Directed by Dave Green, Coyote vs. ACME follows the insane underdog journey of famous Looney Tunes icon, Wile E. Coyote. After decades of endless physical pain and failed gadgetry in pursuit of the Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote decides he has had enough and hires a down-on-his-luck human billboard lawyer, Kevin Avery (Will Forte), to sue the monolithic ACME Corporation for its defective, catastrophic products. What starts as a simple personal injury and product liability claim evolves into a larger legal thriller as Kevin and Wile E. dig deeper to uncover a sweeping corporate conspiracy and a hidden, corrupt history within ACME Corporation itself.
Never did I think I would be here reviewing this film, as it has been on quite the journey to get to the big screen in what can be best described as a true underdog story against a massive corporation that directly parallels the plot of the film. Coyote vs. ACME was a fully completed film that was unfairly cancelled from being released by Warner Bros, whose alleged reason was to claim an estimated $30 million to $40 million tax write-off. This sudden move sparked a major industry backlash that had filmmakers, actors, animation outlets, talent representatives, and general audiences bring the hammer down upon Warner Bros and force the studio to reverse course and allow the film to be shopped. It was eventually sold to Ketchup Entertainment for a theatrical release, and now it has finally gotten the chance to be seen by the public despite all the odds it had faced.
I was eager to see this film not just because of my nostalgic love for Looney Tunes or the hilarious premise but for the fact it was a film that deserved to be supported on the big screen as it was clearly created by dedicated artists and passionate storytellers instead of being some soulless corporate cash grab made by talentless morons to flex IPs, looking at you Space Jam: A New Legacy. I got the chance to see it at a special early screening, and I am happy to say that this film absolutely rocks! Coyote vs. ACME is an inspiringly fun and phenomenal David vs. Goliath story that sees one of the most beloved and persistent cartoon misfits take on the most iconic cartoon corporations. It is a wonderful mixture of courtroom drama, absurdist slapstick comedy, and highly relevant corporate satire that follows in the footsteps of classics like Who Framed Roger Rabbit while simultaneously being a heartwarming love letter to the history of Looney Tunes.
Bringing in most of the heart and laughs of this film is the insanely talented cast of Looney Tunes and live-action characters that make this film a joy to watch due to their performances. Spearheading it for both sides is the titular Wile E. Coyote and his new human friend Kevin Avery. Staying true to the character’s roots, Wile E. Coyote doesn’t say a single word throughout the entire film, only communicating through his signature handwritten signs and beautifully animated expressions that give us the most emotionally compelling version of the character made in the 77 years he has existed.
The Wile E. Coyote shorts were always my favorite growing up, and while I was always aware that he was a mischievous predator that was trying to eat the beloved Roadrunner, I always felt sorry for him when he kept failing to capture Roadrunner and getting hilariously screwed by the gadgets he acquired to complete his one goal in life. That emotional attachment to him feels radically amplified by this film, where we see his relentless determination, despite repeated failures, be explored in a unique journey that makes us feel more for him as a character. He is still very funny with his slapstick antics and injuries that he gets involved in, but you also do feel a genuine heartfelt connection with him that I believe a lot of people will find relatable, as I did.
Sharing a somewhat similar journey with him is his down-and-out lawyer Kevin Avery, who is given a hilarious and heartfelt performance by Will Forte. Will Forte fully commits to the comedic absurdity of the plot and the world he is involved in, similar to Bob Hoskins in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, resulting in a highly lovable loser of a character that we get to see rise up to be better after taking Wile E. Coyote’s case and witnessing his relentless determination. The two make an unlikely duo that equally deliver tons of heart and humor on their journey together in the battle against ACME.
Joining them is Lana Condor as Paige Avery, Kevin’s niece and employee of Kevin’s firm, who offers a lot of heart in her performance, making for a lovable side character in such a crazy film alongside others who work in the same firm.
