because there's like other there's characters from other... franchises that are like also like apparently like actual actors in this world
Chris Prime: And then there's also... Like. real life. moot Hollywood things. like you know mean like holly There are like famous sci -fi creatures that just exist as sci -fi creatures.
Zach Sheets: Yep. yup
Chris Prime: And I think that's where the Warner brother, like. Meta -ness is sort of... Taken takes you out of it Because... The fact that there are Warner Brothers characters like the Warner Brothers.
Zach Sheets: Yep.
Chris Prime: It's pretty funny because it's it's like, OK, they're playing into that trope. You know, this is the post. Uh... Animaniacs. style where it's making fun of the fact that Warner Brothers is so old and has so much like.
Chris Prime: you know, Hollywood history. And they only use like a fraction of it to explain how the movie business works.
Zach Sheets: And that's funny because, like... Space Jam New Legacy like went too like too far. It was like too much for other stuff. which is it just through like everybody It's like, here's everybody. Here's every single character we've ever had in like the the crowd watching this basketball game.
Chris Prime: And like. i i don't know i haven't seen space jam 2 all the way i've seen clips and i saw i got like a a rundown i was like wow they did this they didn't understand like
Zach Sheets: Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: No one wants this?
Zach Sheets: No one wants to see 3D animated Looney Tunes?
Chris Prime: I mean, I don't mind that. I don't mind the... the different. Mixed media of animation. just because As a fan of cartoons, like you you appreciate the evolution and you... you like that. in a film technique, a mixed live action cartoon.
Chris Prime: can just just feels right sometimes. But... Like... This movie is not consistent with that. You know, like... it the The one time where the the genre blends really well.
Chris Prime: and then just sort of like the world itself it seems like a real life cartoon setting almost like a theme park It's just like. yo Yosemite Sam's casino. because it plays with the idea of like the theming it plays with that this is like Such a crazy character that his own casino looks like a theme park that I want. I want to go there like I want to go gamble at his casino.
Zach Sheets: Yep.
Chris Prime: But you don't get that in... Other like. You know. other things and i i again as a fan of like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? I like that they're... is a Like a...
Chris Prime: Okay, these are beings that exist in a different... Like. State. than humans. So this is their world. This is how they function. and then people are just like yeah they're just normal you know i mean they're just used to it And the movie kind of like doesn't explain that. They're just like, all right, no, sometimes you can do crazy tune. antics and survive and sometimes you Like...
Chris Prime: You know, you have real world problems where like you need gas or you need a. food or something but that's a i think no one eats this movie Besides... Bugs Bunny.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, he just eats carrots.
Chris Prime: Yeah. But... Uh... that that's where I'm like okay they didn't know how to lean into it like they didn't want to lean too far into the human side and the cartoon side relations they just want it like you to just focus that hey check it out it's It's Brendan Fraser. Hang out Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Weird, right?
Zach Sheets: Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: But that... does run thin it like it runs out of gas by the third premise and they're just like we need To just let the humans do the human stuff and the cartoons do the cartoon stuff now.
Zach Sheets: Well, I think that yeah the the plot kind of like interferes with... It gets too plot -heavy a little bit toward the end.
Chris Prime: I mean...
Zach Sheets: Like.
Chris Prime: The... So like. the big the I feel like the first act introduces just enough. And I'm like, okay, it. it's a spy thriller and maybe you can't trust all your, your like associates because they might be in on it, but.
Chris Prime: Like they need it more. Like. I guess like. Twist? Because all the twists that they have just either don't make sense or you're like... I figured you know it's like Yeah, Elmer Fudge would be the bad guy i would be a bad guy. That's not...
Chris Prime: of Farfetch. thing to not assume
Zach Sheets: What? Well, it's weird because it starts out like a... like like a it's not even there's no like spy stuff it's just like a hollywood satire where they're like they're filming this new movie And then.
Zach Sheets: Uh, they're in like a board meeting and dad think gets fired because he's trying to like. But. Big... like say he's the star and they like they should like he doesn't need bugs and they're like well bugs is way more popular than you he's like are Oh, well...
Zach Sheets: Really? then is this that it's like You show him the graphs of like his popularity, it's like... Only only like fat dudes in like their basement look daffy.
Chris Prime: It's like meta. It's like...
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: and the movie could have been Let's make Daffy a sympathetic character that you like him just as much as bugs or he's he's. He's shown a different side, so now... Fans could... Want to. see more of him.
Chris Prime: But it doesn't go that way.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: like
Zach Sheets: Yeah, it seems like... Oh, oh sam me oh' like it's like... the satire about like what, Oh, maybe like the F E like. He's like, now he's out with Holly. like Kind of like what the Chip and Dale movie did.
Chris Prime: Mm hmm. Mm hmm.
Zach Sheets: Where it's just like, oh, they're like they're kind of like washed up, but now they're like just like in the real world and have to survive.
Chris Prime: So, like, that that's another movie that mixes, that does it really well with the mixed medium. of live action and the commentary.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: So I know some people didn't like rescue Rangers. I like the Chippendale movie. It.
Zach Sheets: Oh, it was fantastic.
Chris Prime: Who's...
Zach Sheets: yeah
Chris Prime: it was Yeah. But. This is like... It's missing to like Continue that like you you set a theme. About maybe like how.
Chris Prime: You know, the studio is like. A machine. And. You have to keep constantly like feeding it. like actors and then find relevance and then you know,
Chris Prime: finding art in the process so that way it's like you make something that makes you stand out and or even just like good production Because. you can still take like a shitty actor and then put him in a better thing and now he's like Oh, people see you in a different light. You're still a shitty person or.
Chris Prime: Maybe you can't act a certain range, but... This is the extent that you find your strength in.
Zach Sheets: Or there could have been something where like you know the like what all these executives are interfering with like what makes Looney Tunes great. and then so it's like it's like Bugs is alone in this movie and there's like, there's like making him do all this like horrible, like stupid stuff.
Chris Prime: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: And then he is, it's like. Which... It's sort more like the Muppets thing, where if they like get everyone back together and make like an actual like good a good movie or put on a show.
Chris Prime: A classic. and that Yeah.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: it's So like. You know, I mean, like that's why I felt like they could have done a Muppets movie. I think in one direction they were like, wow, OK, yeah, this sounds good. Let's do this, because what we're saying is exactly like what you would want in a.
Chris Prime: revitalization to a franchise or characters you haven't seen in a while. And it's how you do a reboot without like dishonoring what came before it. But then you do this where it's like...
Chris Prime: And then it's a spy thriller. Then it's a wacky cartoon premise.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: And then it's...
Zach Sheets: Brendan Fraser's dad is Timothy Dalton, who is...
Chris Prime: A real spy.
Zach Sheets: Not James Bond, but he is James Bond.
Chris Prime: Yeah. and then you know we have vague villain guy that... I don't know. Like is. He's sort of like on the spectrum at times and then he's not
Zach Sheets: I... i have I don't know what Steve Martin is doing at all in this movie.
Chris Prime: Yeah, it's like if he's trying to play maniacal villain.
Zach Sheets: which
Chris Prime: Like... I know he has better. Better, like... range than this or maybe not range but but just like a different character
Zach Sheets: Okay.
Chris Prime: But. It's like they wanted him to be. A cartoon. But they didn't understand. That. like They understood him to be a very one -dimensional villain, but...
Chris Prime: He's not memorable
Zach Sheets: No, it's it's it's all about like, I guess they were banking on like the look and then... Just the way he talks. But yeah, he doesn't have any like other... like interesting quirks or personality traits it's just like i suck funny and i'm a villain
Chris Prime: Silk. Yeah.
Chris Prime: it But to me, it just sounds like. and it's weird to think this is what got him the pink Panther later on. Like they're like, Oh man.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: But it just feels like a Clouseau character.
Zach Sheets: Uh huh. Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: Where it's like he's not supposed to be the whole character. He's like, oh. Only for this one situation. Do you act like this to get away from something or.
