'Coyote Vs. Acme' is the Movie we're all Roadrunning Toward - Review
'Coyote vs. Acme' is a wonderfully chaotic, looney adventure that proves Wile E. Coyote was never meant for The Dip.
“Coyote vs. Acme,” the resurrected project distributed by Ketchup Entertainment after being saved from Warner Bros.’ dipping attempt to write off the animated feature as a loss, much like the Mel Brooks classic “The Producers,” is a movie that needs to be seen twice. Its rapid fire one-liners come flying at you so fast that you will miss the second joke while still laughing at the first.
Ian Frazier inspired all of this based on his sketch books from 1990 and 36 years later, it has all come full circle. What once looked destined for the corporate scrap heap has instead become a joyful celebration of Looney Tunes, proving that sometimes the best things in life are the ones that refuse to stay deleted.
Principal photography for “Coyote vs. Acme,” began on March 28, 2022, taking a left turn into Albuquerque, NM. Director Dave Green chose the city that is situated along Route 66 for its dramatic scenery and desert landscapes but also its longstanding connection to Looney Tunes via Bugs Bunny’s 1945 classic, “Herr meets Hare.” The city’s Wile E. Coyote credentials get even better when you consider that New Mexico’s official state bird is Geococcyx californianus, better known as the Greater Roadrunner. If that is not kizmet, I do not know what is.
Those real locations give the film a wonderful texture, allowing Green to make the live action feel embedded within the classic Looney Tunes 2D characters as they bounce right into the world alongside their human co stars. The result is a delightful marriage of old school cartoon magic and modern filmmaking wizardry.
Full disclosure, if “Coyote vs. Acme,” had been released as intended in 2023, it would not have the cultural impact it has now. The campaign became fan and cast driven, especially thanks to Eric Bauza, the voice of Bugs Bunny, Tweety, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, along with Candi Milo, the voice of Witch Hazel, Granny and Miss Prissy. What destined to have the ending of 1957’s, “Show Biz Bugs” soon became a reminder that the united voice of the masses outweigh corporate dividends.
We go wild for Wile E. as the film walks a wonderfully wobbly line between family comedy and noir mystery. John Cena as Buddy Crane lets his natural heel personality shine, playing the corporate straightman with just the right amount of smugness. His nemesis, the perpetually underachieving and thoroughly battered Kevin Avery, played by Will Forte, teams with his niece Paige Avery, played by Lana Condor, to take on Mr. Coyote’s case as he sues Acme over its faulty equipment in his never ending pursuit of the Roadrunner.
Naturally, things get a little more complicated. Conspiracies unfold, a prominent scientist goes missing and suddenly the case is about much more than a coyote getting bonked by one Acme product after another. The mystery adds just enough intrigue without ever losing the wonderfully goofy spirit at the heart of the story.
David Green pays tremendous respect to Chuck Jones, Tex Avery and the animators who came before him while bringing their storytelling sensibilities into the 21st century…especially when all the character surnames belong to influential animators of the early days (Martha Kelly as Dottie Jones and Tone Bell as Sam Maltese, as added proof). The technology has evolved but the soul remains wonderfully old fashioned. “Coyote vs. Acme,” visual storytelling outshines 2003’s “Looney Tunes: Back in Action” and “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” by remembering that the characters themselves are the stars while the humans are the window dressing.
Academy Award nominated Samy Burch proves that a good writer can tell any story when the vision is clear. The screenplay understands that Wile E. Coyote can be mo than the punchline. He can be funny, sympathetic, determined and surprisingly heartfelt while still being the same wonderfully stubborn genius who refuses to admit that perhaps the Roadrunner has the upper hand.
“Coyote vs. Acme,” might not be, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” when it comes to a beloved classic, but it is definitely a strong second. It is humorous, visually inventive and full of genuine affection for the characters. Most importantly, it is a Looney Tunes movie made by people who understand why generations continue to love these Warner Bros. characters, even if Warner Bros. themselves have forgotten why.
So go wild for Wile E. Coyote. Go wild for Acme. And see “Coyote vs. Acme,” twice because somewhere between the first laugh and the second joke, there is probably another joke waiting to bonk you on the head.
“Coyote vs. Acme,” comes to theaters from Ketchup Entertainment on Friday, August, 28, 2026.
4.25 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¼