“The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” surprised me. I expected yet another big screen misuse of the animated Warner Bros. characters I’ve loved since I was a kid. Outside of 2003′s “Looney Tunes: Back in Action,” and 1988′s “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” movies featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig have not done them justice.

Warner Bros. first began releasing animated shorts in the “Looney Tunes” franchise in the 1930s. Since then, the franchise has evolved, adding new characters and going from animated shorts to TV series to feature films.

Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes franchise is no stranger to the movies, as history has seen the property go from theatrical shorts to packaged presentations of previous cartoons, and now, live-action hybrids mark its most recent phase.