Chris Prime: you It's so... Like... Out of this. world. That. what you're doing is to like cover up some other thing because that's what like you know Inspector Clouseau does when he tries to pretend to be something it's just like he his He's misunderstanding.
Zach Sheets: Mm -hmm
Chris Prime: but like that leads to like the greatness is like That's exactly what you want during this time.
Zach Sheets: Well, so it's also – it's very Pink Panther too because they're everyone's after like this – Big, like this diamond.
Chris Prime: Blue monkey?
Zach Sheets: The Blue Monkey Diamond.
Chris Prime: Blue diamond?
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: Yeah, that's what I'm saying. like This came out before the Pink Panther.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, yeah.
Chris Prime: So... The fact that I'm like Warner just in a weird. joke on itself was like Wouldn't it be funny? if we took the same guy who was after this, like... geological thing.
Chris Prime: And then we made him chase a classic geological thing.
Zach Sheets: Now, I don't think the Warner Brothers do like those Pink Panther movies, too. I don't think it was like, wasn't that Disney?
Chris Prime: No.
Zach Sheets: Or was...
Chris Prime: That's Warner, man.
Zach Sheets: That was one of those. It was Warner Bros. 2? Okay.
Chris Prime: Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
Zach Sheets: but see thats
Chris Prime: That's even more bizarre.
Zach Sheets: It's like let's let's do let's do this for real.
Chris Prime: that's like i'm not That's why, again, as a fan of the Pink Panther movies, and I've seen almost all of them, I think the only one I haven't seen is the... Like the chase after the pink Panther. It's like the clip show movie one.
Zach Sheets: and
Chris Prime: I can get a whole discussion about that. It's like Nine movies. I've seen like seven of them. So. Yeah. Like I get why Steve Martin. wasn't a bad clue so it's it's just like Okay. He he can...
Chris Prime: He can act silly. he He's physical. he's still guy At the time, he still has like a physical comeic comedic style. and i He could still do it, but... Only murders in the building like he's more of a Wordplay and just like. awkward body language to intentionally.
Chris Prime: So. When I see him in this, you just you want him to be... more extreme. In fact, I think they could have just made him like evil. Steve Martin.
Zach Sheets: Biggie boy. Yep
Chris Prime: just don't
Zach Sheets: but Make it more like... or maybe more like dr evil or something from like the lost of powers movies Like that, like
Chris Prime: but ands i think i think they're trying they wanted to but they're like we just can't do Dr. Evil, but now he's an Acme executive. I think they were like, okay, like everyone's used to Dr. Evil. He's quotable, blah, blah, blah. like Let's go over something that like the new kids would quote like this.
Chris Prime: Hoindexter. Like. 70s nerd? like You know, like.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: And. it It just, it didn't. Elevate the the new type of nerd. like I say new type of nerd. and I think about like. Elon Musk. He's like. A nerd.
Chris Prime: But he's also not all there.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: And he's not exactly all like. Benevolent. Because he's not. Elon is a dick.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: But you want that in like a cruel businessman. And that's what like. his brand is. So... They didn't know what that was in 2000. Five?
Zach Sheets: Three.
Chris Prime: 2003 this came out.
Zach Sheets: Mm.
Chris Prime: So like. You know, I mean, it was this flux period of like, well, nerds are nerds or like geeks are geeks. We don't know how to like. distinguish that you could be like two different types of people in one or like you can be a nerd a geek and be like Savvy.
Chris Prime: You know, like they they didn't know that. So... Instead of... i don't know Kind of letting it. groom or or even like Making the villain a cartoon character?
Chris Prime: that would That would be, like, better.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, there had to be some like even bring back like an obscure like nude who's character or something to be like the villain who's like angry at them
Chris Prime: Yeah, who like... became ACME president recently and just declared war on the Looney Tunes and said like. you know maybe They never like respect it. My role.
Chris Prime: So now I became like. a businessman and now i want to buy them like that's my revenge and then i will
Zach Sheets: okay
Chris Prime: dictate how the comedy world and I'll make myself a star. like If the beginning movie was... okay we only want bugs like we want bugs is the main like role for Warner Brothers.
Zach Sheets: Bugs is a star. like we We don't need it. starring as like a movie by himself we don't need the other
Chris Prime: Right, right.
Zach Sheets: Me too.
Chris Prime: and then then like you had got another person that might have been Either like. pre Bugs Bunny and now is like kicked out or would have been a like one off co -star to Bugs, but because like Daffy beat him.
Chris Prime: Or, you know, like the Warner Brothers decided like. You know. Daffy, you're in. other Cartoon character, you're out.
Zach Sheets: Mm -hmm.
Chris Prime: And then have that person just grow like a jaded, like, oh. I will have my revenge. But no, we just literally get like generic. evil businessman but instead of being generic he stands out in like a just like annoying way
Zach Sheets: Yeah. Yeah, and Acme is like basically like Spectre in this movie, where it's just like this... evil organization and there's like all these like like the the VPs are all like have different Which...
Zach Sheets: I mean... they don't really do much with that joke either where it's like all the vps are like like different cliches like robert picardo is like the vp of rhetorical questions so he just asks like questions And then like Ron Perlman, who has like one line in this movie, is like the the VP of never learning.
Chris Prime: Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: So, like... I would have liked. The board being the villains.
Zach Sheets: Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: And it's just different things that they want to critique. the like Warner Brothers on or the Looney Tunes on And that's making their. Leaders products like suck And the numbers dip and it's like a.
Chris Prime: It's like a... tactic. for them to sweep in and then own them or something. You know, it's like. You kind of see that in real life where a business will. start doing something stupid and you're like why and then it's because like whoever's financing them is lowering their...
Chris Prime: Like. value so that they can just completely come in and just clean a house. I mean, that's that's why, you know. Pizza Hut sucks lately.
Chris Prime: But. Uh, Yeah, like... There's a smarter plot somewhere with what they had in the first two acts.
Zach Sheets: it might It might have been like what what the original idea that Joe Dante had and then got overwritten by Warner Brothers.
Chris Prime: And that's another thing. What do Warner Brothers want? to do like What were they trying to sell? Warner Brothers, like... Toys? Or like food. Like I. There wasn't like a product placement that they were looking to like aim for.
Zach Sheets: Well, I think the crazy thing was like... This original original idea was that... It was going to be called Spy Jam and it was going to star Jackie Chan.
Chris Prime: Yeah, I did. I did read that and it does sound cool, but. I think like... They just couldn't figure out logistics how to make this, like, not a Jackie Chan movie.
Zach Sheets: And then also, apparently, there was, like, race jam. This is going to be with Jeff Gordon, but who has a cameo in this movie. And i think I think I also heard like Tony Hawk was talking about Skate Jam.
Zach Sheets: Which got apparently got like... so in like he like He was ready. like He signed like the contract. He was like going to sign like the paper paperwork and and it just never happened.
Zach Sheets: like I saw an Instagram reel of him like talking about, like yeah, I flew to Los Angeles, and I was supposed to meet them at like the airport, and like the Warner Brothers guy never showed.
Chris Prime: I wonder what happened. like Why do they stop? you know they're just like it'd be funny to call these people out and then just ignore them
Zach Sheets: Yeah, but I guess I guess I really wanted to like. because did Joe Dante hates Space Jam. He thought like the characters didn't act like they're character like they were used to at all. So he wanted to like bring the Looney Tunes back to their...
Zach Sheets: you know classic personalities but then apparently the executive he's like well
Chris Prime: Core.
Zach Sheets: The Warner Bros. executive was like, Bucks should do a wrap. and like bugs should do like they should do this and this and like these like all all these like dumb ideas so there's like this constant battle of just like do you know they wanted to like Do, like, a classic Looney Tunes thing, and then, like, we're in the morbid, like...
Zach Sheets: No, we want like a... but like a mod like this modern Uh, all -quadrants movie.
