Duck Dodgers In The 24 1/2 Century (1953) *****

George Lucas' favorite cartoon, a great tongue-in-cheek parody/tribute to the Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon sci-fi serials. The film stars Daffy Duck as the title character and Porky Pig as an "eager space cadet", much smarter than his captain. Together, they find a mysterious planet X, which contains a precious mineral used for shaving creams. Unfortunately, Marvin Martian arrives there as well, claiming the planet for Mars. A hilarious conflict ensues, complete with an ultimatum dispatcher (a gun that fires bullets carrying written messages) and an ultimatum answerer (which fires bullets only). At the end, Daffy wins and takes possession of the planet, which unfortunately has been blown to pieces, shrinking in size to a single rock. The visuals are superb.