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At the risk of offending everyone right out of the gate, I was never a big Looney Tunes fan. I understand why it's funny and have absolutely laughed at it, but slapstick and silliness aren't my favorite style of comedy, so "Coyote vs. Acme" by director Dave Green wasn't really on my radar. But after Ketchup Entertainment rescued the film from being permanently deleted, I knew I had to give it a watch. Somehow, the story that the movie tells, which is already both entertaining and inspiring, is bolstered by the journey that the film itself took to be made.
Kevin Avery (Will Forte) is a lawyer who handles the claims of cartoons. If a product malfunctions and the client is injured, he could get a small settlement from Acme. When Coyote brings him an enormous pile of problems that he has encountered over the years in his quest to catch Road Runner (Eric Bauza), he demands that Kevin try something harder than he ever has, by making him go against Buddy Crane (John Cena) and the mega-corporation of Acme. This case will not only find justice for Coyote, but perhaps for all of the cartoons who have suffered endlessly under Acme's thumb.
"Coyote vs. Acme" is as crammed full of jokes as the box of evidence that Coyote brings to Kevin, and honestly, most of them land. I found myself laughing throughout the showing, both at the verbal and visual gags. There is a scene between Tweet Bird and John Cena that still makes me giggle to think about. As funny as it was, there was still a really fantastic message about the importance of perseverance, even in seemingly impossible situations. The humor is the hook, but the message is what makes this something special.
The performances in the movie are all incredibly well done. There is a saying that human performers acting with The Muppets need to decide if they are Muppets or if the Muppets are serious actors, and I think the same can be said for Looney Tunes characters. And in this movie, people seem to lean into playing their roles as cartoons, and it works. Forte and Cena are both fantastic, but the supporting cast is also great, with a special note to Luis Guzmán as the judge in the case, and P.J. Byrne as Cena's assistant.
Because it's a combination live-action/animated movie, there's always the question of how the two elements will play together. I am happy to report that it looks remarkably natural. "Coyote vs. Acme" also draws on Looney Tunes’ long history of classical music, with plenty of it in the film, including a fantastic Road Runner version of the 1812 Overture.
This movie was very clearly made with a deep love of the cartoons and the characters. But even as someone who doesn't have the affection for the source that others do, "Coyote vs. Acme" is an absolutely delightful time at the movies. With any luck, we won't have to say, "That's all, folks!" to these characters any time soon.
Alise Chaffins is a freelance and Tomatometer-approved film critic.