Chris Prime: You know.
Zach Sheets: yeah We got to peel the kids, the youth.
Chris Prime: Yeah, but it's like... The kids at this time in 2003 were like getting into new metal. And like, Linkin Park.
Zach Sheets: Hmm.
Chris Prime: and then some of them were growing up a little too fast and i appreciate like classic uh like humor or even just like the three arc setup of a joke.
Zach Sheets: Mm -hmm.
Chris Prime: Because if they weren't just like. i don't know Dane Cook, like... whatever like his finger thing was like You know what I'm talking about?
Zach Sheets: Just the shocker.
Chris Prime: the shock but No, it wasn't called The Shocker. It was like something else.
Zach Sheets: Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: But... Maybe it would come in it's definitely not the shock. He didn't like call he' coin It was like something weird. Anyway. I'm thinking that like a lot of kids were just like listening to like Internet stuff or like early forms of like. memes.
Chris Prime: And Looney Tunes are not that like you really can't meme Looney Tunes because they require like contacts and. and payoff. Or sometimes like violence. And you figure in this movie. Like.
Chris Prime: yeah They would do more like. Pranks. That's like another thing about lo like. bugs like he loves a good prank And he only does like a few, but like.
Chris Prime: It doesn't really pay off in the end. You know, it's like. daffy's sort of like his he gets his like comeuppance like he he finally gets his time to shine
Zach Sheets: Yeah, Daffy gets the main arc of this movie where he's like, I'm going to be the hero this time.
Chris Prime: But it's not really acknowledged by like everyone else.
Zach Sheets: I love you.
Chris Prime: I mean, maybe bugs, but even that it's like, whatever.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, the end the end is like really straightforward. like It's not like a wacky... Like. gag thing. It's just like... Oh, we're... We're having like a legitimate fight with Marvin the Martian. like This is like an actual like battle for like the fate of humanity.
Chris Prime: And. as That's cool for like... Older? Looney Tunes fans, because it's like you don't really see that. You see more just like prank attacks.
Chris Prime: but when it's straight up like oh they're battling to see who Is monkey or not?
Zach Sheets: Yeah, to make sure you like no everyone else doesn't get turned into the monkeys, yeah.
Chris Prime: But it's also reversible. It's not like... you know, once they're monkeys, they stay monkeys.
Zach Sheets: Well... It's like yeah Steve Martin's plan is. He's going to turn everyone into monkeys and then force them to make like shoddy, cheap Acme products. and then reverse everything and then then have everyone buy the products.
Zach Sheets: Like...
Chris Prime: It's not a terrible plan.
Zach Sheets: So like, yeah, it's like but Get cheap labor and then make the cheap labor buy like the products they made.
Chris Prime: I mean, it's a commentary on commercialism and capitalism. They want people to work to buy for things but that they want people to pay enough to buy things That's sort of how we are now, you know? like
Zach Sheets: Well, there's...
Chris Prime: That's America these days.
Zach Sheets: i mean
Zach Sheets: I mean, there's like there's like the metaco there's, like, the whole, like, Walmart joke in this movie. Where they just find a Walmart and it's just like, oh man, it's it's so awesome that Walmart paid us like it gave us gave us all this stuff for free because we just had Walmart a bunch of times.
Zach Sheets: like There's like there's like a crazy amount of product placement in this movie, which they they do acknowledge it, but it's also just like actually like product placements.
Chris Prime: I mean...
Chris Prime: Mm -hmm.
Zach Sheets: Like, Daffy drinks, like, a Jolt Cola, and then, like, you got Jess Gordon's car, it's covered in, like, all the advertisements and... Walmart and...
Zach Sheets: whatever, a bunch of other stuff in it. Which is like Jenna Elfman at one point was like, oh, I didn't expect that. They didn't they don't even notice it.
Chris Prime: mean Yeah, if you watch this... the same mindset like we did now it's it's subtle At times, but it's not exactly like. You know. It takes you out the movie.
Zach Sheets: Yes. It's not like Michael Bay level that like a few years. from this where it's just like, oh, we're we're making like a Mountain Doom machine turned into a Transformer.
Chris Prime: Or beats. You want me to make you a beats audio thing?
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: Oh no, a Transformer smashed into the Bud Light truck.
Chris Prime: Our hero needs a butt light right now. It's refreshing.
Zach Sheets: Mm -hmm.
Chris Prime: It's what he needs.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: but uh
Zach Sheets: Yeah, but see, has whole so whole the whole... Uh, Thing is that like So Timothy Dalton is... Damian Drake, who is not Bond. But... but Basically, Bond.
Zach Sheets: Which I feel like was this like the start of like the like Timothy Dalton -issance.
Chris Prime: No.
Zach Sheets: cause he I feel like he hadn't been in anything for like A long time.
Chris Prime: No, not he.
Zach Sheets: Looks just like the Rocketeer.
Chris Prime: Not to this level. Like. I think the Timmy thought Dalton Hassan started when he was in.
Zach Sheets: Hot fuzz.
Chris Prime: hot fuzz because then he was like in more things but
Zach Sheets: Yeah. Mm -hmm.
Chris Prime: No, this is like... The last thing he was in for. a while.
Chris Prime: like This is before pet like way before a Penny Dreadful.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: Well, this this is like the first thing he like, i' like. like major like theatrical release he invented since like the rocketeer i would say
Zach Sheets: Because he was he was doing a bunch of like... like tv movies and like TV stuff. He was in Tales from the Crypt. didn't always like all the other name like like a Cleopatra like television movie and stuff like between Rocketeer in this.
Zach Sheets: So this is i this is like like the first kind of like... The first big, like, oh, you guys remember Timothy Dalton? Remember he was Bond?
Chris Prime: You guys remember Bon? Well, he's like a Bon.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: where we like where were Where was Bond at this point? like Was it like... Tyler. Day or. Oh yeah, Dino Day was the year before this. So that was like we kind like that was like the end of the Brosnan era. we're kind of like I think we were like in the limbo until... dan Craig showed up.
Zach Sheets: But yeah, but he's got he's got so he's got all the like kind of like he's all the Bond stuff. He's got like the cool car and... Like his house is full of gadgets.
Chris Prime: He's got a Like. Another spy partner that... knows his secret. like life and
Zach Sheets: okay
Chris Prime: He's got... a He's got a Q.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, which is weird because it's like it's like miles away from where he lives. It's not like it's in Los Angeles. like yeah It's like driving to the middle of the desert, go to Area 52.
Chris Prime: But I get it. It's supposed to be secret, you know. And plus, like, there's still alien activity.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: Which is like another thing they don't get into.
Zach Sheets: i'll
Chris Prime: it's like Aliens exist, but Marvin the Martian is an alien, so... That's not new.
Zach Sheets: And is it is it like all the classic sci -fi movies where they like filming like actual creatures?
Chris Prime: They capturing these poor creatures and making them act.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, because it's like... You got, like, it's like the metalloids or the metallons from... uh this this island earth and then like the robot monster from robot monster and like a triffid And like Kevin McCarthy from the... From Invasion of the the Body Snatchers.
Chris Prime: I do like that. That is like Kevin McCartney, isn't it?
Zach Sheets: yeah Yeah, it's... it's it's It... He's doing a cameo. He's also in black and white because that movie was black and white.
Chris Prime: I like that. like there There's certain... elements that if you're a a movie fan or just like aware of. Just like the history of things, history of cinema and... and TV and film, it does pay off.
Chris Prime: But this movie's meant for someone like us. and also later in their life to understand. If this is geared towards kids... They're not going to know any of that.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: So is this for the parents that brought their kids there? So, but the parents who brought their kids, like. Like... I don't know. There's like so much like time difference that. I feel like. The parents are barely going to know that.
Chris Prime: either they Either they had the kid who's like... Three? And the kid's not paying attention to this movie?
