. . . is explored by Warner Bros.' Looney Tuners in this Porky Pig\Sylvester Cat vehicle, JUMPIN' JUPITER. Aliens have been profusely preying particularly upon Americans since our Colonial Days. From the Roanoke Village to Judge Crater, from Ambrose Bierce to Jimmy Hoffa, U.S. Citizens have been vanishing left and right. While many currently wish Donald J. Trump or Hillary R. Clinton--preferably, BOTH--are kidnapped to Another Dimension soon, JUMPIN' JUPITER teaches us that being TAKEN is no laughing matter. Porky and pet are transported to that Big Bully of a Planet with just the fur (or pork rinds) on their backs. Not speaking a word of Jupidity or possessing any assets beyond their Juju Rover vehicle, the outlook for the purloined pair seems grim. Plucky Porky seems to be as clueless as an American Olympic Swimmer in a Brazilian Bathroom, while Sylvester wonders how long it will take America to crack down on Felonious Illegal Aliens, such as the ones always trying to molest Sigourney Weaver.

Chuck Jones and Looney Tunes always promise much, and Jumpin' Jupiter with its unique premise did so too. As a cartoon, it lives up to the promise it had. The ending is rather abrupt and didn't seem as though it had much of a pay-off. However, Jumpin' Jupiter is really beautifully-designed, the backgrounds and vibrant yet atmospheric colours are very Chuck Jones. Carl Stalling's music is also splendid, there's his distinctive jaunty and sumptuous orchestration and it is also very mysterious-sounding, great for something set in space. The writing is witty and clever, and while the gags are somewhat familiar they are still funny. It's the expressions of the characters though where most of the humour works so well with Sylvester's horror and Porky's increased annoyance. Porky and Sylvester work very well together, though their rapport was even stronger in Scaredy Cat, which I slightly preferred as a cartoon too. Sylvester is a character I've always preferred over Porky, and here he is very likable with material that plays to his strengths, it is very easy to feel sorry for him too. Porky varies with me, with characters like Daffy and Sylvester he works well but he can be a little bland on his own. He is fine here though and I do love how he calmly says "Sylvester, get off of me, or I shall kill you". The alien, which I recognised from Hare-Way to the Stars(I know that was made later, I just saw it before this), is a good foil. Mel Blanc continues to give bravura vocal characterisations. To conclude, really great and close to perfection if the ending was better rounded off. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I have very fond memories of this one, although I haven't seen it for a good 25 years. It's weird that of all the great WB cartoons, this one one hasn't seen a UK TV broadcast since about 1975! And I've been watching out for it!!Things to enjoy: Porky and Sylvester experiencing a spectacular alien abduction scenario that even Chris Carter would hesitate to portray; a terrific 'space-score' by Carl Stalling which includes a beautifully epic arrangement of Raymond Scott's 'Powerhouse' music; the disturbing sight of a terrified, dumb-struck Sylvester realizing that he and the pig have been whisked off to an alien planet while Porky remains totally and blissfully oblivious to the the fact.Great!Love to see it again.

Another great Chuck Jones short of the 1950s, and another in which Porky Pig and (here, his pet cat) Sylvester go on a trip and face disaster, unknown to Porky. A lot like his earlier 'Claws For Alarm' (1954), in which the twosome stay at a hotel inhabited by evil (satanic?) mice.