Representing the ACME corporation and the primary villains of the film are Buddy Crane, played by John Cena, and Foghorn Leghorn, voiced by Eric Bauza. John Cena is having the time of his life playing a super cynical and casually cruel lawyer for ACME that is equally menacing and hilarious due to his straight man performance. He knows what kind of film he is in and commits to the role and premise 100%, making for a highly entertaining character. Foghorn Leghorn is usually not considered a full-on villain in his history in Looney Tunes but he has on occasion been bossy, arrogant, and a bit of a bully in some of his shorts, so transitioning him into an antagonistic corporate role as an executive for the ACME corporation isn’t that much of a departure for the character. He’s very pompous and self-absorbed, much like he was in the shorts, but has now become even more malicious, making for an entertaining but scarily relevant corporate bad guy.
Plenty of other Looney Tunes characters make their appearance in this film, all voiced amazingly by their respective cast members, and they all play fun roles in this wild story, including the iconic Bugs Bunny, voiced amazingly by Eric Bauza, who acts as an underground whistleblower for ACME in this film that feels like a clever parody of Mr. X from Oliver Stone’s JFK.
The film’s narrative, written by several writers including James Gunn, mixes several genres together to bring to life a crazy underdog story that is packed full of heart, humor, and a fascinating commentary on capitalism and corporate greed. This film might be focused on cartoon characters involved with slapstick violence and comedy in a legal drama setting, but it wasn’t afraid to fully dive into highly relevant Pro-Consumer and Anti-Corporation themes that scarily reflect things going on right now in our own world, with people battling corporations that have damaged their livelihoods or have caused living beings harm in the path to “innovation for the greater good”.
This film wasn’t afraid to poke the corporate bear in a lot of ways and go on full offense after every major corporate entity in existence was represented through ACME, which I now fully believe is the real reason why Warner Bros tried to cancel this film. Corporations and the current administration would hate and fear this film, while audiences would be inspired by it to never give up in the face of overwhelming odds and fight against corrupted institutions that think they have all the power over us. There are certainly a lot of personal themes and messages this film’s story will offer on its own along with classic Looney Tunes entertainment, but it’s very clear what this film was aiming to do and why the moronic anti-art executives of Warner Bros tried so desperately to bury it only to be met with the adversity of industry artists and the general public. The film’s story is amazing on its own, but it really feels amplified by the controversy surrounding its release, making me love it even more.
The film blends live-action footage with computer-generated Looney Tunes characters that retain their classic, old-school animated aesthetic making for a beautiful artistic hybrid film that feels just as masterfully crafted as Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I found that many films that tried to capture the visual magic of Who Framed Roger Rabbit never really understood the ingenuity or charm of what made it so special and unique, resulting in rather lazy effects being put on screen that don’t mesh well with live action at all. To me Space Jam, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, and Space Jam: A New Legacy all failed to have any care for the craft of animation blended with live action, but that is where Coyote vs. ACME differs immensely. The two mediums are blended together seamlessly with a great amount of effort and detail given to the animation portions of the film, including for the characters, the action, the gags, and the visuals. It all feels like it was made by patient and passionate hands with no visual effect eyesores in sight, which I was majorly happy with.
The cinematography for this film looks stellar, as do the practical sets that are used for some fun practical gags. Composer Steven Price amplifies the wacky tone of this film with a great score that includes fun renditions of classical music and tunes used in the original shorts, but giving it more power and impact for the big screen.
Coyote vs. ACME is a truly wonderful, hilarious, and important film that I am so glad was not lost to us forever because it was absolutely worth watching. It’s a passionately made film that deserved to be saved from being stuffed in some corporate vault, and it absolutely deserves to have support from audiences, especially from those who love true art and the Looney Tunes when they are done right. If you were among the many who spoke up in support of this film, now is the time to show up and prove to Warner Bros why they made a terrible mistake trying to cancel this film. I’m going to give Coyote vs. ACME an A = 97.
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