Zach Sheets: Well, it's it's weird because this this feels like... It's it's it's like the watered -down version of Gremlins 2.
Zach Sheets: But which would like, you know, which like Joe Dante basically like, I'm gonna make my gremlins into like Looney Tunes basically.
Chris Prime: Oh, you're right.
Zach Sheets: And then it's like like, he gets to use the actual Looney Tunes, but then it's like he got like... you know, like. handicapped by the the executives because it like goes like probably nuts as you want to do
Chris Prime: Well, isn't that what happened about Gremlins 2?
Zach Sheets: Okay.
Chris Prime: It's like... The executives were like, we want this. And he's like, I will make a version that will sync this franchise.
Zach Sheets: No, I think, well, yeah, because Tremors was such a hit. They're like, they like, you got to come back and make a sequel. And then it's like, all right, I'll make a sequel. But I like. i want no like yeah let me do whatever i want then he's like was like i'm just Yeah, I'm just making like... a middle finger to the first movie and just like, Yeah. Going absolutely meta and nuts and like throwing everyone everyone I like in it and all all these like references to things I love. and It's all like old monster movies and... Christopher Lee is in it. It's just, like, like all yeah all this, like...
Zach Sheets: Like the old ultimate Joe Dante reference movie.
Zach Sheets: Which, like yeah, like the Area 52 scene is definitely like that's like the most like Joe Dante thing in this movie. Where it's like, here's...
Chris Prime: and The joe Joe Dante thing was to have... What's his face in it?
Zach Sheets: Dick Miller.
Chris Prime: Dick Miller.
Zach Sheets: Well, yeah, all his guys are in there. Like Robert Picardo is like one of his guys. the the The twins were in Gremlins 2, like the Stanton brothers. they're the They're the Warner Brothers.
Chris Prime: Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: So I like that key he likes certain character actors. Having them come back. Uh, But. I feel like Joe Dante can really bring out. Other kind of commentary on.
Chris Prime: I don't know Over cons - oh. Let's see. Gremlins was a movie about... I guess like. rules and how like breaking them has punishment
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: And then Twilight Zone is just the Twilight Zone.
Zach Sheets: Heh. mm -hmm
Chris Prime: I never saw Parada.
Zach Sheets: I mean – No. yeah Well, I mean, Most of his movies are like, I don't. Like, he doesn't have... Like, he's... do like as much social commentary as say like a john carpenter or something but
Chris Prime: okay
Zach Sheets: he's like I think Joe Dines is very much like... Hey, I love old movies. Here's what I'm just going to like. throw like everything like all all my kids and all my movies just like love monster movies and love like old like model kits and they have like 50s monster movie posters on their wall and stuff like that so so he's basically like like i mean he made a whole entire you made a entire movie like about just like old movies like matinee versus like here It's a movie about the 50s. It's like...
Zach Sheets: But that was like the Cuban Missile Crisis mixed with like... Monster movies, but... Yeah, that's like that's like his thing is like, yeah, i like I love referencing all the... stuff i grew up as a kid
Chris Prime: Makes sense.
Zach Sheets: like And, like... Practical monsters and... all these all And then like throwing my at my character actor guys in there.
Chris Prime: I'm surprised John Goodman didn't come back.
Chris Prime: He was in matinee.
Zach Sheets: Oh. Yeah. We did get Roger Corman. Roger Corman is apparently directing a Batman movie in this universe.
Chris Prime: I think he's wearing the Batman Forever costume.
Zach Sheets: Yum.
Chris Prime: No, I think Batman and Robin. costumes It's something where I'm like... But he's right on the...
Zach Sheets: I think it's the key in Batmobile, right?
Chris Prime: Keepin' Batmobile, yeah, yeah.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: you see i like how met like if you're gonna make a meta movie and then you're gonna be be about movies keep it in the warner studio a lot Like. I, Don't mind that.
Zach Sheets: Mm -hmm.
Chris Prime: because you have access to the sets and then it's more about Look how like cool it is to work at Warner Brothers or. you know, feel the. The like. The passion for filmmaking with like.
Chris Prime: the production. So it's like a. Commercial for Warner Brothers? But if anything, it just shows you that Warner Brothers are just like... The actual Warner Brothers studio heads are just like... incompetent they're just like
Zach Sheets: a
Chris Prime: We like this. We hate this. what We like this. They're just like, oh my God. This is what Warner Brothers thinks about itself.
Zach Sheets: I feel like they missed a big opportunity when like the Batmobile smashes into like the water tower and then when it crashes down, like I feel like the anime next year jumped out of it.
Chris Prime: Yeah, I don't know. Is it because that's owned by Steven Spielberg? They do that. They have to credit him.
Zach Sheets: Maybe. I mean mean, it was a Warner Brothers project, but yeah, maybe Spielberg has sort of like like half of it or something.
Chris Prime: So they do, it's like he gets a cut.
Zach Sheets: But there's also like, it's like, you know, Shaggy and Scooby -Doo show up and they're talking to Matthew Lillard, which was like a great little. Joke.
Chris Prime: i See, I like the little meta -ness. That... That's why I'm like, there is. Sim.
Zach Sheets: They probably... That gave me, like, great flashbacks to, like, old school, like, awesome Cartoon Network.
Chris Prime: Oh, when they used to like kind of mix the meta?
Zach Sheets: Just help. Yeah, just have like like all the characters like interacting with each other. like It's like we're in like the break room of a character network or something.
Chris Prime: Yeah. I love. that. They stopped doing things like that. That's why I'm like, there are points where I'm like, oh man, they could have just done more of that where it's a.
Zach Sheets: yeah
Chris Prime: you know, like appreciate. How funny it is to have these. be like actors. And that there is a...
Chris Prime: you know, like a connective world between them and then the freaking. you know, studio is their actual, like... hangout space. But nope. We... We go to Vegas.
Zach Sheets: Well, I was just – I was going to be like speaking – we were talking about – like there was apparently there was gonna like the powerpuff girls were supposed to show up too and like superman like the flasher superman but then that all got cut or something so
Chris Prime: Oh man, that would have been awesome. And that makes sense.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: It's like... The power buff. was still like happening you know people are still watching that
Zach Sheets: Yeah, i definitely that they been like like have other characters besides like the Looney Tunes. i guess i mean I guess it's a Looney Tunes movie. maybe that would like dilute it but like the The one tease like Scooby -Doo stuff is like, oh man, there's like so much other stuff they could do.
Chris Prime: But I guess they really try to trim. Like... the budget and then Om. Just like the Looney Tunes stuff. Because. i also see that if this took off in a wild direction that the unexpected There would have been a so direct follow -up and it would have been...
Chris Prime: You know. More. Looney Tunes meta -ness. Because...
Zach Sheets: Well, there's... that was is the weird thing about space jam the second like a new legacy was... Like they went. You know, it was like so much Warner Brothers, like the. Warner Brothers Metaverse, whatever it it was, but...
Zach Sheets: And then they're going around recruiting people. It's like. oh you can recruit like literally any you can recruit batman to your basketball team you can recruit superman to your basketball team but then they like they went to these other like you know water brothers worlds but they didn't recruit anybody except like looney tunes characters So you can go to...
Zach Sheets: Uh... Like. Yeah, like, any Warner Bros. property and, like, recruit anyone you want, and you're just, like, you're getting, like, just just the Looney Tunes. You could have Superman like doing dunks on your team and automatically win.
Chris Prime: Yeah. Just get a whole bunch of Michael Jordans. Just different iterations.
Zach Sheets: They could, yeah.
Zach Sheets: yeah They have LeBron, I guess. So... so It's all I needed.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, you're saying yeah like like Las Vegas does like the first big set piece.
Chris Prime: and it's a it's like a quick version of las vegas i do miss that that was the they went to old vegas not the new vegas yet that was still being built during this time.
Zach Sheets: okay
Chris Prime: And that's when you could usually drive around that area.
