By John Corrado
It’s hard to review Coyote vs. Acme without first talking about the long, strange journey that the film has been on to actually reach theatres.
After it was completed in 2023, Warner Bros. made the controversial (and quite frankly shameful) decision to not release it, and instead permanently shelve the film as a tax write-off. What ensued was a passionate response from fans to save the film, with the studio eventually relenting and selling it off, allowing small distributor Ketchup Entertainment to step in and secure the rights.
This backstory is worth talking about for a few reasons. First, the corporate battle that put Coyote vs. Acme in legal limbo dovetails quite nicely with the themes of the film itself, which finds classic cartoon character Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme corporation for their faulty products.
Second, it’s impossible to watch the finished film and see why anyone would deem it unworthy of being released. A hybrid of live-action and animation in the same vein as 1990s classic Space Jam and 2003’s Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Coyote vs. Acme is not only highly watchable, but also very good. It’s a very entertaining film that knows how to use the Looney Tunes IP, and bring them into our world with a smart and clever story.
The film centres around our mute protagonist Wile E. Coyote, who spends his days in the desert chasing but never catching the Road Runner, with his various elaborate attempts to catch and eat the bird all backfiring and blowing up in his face (often literally). A pair of malfunctioning rocket skates from the Acme catalogue are the final straw, and lead to him enlisting the help of Kevin Avery (Will Forte), a personal injury lawyer who specializes in representing cartoon characters.
Avery is used to cases involving Acme, and securing settlements for his clients. But Wile E. Coyote wants to take them to court for all their damages, forcing them into a tense legal battle with big shot Buddy Crane (John Cena), the tough as nails corporate layer working on behalf of Acme. From here, Coyote vs. Acme becomes a satirical take on the courtroom drama, one with a surprising amount of twists and turns, including an intriguing backstory involving the Acme Corporation that is set up in the opening flashback.
Forte, who seems tailor made to play the grizzled personal injury lawyer living out of a motel, provides a perfect foil to the cartoon coyote. Their dynamic together, including a running gag involving signs that help the non-speaking Wile E. communicate, provides the backbone of the film, and much of its heart as well. Cena has fun with his role as the unscrupulous lawyer. Lana Condor is also a bright spot of the human cast as Avery’s niece and intern Paige, who is excited to take the corporation to court.
Directed by Dave Green, working from a sharp and witty screenplay courtesy of Oscar-nominated writer Samy Burch (May December, Late Fame), Coyote vs. Acme works because it treats this material and these characters sincerely. There are a lot of loving nods to classic Looney Tunes, and some very funny moments tailored to longtime fans of these characters, including some fun cameo appearances along the way.
But the story is also surprisingly heartfelt, with its wonderfully Sisyphean themes about never giving up, even when up against impossible obstacles, providing a message that feels strangely meaningful. The film also does wonders turning the scheming Wile E. Coyote into a sympathetic lead, deepening him as a character – and his dynamic with the Road Runner – in a way that doesn’t feel forced.
Again, Coyote vs. Acme stands on its own as a very fun Looney Tunes movie, and would’ve done so as well if Warner Bros. had just released it themselves instead of trying to bury it. But knowing the film’s hard-fought journey to the big screen, which has allowed Ketchup to cheekily sell it as “the movie Acme doesn’t want you to see” (wink wink), only makes the themes about standing up to the man hit even harder. See this one in theatres if you can to support it.
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