Coyote vs. Acme Review: From Tax Write-Off to Looney Tunes Love Letter

Courtesy of Ketchup Entertainment

After being shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery for a tax write-off back in 2023, Coyote vs. Acme is finally out, directed by Dave Green and starring Will Forte and John Cena alongside Looney Tunes characters Wile E. Coyote, Foghorn Leghorn, Road Runner, and others, mostly voiced by Looney Tunes voice actor Eric Bauza. Similar to Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Space Jam, and Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Coyote vs. Acme is a live-action animated movie, a fusion of animation and live action. The plot of the movie is that Wile E. Coyote enlists the help of a lawyer he saw in an ad to sue Acme after having too many accidents involving Acme products. Back in November 2023, despite being completed, Warner Bros. originally preferred not to release the movie and instead claim a tax loss of $30 million. Warner Bros. had done this a year earlier with Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Hunt. Not only were fans outraged, but directors, talent representatives, and those who worked with animation were outraged too. At test screenings, the movie got praise, and the director himself said he loved Looney Tunes and his desire to honor these characters.

Warner Bros. reversed its decision and decided to allow the movie to be distributed by another studio. Several studios had interest, but Warner Bros. had high bidding prices that made studios reluctant to buy. At one point, Coyote vs. Acme almost got canceled again. Many in the industry pushed for Coyote vs. Acme to be released, including Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who saw the movie themselves and loved it. Finally, on March 19, 2025, it was announced that Ketchup Entertainment, which had just come off distributing another Looney Tunes movie, The Day the Earth Blew Up, purchased Coyote vs. Acme for $50 million. The team behind the movie and the fans won.

Thank cinema that Coyote vs. Acme was saved because it is an incredible, funny movie. For fans of Looney Tunes cartoons, especially the classic Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoons, this is a love letter to them. The nods and references felt earned and worked into the movie’s story. There are so many funny moments that not only kids will love, but adults too. It’s easy to tell that this was a movie made by people who love Looney Tunes. It never dumbs things down and feels like a movie anyone can watch. The courtroom stuff is never boring and manages to be interesting and entertaining.

Wile E. Coyote is the main Looney Tunes character of Coyote vs. Acme, and despite never speaking, using signs and pictures to communicate, he has the perfect combination of entertainment while being a character with heart. Despite his sinister intentions in getting the Road Runner, he still feels like a compelling character that we wish would win his lawsuit against Acme. His growing friendship with Will Forte’s character Kevin, the lawyer he wants representing him in the case, was the heart of the movie. Road Runner himself provides an emotional scene towards the end and gives audiences a new perspective on the two characters. As for Kevin, he’s a lawyer afraid of failure, which is the perfect dynamic with Wile, a character who suffered so many failures but never quits.

The antagonists are Foghorn Leghorn, who is an executive for Acme, and John Cena’s character Buddy Crane, a lawyer for Acme who has a rivalry with Kevin going back to law school. These two are the perfect egotistical, loudmouth villains who think they can get away with their dangerous Acme products harming other toons. They are probably the most realistic characters of the movie, as many of us know loudmouth jerks who believe they could do whatever they want as long as they have money and power. Eric Bauza provides the voice of Leghorn and other Looney Tunes, including Bugs Bunny, who was revealed in the trailers to play a whistleblower, and does so well, giving each character he voices a unique, different voice. Speaking of which, Bugs being the whistleblower works so well. There are other Looney Tunes characters and cameos from Daffy Duck to Dr. Lorre, each playing a significant role.

The 2D animation style of the Looney Tunes looks great and is proof that 2D animation could still look great on the big screen. For a comedy courtroom movie, Coyote vs. Acme avoids being predictable in the directions it goes. There is a fun and interesting mystery about what really goes on with Acme that builds interest and delivers when it’s resolved. It has a hilarious way of delivering a message on taking risks and accepting the strong possibility of losing and taking a stand against powerful figures and companies without being preachy and talking down to its audience. I never thought a movie involving Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner could have a couple of emotional moments involving them, yet Coyote vs. Acme did and did it well. The Looney Tunes action is hilarious and over the top, but manages to fit in perfectly.

Overall, Coyote vs. Acme is the best live-action animated movie since Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It manages to be funny and clever at the same time. It has hilarious performances from the actors, like Will Forte and John Cena to the voice actors. The Looney Tunes references will put a smile on fans’ faces. It’s a shame WB had no faith in this movie, as fans and critics love it. Between Coyote vs. Acme and The Day the Earth Blew Up, there should be more Looney Tunes movies for theaters, and WB should embrace animation more. It’s funny how relatable the plot of Coyote vs. Acme is to the real-life situation it dealt with. My final grade for Coyote vs Acme is an A-. It’s a movie worth seeing in theaters that anyone could enjoy, and with summer winding down, if you have kids and want to take them to a movie before they go back to school, I recommend Coyote vs. Acme. If you love Looney Tunes, I recommend seeing this one.

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