Zach Sheets: okay
Chris Prime: I actually been in that. hotel that they do go in. Nowadays, it's like... you know there's a There's like a tarp. all over it. Because they, like...
Chris Prime: blocked it but In that section of Vegas. Uh... I like that it's like Yosemite Sands Casino is a weird version of Biff Tannen's.
Zach Sheets: so that was I got very like Biff Tannen vibes from it.
Chris Prime: Mm hmm.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: it's a fun like what an evil person casino is but it's like The people inside is like well themed. It's like everyone is Western costumes and there's a. free show and it seems like everyone's having a good time
Zach Sheets: Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: If you go to Vegas now. You don't see anything. like that anymore.
Zach Sheets: Oh, it's definitely it's definitely... feels like like a pretty cramped casino. because like the The stage is like right on the main floor. So you're like. playing blackjack and I'd use like the stage.
Chris Prime: this piece is loud you're like trying to gamble and there's just like a musical blaring behind you
Zach Sheets: Hmm.
Chris Prime: Nowadays, Vegas is designed so that like the entertainment is like its own section and you're not able to see it because they want people to pay attention to lose.
Chris Prime: Again. someone that you spend a lot of time in casinos there was a really great casino in jersey in the showboat Where they would give dancers and they'd... What? Like not like striptease dancers or anything, just like. You know.
Chris Prime: nice looking ladies and people on platforms they'll dance so that during your gambling you just take a break and then just like watch like someone dance to music i'm like okay It did really well.
Chris Prime: I loved it. It was great. They got rid of that. they're like
Chris Prime: Too distracting for gamblers. They were weren't gambling enough. So I'm like what?
Chris Prime: But yeah yeah, you don't see that so much these days in casinos. So when I saw that, I'm like, they should bring that back. Like if they're looking for. in -person events and like reasons to go to Vegas again. Bring back weird.
Chris Prime: you know, Western theme casinos that put on. sexy can -can shows.
Zach Sheets: okay
Chris Prime: But... Then they have like reminders that. Yosemite Sam is around because he has like his own dance squad.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: And was that, I mean, i guess I guess that was like... So like, so Heather Locklear is. dusty trails. Who is... A pop star slash assassin?
Chris Prime: Yeah, she couldn't just be a spy. She has to be an assassin.
Zach Sheets: And I guess she's saying all the like Damien Drake, like. spy movie themes. That's why that's why they like know each other. But then they're also like, I guess, like espionage partners together.
Zach Sheets: But I don't think the songs you're singing is like probably was was probably not a... maybe a Drake theme song, because i' like I'm a bad girl. Well, like you'll see Sam's like dance around her.
Chris Prime: Yeah, I don't think that's a... in a movie i think that's just like her own song
Zach Sheets: this This is my breakout single.
Zach Sheets: Which I was trying to figure, like, what were they, like... I mean... I'm trying to figure out who they were trying to be like parody because like I guess like a Britney Spears maybe or something. But then Herald Locker was like...
Zach Sheets: you know, older than Britney Spears at the time. Still looks amazing, but...
Chris Prime: I don't mind it.
Zach Sheets: So I...
Chris Prime: It just the only rough part is when she tries to like. Fight. in that outfit it just Like. Yeah, they spent the... I guess Heather was like, I'm only this movie for like three hours.
Zach Sheets: Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: and That's all you get.
Zach Sheets: andm I'm just here to give you like the weird DaVinci Code. playing card.
Chris Prime: Oh you're right.
Zach Sheets: Which I was trying to figure out too, like, the book came out in 2003, like Da Vinci called the book, but I don't think, I think it's probably just a coincidence that this also happened to take, like, go to the Louvre. I don't think they read the video cover like, oh, we got to put like a...
Zach Sheets: a Mona Lisa thing in our movie.
Chris Prime: I think that's just like by accident.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: I really don't think or less maybe that studio interference that I finished it that day. And I'm like, Joe Dante, I know you've had this elaborate set piece.
Zach Sheets: We... We... we We just read this awesome book. It's called The Da Vinci Code.
Zach Sheets: Do something with the Mona Lisa.
Chris Prime: I'm thinking is... The,
Chris Prime: Like. Da Vinci Co. kind of ruined going to museums and finding hidden clues and things. well at least in religious art that's just totally like gone you can't do that without someone going that's a davinci code and Nowadays, people hate the DaVinci Code.
Zach Sheets: Mm.
Chris Prime: Uh... But going to museums to find secrets is... Like. hiding in plain sight. things is Spin around. I don't know what the last one was before DaVinci Code because I pretty much took it over.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, because all of them now are just all the other Dan Brown books.
Chris Prime: Yeah, just like... did you know they had did this did you know that's also here like okay
Chris Prime: Or like National Treasure. was before this. I think.
Zach Sheets: Oh, the year after it was National Treasure or so.
Chris Prime: Their answer to the Da Vinci Code before the Da Vinci Code was a thing.
Zach Sheets: I think the Da Vinci Code movie, the first Tom Hanks movie was like... Cousin Seven?
Chris Prime: No, it doesn't. Six. Because I remember how I rented the game.
Zach Sheets: Oh, he still has six, yeah.
Chris Prime: and like I remember going to Blockbuster and renting the DaVinci Code game and just laughing at it. cause like
Zach Sheets: Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: I don't know who that game was for. All the puzzles were like... check out this and i'm like spell words i'm like all right Is this a learning game?
Zach Sheets: it's such It's an edutainment game.
Chris Prime: Yeah, I feel like they just tricked me. I'm like, what?
Zach Sheets: with like With like terrible stealth segments.
Chris Prime: Oh, yeah, I forgot that. I didn't beat it. I like i rented it for like the weekend with friends and I was like, alright. Sending this back.
Zach Sheets: I do think that the... The Louvre sequence in this movie is definitely like... By far the highlight of the movie.
Chris Prime: Oh yeah. top like Again, enough things to keep you entertained to watch it. I like... It appreciated the different art styles. And the, like, jumping into those worlds and... Like...
Chris Prime: seeing Looney Tunes appear. you know rendered in that And. Like that's more of an animation fans. angle.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, that that feels like a classic Looney Tunes thing. I'm surprised that wasn't like an actual... like you know like og like maybe too short related so they like run through paintings
Zach Sheets: because yeah it's just it's just an awesome idea of like they jump into a painting and then they they like kind of react to like what the like what what the painting is. that They jump into the dolly painting and they start melting. Or they jump into like a...
Zach Sheets: the scream and it's like they're like in that style
Chris Prime: Mm hmm.
Zach Sheets: And then it's like... They defeat like Elmer Fudd because you they jump into... What's that? It's like that Monet, that famous Monet painting, like the park painting. And then it's like, oh.
Zach Sheets: uh he He painted it like it's all like... different, like... It's all... Like... tiny darts that like... and So he like like gets up and like collapses into dots.
Chris Prime: Yeah. I do like they basically kill them or FUD.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: I mean... It's it's funny because it's like. They do mention, like, you get you you need to, like look like, hey, it's good to learn things from just seeing this, and I hope, like, kids saw... these works of art and just was like what is this about you know like what was all that because
Zach Sheets: mm -hmm
Chris Prime: It doesn't hold your hand on that. It's not like there's a plaque where it's like explaining what this painting is. It's just like, oh, you might have seen this in a textbook.
Zach Sheets: but and and And it's it's very difficult because there's like a... The playing card has a special... uh like lens on it And if you hold up to the Mona Lisa, it gives you a map of Africa.
Zach Sheets: So that's like the that's like the next but but like spot they have to go to?
Chris Prime: Yeah, it's just like another like round -the -world chase. which again classic spy thing but this point is not really a spy because it's like who
Zach Sheets: Well, it turns like Indiana Jones, because now now now it's like we're in an ancient temple.
Chris Prime: Yeah, yeah. like
Chris Prime: I mean classic. Looney Tunes. style stuff would have like a adventurer things and before Indiana Jones, you know, it's just like pulp adventures. So it's not...
