For years I've been waiting, waiting, waiting for a DVD presentation like this. I've been waiting so long that perhaps I'm the wrong guy to review this long-awaited boxed set of classic Looney Tunes. Maybe someone less enamored with the greatest cartoons ever made would raise issues regarding the cartoon shorts selected for this collection; after all, selecting only 56 cartoons from the hundreds of classics in the Warner vaults is akin to picking the ten best Beatles songs...it's an impossible task. As for me, this is the Star Wars of boxed sets, even if seven hours worth of these cartoons isn't nearly enough to be considered comprehensive.

There are four discs in this set. The first one consists of 14 cartoon shorts featuring Bugs Bunny, while the second disc includes an equal number of cartoons that star Daffy Duck and/or Porky Pig. Discs three and four feature 28 'toons that, more or less, highlight various other Looney Tunes stars, including Foghorn Leghorn, Wile E. Coyote, Sylvester & Tweety, Pepe Le Pew and Speedy Gonzalez, as well as a few one-off shorts starring characters who didn't appear in too many other films. While this set wisely focuses on what is considered to be the classic era of Looney Tunes (the 40s and 50s), many classic shorts are glaringly absent. But then, I don't think this set wasn't designed to be a definitive collection of Looney Tunes. The absence of such shorts as "One Froggy Evening," "Birds Anonymous," "Ali Baba Bunny," and "Knighty Knight Bugs" (some of which won Academy Awards), hint that perhaps this collection is the first of many boxed sets to come. Here's hoping, since this one features only one Road Runner cartoon.

All the cartoons are presented in their original theatrical 1.33:1 aspect ratio, before the days of widescreen. As for the quality of the picture...for the most part, it's great. The colors are as bright and vibrant as I've ever seen them, and there's little grain in most of the cartoons. There are many glaring scratches and blemishes present in several of these shorts, but that's simply due to their age, not the quality of this transfer. The soundtrack of each cartoon is digitally remastered in its original mono format (no thundering 5.1 surround, here). While the sound won't exactly give for home theater system much of a workout, the music, effects and dialogue are crystal clear, with no hissing or distortion.

Spread out through all four discs are a lot of special features, most of which will be of special appeal to Looney Tunes fans. Disc one has the most extras, including the bonus cartoon, Blooper Bunny, a fake (and quite funny) behind-the-scenes look at the making of Bugs' 51st anniversary, excerpts from the films, My Dream is Yours & Two Guys from Texas, in which Bugs makes cameo appearances, transitional segments from the original Bugs Bunny Show, which originally appeared on television, audio-only recordings of Mel Blanc in the studio, and trailers for some of Looney Tunes theatrical retrospectives. Also on disc one is A Greeting from Chuck Jones, in which the late, great animator offers his take on the influence of the Looney Tunes on American culture; this feature is a tad depressing, as it features Jones toward the end of his life...and it shows. Also included is a very interesting 1975 documentary, The Boys from Termite Terrace, featuring a lot of interviews, anecdotes and insights from Jones (who is quite candid of his opinion regarding Warner Brothers' decision to shut-down their animation department in the early 60s), Friz Freling, Bob Clampett, Mel Blanc et al. This documentary is split over discs one and two. Throughout the four discs are numerous Behind the Tunes featurettes, which focus on individual classic characters and feature comments by various historians, animators, and individuals involved with their creation, as well as featurettes about Carl Stalling and Mel Blanc. Also included are a lot of stills and sketches, plus assorted audio commentary of some cartoons by various individuals, such as historian Michael Barrier, filmmaker Greg Ford (who directed many latter-day Looney Tunes shorts, including Blooper Bunny), actor Stan Freberg (who assumed voice duties for many characters, including the recent theatrical feature Looney Tunes: Back in Action). There are also segments from Cartoon Network's outstanding series, Toon Heads, which offers historical background and long-forgotten shorts, and an extensive hour-long documentary, The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, which chronicles the history of the Warner Brothers animation. In short, this boxed set features tons of extras fans are sure to get a kick out of. My only complaint would be that all these extras should have been put on a fifth supplementary disc, rather than spread out over the four that are here.

Warner Brothers has put together a great initial compilation of their cartoon shorts, but one can only hope this is the first of many, since so many classics are conspicuously missing. Still, what is included is terrific, and as a die-hard fan, I'm thankful that any of the these cartoons are finally available. Seven hours of Looney Tunes may not be enough, but at least it's a start.