Chris Prime: A total stretch. But... I kind of wanted to be just, like, at a random adventurer then. Like, stick to that. Because what they're doing is more... adventure requests than spy thriller and and only The only thing that really establishes the spy thriller is...
Chris Prime: I guess like. But. gadgets and then which is solved like once and done like they don't bring any more gadgets later on
Zach Sheets: Yeah, they they use them all. So like, so the. They go to Area 52 before they go to Paris, and then yeah they meet Joe Cusack, whose mother... Which I don't... I don't, is it like. Kind of implying that she's like...
Zach Sheets: freddie frazier's mom or like or i guess yeah just like that's like like a code name thing
Chris Prime: No.
Chris Prime: I think it's a Conan thing.
Zach Sheets: But yeah, she gives them like... A special cell phone. And then like Rocket Pants.
Zach Sheets: And then, which they use. Brandon Frears uses once in... Paris, because... Jenna Elfman's getting kidnapped by Bill Goldberg, who's like Stephen Martin's main henchman.
Chris Prime: Was that really Bill Goldberg? if you if you think about it by the end
Zach Sheets: Yeah, yeah no no one is who they seem to be in that that's that scene. But... Yeah, and then he uses a grappling hook on the cell phone. He uses that like hook on like the Eiffel Tower. Uh,
Zach Sheets: Rocket pants don't work, like, fly off of them, so you just, like, steal, like... Papa Bear? it's like I forget what those characters are. It's like... Papa bear and baby.
Chris Prime: Yeah, that's a deep cut one. I don't remember that one off the top of my head But.
Zach Sheets: But, like, he, like, like steals, like, Hopper's shorts.
Chris Prime: Wait, wait, wait But the thing is... Thing is. They are just like. Not. they They just are. tourists in Paris. You know, like they're not part of the Looney Tunes, I guess, but they are a part of this world.
Zach Sheets: Mm -hmm.
Chris Prime: You know what I mean? It would have been cool that they were just regular cartoon people that exist. But no, it's like they definitely were like an old school.
Zach Sheets: a
Chris Prime: Looney Tunes characters that wandered into this.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, henry Henry Bear, Mama Bear, and Junior Bear.
Chris Prime: And.
Zach Sheets: They were in like five different shorts.
Chris Prime: I prefer they were just generic cartoon people that... Brendan Fraser just like... Love.
Zach Sheets: I need your pants.
Zach Sheets: But yeah, but they they so they... They end up in Africa. And then there's like there's a... They've run into... Granny Sylvester Tweedy, who... were We're Brendan Fraser's next door neighbors.
Zach Sheets: and then they just happen to be in Africa. There's like a weird... thing where like granny's like is like acting sinister where she's like oh yeah it's a coincidence But they're not evil.
Zach Sheets: there's There's like actually there's like you want to write our elephant and it's like here you go kids Bye.
Zach Sheets: There's also like the but like the weird reveal that Tweety's from Africa.
Chris Prime: That was... a little bizarre because he's like embracing his like
Zach Sheets: It's like African culture.
Chris Prime: African root, yeah.
Zach Sheets: like Yeah.
Chris Prime: I'm like, i Yes.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, then it turns, it's like a mini Indiana Jones thing. There's a temple, there's traps, they have to figure out how to get the blue bunkie. And then.
Zach Sheets: Steve Martin and ben Goldberg show show up, and then and then also Taz, who has been teased as like the like the like ultimate... villain that they are unleashing. But then this doesn't really do much.
Zach Sheets: he and The previous scene before they go to Africa, like he ate he ate Ron Perlman.
Zach Sheets: And then it's and it's like. Uh... Steve Martin unzips his self and he he becomes... He's Michael Jordan. So we get a Michael Jordan cameo.
Chris Prime: which is archival footage from Space Jam.
Zach Sheets: Yep.
Chris Prime: So it's weird because... This movie's not supposed to be a sequel to Space Jam because... it's a whole different Sort of like. world because the ludicrous characters live in the human world and they're more like acclimated here
Zach Sheets: Yeah, they're not in like a weird alternate universe like in the... Like a... In the middle of the earth, like in Space Jam.
Chris Prime: And then. The Warner Brothers. No. that these are like actors that they can hire and fire.
Zach Sheets: Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: But then Space Jam. is like... I guess just playing on that. This was a thing like... 10 years ago?
Chris Prime: That's how long it is between... Maybe not 10, but like. Eight years?
Zach Sheets: Yeah, Space Jam was 96, so seven years.
Zach Sheets: but yeah I guess they had to run through all those like failed attempts.
Chris Prime: about
Chris Prime: Yeah to get to that point.
Zach Sheets: Then you get this Spy GM and Skate GM and Race GM.
Chris Prime: So I'm just like. Alright, that'd be funny to kind of have that Michael Jordan, but it's just like it's meaningless since... It's like I would rather watch Space Jam now.
Zach Sheets: But then... then then he just turns back like he just unzips again it's like steve martin again So...
Chris Prime: But I think that's just to have fun twists that make no sense. It's just like... Because now Steve Martin.
Zach Sheets: oh
Chris Prime: It would have been cool if Steve Martin secretly attuned.
Zach Sheets: i think we miss like he he His first unzip is... Timothy Dalton.
Chris Prime: Jimmy Dalton, yeah.
Zach Sheets: And then Timmy Sons unzips into Michael Jordan and Michael Jordan unzips into... Steve Martin. Again.
Chris Prime: I mean...
Zach Sheets: And then, yeah.
Chris Prime: All right. I wait. That means that. secretly inside all of us is a Michael Jordan.
Zach Sheets: Maybe.
Chris Prime: That's the commentary Joe Dante was putting in. In all everyone, there is an all -star basketball player in us.
Zach Sheets: And are those just like, are they, they're just like suits that Steve Martin's wearing over top? Like he's wearing like four different like suits over himself or like, yeah, there's some weird like cartoon physics going on. where you see
Chris Prime: I don't know. Does... Warner Brothers owns Mission Impossible.
Zach Sheets: I think...
Chris Prime: No Paramount.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: So it's there.
Zach Sheets: Oh.
Chris Prime: version.
Zach Sheets: It's... It is funny that Peter Graves, the that original Jim Phelps, shows up in this movie as like the narrator of the Area 52 movie.
Chris Prime: So that's I was like, oh, maybe it's like a fun spy nod where it's like these spies don't do. Mass, they do full body suits, but... Maybe that's what that is.
Zach Sheets: but it's some act it's it's It's some Acme thing. It's some acne gadget.
Zach Sheets: The Acme bodysuit.
Chris Prime: That's like, that's our best seller. out of everything that they have.
Zach Sheets: Should be, yeah. Mm hmm. you can be Yeah, it's like a... completely lifelike, realistic. like like suit of like whoever you want and you And you also talk like them?
Chris Prime: hu
Chris Prime: And not only that, but like... You could just infiltrate. So far as the suit, you know, it's not just like a.
Zach Sheets: this
Chris Prime: time limit where it melts. Where it's like Darkman.
Zach Sheets: and then yeah then yeah And then Goldberg unzips and he's like... uh, like Lady Taz. The She -Devil. Which, it's also funny, like Brendan Fraser is the voice of Taz in this movie.
Chris Prime: This is a good test.
Zach Sheets: Which could... Because apparently, yeah, apparently he, like... like did like such a great Taz impression. They're like, well, you're Taz. like you like like The guy who usually does Taz will just have you do it.
Chris Prime: Also, well, he put that person out of... Extra job. But that's another thing. this real like A lot of the voice actors, they they do on like so many roles, and then there are like...
Chris Prime: other archival like callbacks to other actors to...
Zach Sheets: yes
Chris Prime: say their lines so you get to hear some of the classic Looney Tunes voices.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: Like Mel Blanc. comes back. for one or two voices, like recorded, pre -recorded, but. It's like. it's cool to hear his performance mixed in and it's like you really can't tell the difference unless you really listen to the difference like you know the subtle differences
Zach Sheets: Or it's like the like the guys who voiced the... Like... the Daleks and... Doctor Who, the original Doctor Who. Like, like they used archival recordings of them when with the Daleks were, like, shooting Area 52 up.
Chris Prime: That's cool. like you know like i i I feel like... It's... It's a nice mix. They didn't have to because kids wouldn't care. you know But for just...
Chris Prime: You know. More of a fan. the long history of looney tunes it's it's cool
Zach Sheets: But.
Zach Sheets: so yeah So at the temple, there's like a... Uh, Goldberg has like a... just like it's a It's not a disintegrator, right? It's like a teleport. Like it's like a... I guess it's like a disintegrator, but it's also like a teleporter.
Zach Sheets: So he like zaps everybody and then they all like teleport back to like Acme headquarters.
Zach Sheets: I do. it' so It's a funny bit where, like, everyone kind of has, like, one piece of, like, someone else on their body. Like, Brendan Fisher has, like, but Bugs' his teeth. And then, like, Seymour has, like, but but Bugs' his ears.
Chris Prime: Yeah, it's sort definitely a play on teleporter tech.
Zach Sheets: see the
Chris Prime: technology and it's but We talked about the fly.
Zach Sheets: Mhm.
Chris Prime: earlier and it's like yep that's what exactly what happened
Zach Sheets: theres
Zach Sheets: Yeah, I think it's it's all messed up.
Zach Sheets: but then the big the But then the big final thing is that... uh Steve Mern once. Uh, marvin the martian to fly out to like an acme satellite and put the blue monkey diamond in it and then that's gonna like zap the earth and turn over the monkeys And then they have...
Zach Sheets: Uh... Timothy Dalton strapped to like a railroad track and like class you know classic like damsel in distress style where it's like the acme death trains barreling down him and and also like he's like stretched like tons of like explosives.
Zach Sheets: So then...
Chris Prime: And... Or then it's like a complicated death trap with like... Nine different ways to die.
Zach Sheets: Mm hmm. All orchestrated by Wile E. Coyote. who showed up earlier and bought like a missile launcher, an Acme missile launcher, and that like obviously like failed.
Zach Sheets: I blew him up.
Chris Prime: as As the rules.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: Hence why he's suing.
Zach Sheets: Yep. But then, yeah, like we said, like it's it's sort of like like the ending is sort of like... like an actual, like legitimate, like there's like. It's not like a...
Zach Sheets: prank they're not using like like Looney Tunes gags or pranks. It's just like and like a straight up just like we have to fight the bad guys now. I mean bugs Bugs pulls out like a...
Zach Sheets: uh, like carrot lightsaber. We're just going to discuss what's funny. And i do I do really appreciate that Daffy turns into Duck Dodgers.
Chris Prime: Yeah, he musters up his one character that he's more a little fearless but
Zach Sheets: Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: Uh... I could see that. You know. they want to play up the space angle so it kind of Fits nicely. You know, bugs doesn't have a space character.
Zach Sheets: And apparently also the Lucius is just like, he's like... be in space without having to breathe or have any trouble. I guess if you're a cartoon, you don't have to worry about oxygen or anything like that.
Zach Sheets: We're supposed to decompression?
Chris Prime: Makes sense. Oh God, it just like crystallizes and then just like floats away.
Zach Sheets: But yeah, there's they're fighting at the satellite, and then... yeah but then It's kind of weird. Like, Brendan Fraser and Jenna Elfman have to fight, like, a giant robot dog. Like, a giant CG robot dog.
Zach Sheets: day
Chris Prime: but That's like...
Zach Sheets: Peace.
Chris Prime: Friendly?
Zach Sheets: Yeah, it's like not... It's not like a bulldog or something. It's like like a yeah friendly -looking... like Giant dog. It's like more like... Uh... like Because it's so big, it's it's it's what's causing the problem, not because it's like a vicious attack dog. guy It spins around and hits them in the tail and stuff.
Zach Sheets: It's not like it's like a... like like Like a crazy like guard dog.
Chris Prime: Well, it's an acne product. So.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: They always have like quirks that make them. Sort of useless.
Zach Sheets: But yeah, but they but they they free TV Dalton. Bugs Daffy beat Marvin. they get they stop the the beam. The only person who gets turned into a monkey is Steve Martin.
Chris Prime: where it's like not like terrible there's just like all right well he's a monkey for now
Zach Sheets: It was like...
Zach Sheets: Mm hmm.
Chris Prime: You know, but that's how Steve Martin leaves the movie.
Zach Sheets: Yep.
Zach Sheets: I do love the TV doll that pulls out, like, mini, like, monkey handcuffs. It's like, I'm i'm arresting you. Here you go.
Zach Sheets: It reminded me of like...
Chris Prime: Well, he's he's a spy. He's prepared for every situation.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: even though we don't know Uh... We don't know how he fully got captured because you figured he would be prepared for this.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, because like... when he he when he he call He does like a video call. With Brendan Fraser, like, it's home after being fired. He's, like, fighting a bunch of guys, and he's like, oh, yeah, i get to Las Vegas. I'm fighting but i finding ninjas like a samurai guy. You gotta get here.
Zach Sheets: And I guess he lost that fight.
Chris Prime: Yeah. Though I think he killed the man with the grenade.
Zach Sheets: Probably, yeah Yeah, i think I think the call ends with him like he's like he's in like a like the... And then she gets him, like, a headlock or something. So, like I said, like... strip choked him out and like captured him.
Zach Sheets: we yeah The the little little handcuffs reminded me of like the Lonely Island. like they're like they One of the most recent like SNL things, like the Here I Go video. where It's like, there's like a pug that gets arrested.
Chris Prime: Heh.
Zach Sheets: for like going on their lawn they thought like these little doggy handcuffs
Zach Sheets: And then the crazy reveal is that. Apparently this was all... The movie? Like they're shooting the movie. They're shooting the movie near time. So this is this is like Not.
Zach Sheets: an actual like adventure it was just like they were shooting a the movie that they were like pitching at the beginning. like it's It was the Bugs Daffy movie. because like all the set all sets like collapse it's like it turns to the green screen and so it's it like oh yeah this is all none of this is real
Chris Prime: Do you think some of it was real and they turned it into a movie or this was all just like. A movie within a movie. during the pitch like it should really go back to the boardroom and then like You know, like.
Chris Prime: Yup. Daffy going, uh -huh, right? Good movie, huh?
Zach Sheets: All right.
Chris Prime: And then this the executive's going, no. And that's how the movie ends. so It not doing well just proves how bad Daffy's idea was.
Zach Sheets: Or it should have just been, like, everyone kind of, like, Steve Martin comes back, I was like, hey, great great show, like, great movie, guys, we rapped. Like, everyone everyone just comes back, I was like, now they're just, like, actors.
Chris Prime: yeah i i would have liked to see barn coming out going was it too much like like yeah but people will love it he goes okay like you know A nice wink at the end. Because it tries to do that, but it's like you're just like, thank God it's over. know you're You're so exhausted.
Zach Sheets: Well, we get the big the big Brendan Fraser joke, which like earlier... Brendan Fraser, DJ, is like... Oh yeah, I was Brendan Fraser's stunt double on The Mummy movies.
Zach Sheets: And I'm actually in the more than Brendan Fraser. And then like, when they revealed that all this is a movie. Brendan Fraser's there, so I guess he was starring in the movie. movie? Or something. I don't know.
Zach Sheets: Yeah. But like it's like it's like Brendan Fraser's, it's like... Uh, This. Like. like a hold it's like fires people constantly doesn't do anything
Chris Prime: Well, he's there for probably close -ups or whatever.
Zach Sheets: Yeah. very he's yeah he's like a very like hollywood like a -hole and then like brenda like DJ Brendan Fraser punches him in the face.
Zach Sheets: and then And then Bugs drives off and he's like, hey, definite yeah we're partners now. But then he like goes to the limo and drives away. And then Daffy gets crushed by the classic Looney Tunes side.
Zach Sheets: So yeah, and then then that's that's that's it. and then there's there is a There's a weird after credits scene where it's just like a bonus scene from the casino. Sequence. Like, after Chris, there's another little bit of Daffy running around like a slot machine, like, pulling the... jackpot but it turns like it's like bombs and it blows up the two like cowboy henchmen guys.
Chris Prime: Henchmen. Yeah, it just feels like they just filmed it. They edited this, took so much of like proud of it. So they just threw it in at the end.
Zach Sheets: Here's the lead scene.
Chris Prime: Like, it's supposed to be like a Jackie Chan thing, like a leftover from... Spy Jam?
Zach Sheets: Spidey. Yeah.
Chris Prime: They should have just, like... poorly digitally edit in like rush hour. footage. Just like...
Zach Sheets: Hmm.
Chris Prime: Do you hear the words coming out of my mouth? and Do you understand what's going on in my mouth? just like poorly edit it just like the Michael Jordan cameo where it's like. a different film grain.
Zach Sheets: i would like to see some more like uh like fake posters during the credits or just like you know damien drake movies or Did you notice in... When they're in Paris, there's like all these like Jerry Lewis posters.
Chris Prime: Yeah, yeah. I think it's a joke because... like Warner brother produced a lot of Jerry Lewis movies. And that's where the idea is that. The French love Jerry Lewis.
Zach Sheets: there
Chris Prime: Because for some weird reason... They love the American clown. Jerry Lewis.
Chris Prime: I get it. That's like a... You have to kind of know that. if if you don't
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: understand who Jerry Lewis was or... that like the French like Jerry Lewis. To the point where when I went to France, like... They're comedy. Like, that's why it's it's like.
Chris Prime: they slowly just got comedy if not it's just like jerry lewis like mannerisms and like Bafoonery.
Chris Prime: Paris specifically. I went to Paris. Ugh. Oh. By the way. When you go to Paris now. You can't get that close to the Eiffel Tower. There are barriers. and like if you were to to like try to sit and see a nice like scenic view, a cafe.
Chris Prime: There are like. There's like a train in front of you.
Zach Sheets: Oh, and like the like I've seen pictures, like the Mona Lisa 2 is less like... du Like... It like doesn't even look... it's not even the same like layout and it's like it's like it isn't it's like it's one separate room and it's just like it's like a wall of people in front of you.
Chris Prime: Yup.
Zach Sheets: And it's also like insanely tiny.
Chris Prime: you know it's not as big as you think it is because the portrait is like the size of like a regular Like. Uh, like... legal sized paper. document.
Chris Prime: And then there's so much protection on it to keep like, you know, it's sealed and. To prevent, like, theft, that it's basically like... bolted into... the wall End.
Chris Prime: you just... Yeah, everyone's there. And you pretty much have to like... Wait your turn. fight your way to the queue to get in front of it. i didn't I didn't go to the loo. I was just like. No, not during the holiday season.
Chris Prime: it's not worth it
Zach Sheets: Mm hmm.
Zach Sheets: to get like a like a like a shot of you like you have to hold your phone over the crowd trying to get a picture of the Mona Lisa
Chris Prime: Yeah. it could be like hey they Remember when they filmed... Uh, DaVinci Code end sequence here. So cool.
Zach Sheets: mm -hmm
Chris Prime: And then. No. nah Go to Vegas. Go to where Yosemite Sands.
Zach Sheets: Mm.
Chris Prime: fake casino is it's a real casino you can just go you could lose money there
Zach Sheets: But yeah, so LinkedIn's back in action. i I mean, I still... prefer stage jam just because it's like it's like burned into my dna because i watched it so much as a kid and i'd like the soundtrack was less like i listened to it constantly
Zach Sheets: I still need to see... I haven't seen... The day the earth is stupid. Which is like the the other like kind of like more like traditional news movie that came out before. Cody versus Zach me.
Chris Prime: Oh, I have heard. I wanted to see it. Yeah, I just didn't see it yet.
Zach Sheets: ive forget yeah I've heard that's like really good too. then like i and then Definitely need to see Coyote Beamers deck me at some point soon here.
Zach Sheets: hopefully it does well then hopefully that kind of like proves that like you should you shouldn't Uh, Kind of like throwaway movies just for tax write -off purposes.
Chris Prime: Especially a Looney Tunes movie. Because even if they do terrible, sometimes over time they find an audience or they appreciate the small details about it. which we do we do appreciate the small details about this movie but It's not exactly like, let's watch this again.
Zach Sheets: Yeah. Yeah, there's there's there's there's some really so funny bits. like I appreciate like the sci -fi aliens. that gets showcased. The Louvre scene is like amazing. I would love like a full 10 -50 minute sequence that's just like Like.
Zach Sheets: He's jumping through paintings.
Zach Sheets: But yeah, but I think this kind of like didn't appear in movies till, you know. recently like they kind of like went back to to being on TV like a... All shows.
Zach Sheets: Although, a lot of lot those... reboots were kind of like not not great What was that one that was like the lunatics and they were like superheroes?
Chris Prime: They're edgy.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: I think I've heard like... What was that? The Looney Tunes show? They started in 2011. I heard it was pretty good.
Chris Prime: Yeah, yeah, it's it's more meta -aware. And it's sort of like... An adult version, but not too edgy. Like, they're just like...
Zach Sheets: and
Chris Prime: They have like real. dialogue, but it's like... They all try to be like Kevin Smith characters.
Zach Sheets: yeah
Zach Sheets: Yeah, i think I think most... most like i think Warner Bros. kind of purged a lot of it from HBO Max, but I think it's all on Tubi now, or like if a lot of it's on Tubi.
Chris Prime: the Which one?
Zach Sheets: Like, like, the Looney Tunes show, and I think a lot some of the classic Looney Tunes stuff is on 2B2. Because... Yeah, for whatever reason, like they I guess it was like... April. Better financially for them to get rid of it on HBO Max and then sell it to Tubi and like license it to Tubi so they get money from Tubi.
Zach Sheets: Stream it.
Chris Prime: So weird. Hey. I guess his only problem is that... If I owned a streaming service, I would have, but right from the outside, I just hate that I have to like hunt down. Looney Tunes products from a Warner Brothers streaming service.
Zach Sheets: Yeah. Like one one of the things that like create like create your entire studio is like get it get Get this crap off our streaming service.
Chris Prime: This is not making me triple money. Get out of here.
Zach Sheets: but yes I think that'll wrap it up for this week. Come back next week. where we talk about Universal Soldier, because we got we got the... Definitely it seems like it's very inspired by Universal Soldier Onslaught hitting theaters, the new Adam Wingard movie.
Zach Sheets: It's also like apparently in like the same universe as The Guest.
Zach Sheets: So let's see how that that movie we connects to that movie, but also talk about one of our one of our favorites, the... that you... self -lungering Jean -Claude Van Damme. Their first major team up. Or, I guess, battle.
Zach Sheets: And, uh, head over, you just left there. We got. News reviews, trailers. I got a review of Mutiny. If you want to read my review of that movie. which is a. Absolutely straight down the barrel. Exactly what you expect it to be, Jason Nathan movie.
Zach Sheets: and we And we also have our monthly commentary up right now. It's a Carnosaur because we had a couple of dinosaur movies this month. So we watched another classic dinosaur movie. Also, Roger Corman, you know he was...
Zach Sheets: Cameo in this movie in Louis Tunes in Detroit. proofs of that movie There's your connection. Yeah, you can stick up Carnotaur and watch that with us. And then also our... Monthly video game review. uh is or should be up soon as well so check all that stuff out on the site And, yes, for Chris, I'm Zach, and we will see you next week.
