They say “judge not, lest ye be judged.” Those are strong words when it comes to life, especially when re-examining them through the struggles of Wile E. Coyote in the formerly cancelled film that is Coyote vs. Acme. A long in-development picture, the world almost didn’t get to see this live-action/CGI hybrid, thanks to business wranglings from its original business parent Warner Bros.
Somehow director Dave Green’s film made for a better tax write off than a theatrical release, which ultimately made the movie sound “unreleaseable.” That decision is a shame, as the finished product – distributing under the Looney Tunes friendly brand Ketchup Entertainment – is one of the funniest, most profound blockbusters of 2026, if not the last few years.
Coyote Vs. Acme is the hare apparent to Roger Rabbit’s legacy
Basing its exploits on Ian Frazier’s 1990 satirical essay of the same name, Coyote vs. Acme mashes up quite a few influences. Imagine Erin Brockovich, All The President’s Men, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? all meeting in a bar one night, and creating a Mad Libs fueled legal comedy. That’s the second simplest way to describe just why this movie works; save for just flat out saying it’s a classic Looney Tunes laugh riot from start to finish; filled with as many sight gags, cartoon cameos, and commentary on our modern, litigious world.
With writer Samy Burch working off of work from story writers James Gunn and Jeremy Slater, the latest attempt at mixing flesh and blood with ink and paint is definitely ready for a modern audience’s sensibilities. The Acme of Coyote vs. Acme is reminiscent of many corporate entities that make up our daily lives, with the obvious parallels to Warner Bros. only serving as a starker contrast in light of the studio’s recent years.
What makes it all work though is the fact that no one corporate entity is the sole target; nor does the satire at hand ever dilute the true heart of this story. At the center of Coyote vs. Acme’s razor sharp wit and cartoony shenanigans is a beating heart, and love for the underdog. Audiences probably aren’t expecting to cry over Wile E. Coyote, but that’s one of the many surprises this movie offers its viewers. Though it’s a film made in the moment, it isn’t prematurely dated to the point where it becomes future nostalgia bait.
Human performances balance Coyote vs. Acme’s cartoon hijinks, playing more like Back in Action than Space Jam
Though Coyote vs. Acme will still play to a wide variety of audiences, that accessibility doesn’t come at the cost of forgetting the type of movie this is. While the top notch human cast that includes the likes of Will Forte, Lana Condor, and John Cena certainly hold up their end of the action, that’s not at the expense of giving Warner Bros’ classic cartoon icons a thematic playground to run wild through.
In fact, the strength of the human performances in Coyote vs. Acme comes from the fact that everyone commits to the bit. Forte and Condor’s legal eagle angle perfectly couches the non-verbal Wile E. Coyote perfectly. The two performers weave a story of defending consumer rights in the name of the public trust into a fabric that includes the existence of portable holes.
Meanwhile, John Cena continues to sport a comic edge that takes to interacting with non-existing cartoons like second nature. A highlight of his character’s adversarial plotline is a confrontation in the desert, where Cena grills Tweety Bird for information while mocking his own unique way of speaking. The rest of the featured human cast are all standouts as well, as P.J. Byrne, Tone Bell, and Luis Guzman all round out the impressive roster; with Martha Kelly standing out as an MVP of deadpan deliveries so effective they generate as much laughter as the pratfalls.
Blockbuster season is almost over, so it’s clearly time for audiences to end the run with a bang. But if you’re someone who likes to go out laughing, Coyote vs. Acme is exactly the movie you should be making time to see in the theater.
Even pure comedy setpieces – like an official ACME sanctioned attempt to catch the Road Runner – provide a special set of fireworks. And with each elaborate gag that endangers a toon’s life, there’s a special energy and pacing that puts new spins on Wile E. plummeting to towards Earth, which turn that time tested bit into either an emotional rallying cry, or an even funnier moment of pain.
There’s no glossy sports biographies or edgy, marketing approved reboots here; nor is Wile cast with an A-list lead to voice him, in hopes of a ticket sale boost. Coyote vs. Acme takes full advantage of the opportunity to craft prime Looney Tunes gags in the land of the living – perfectly balancing the investments into toon and human stakes alike.
Coyote vs. Acme is snarky, but heartwarming lunacy that brings classic Looney Tunes laughter back to the screen
Simply put Coyote vs. Acme is a prime example of making a family friendly blockbuster that pushes the edge, while remembering to have fun. This is absolutely a PG-rated film, but in true Looney fashion the boundaries of what can and can’t be done are most beautifully put to the test. And really, that’s what this movie needs to be, in a world that seems to struggle with bringing characters like Bugs, Daffy, and even Pepe le Pew into the present day. (That last character makes for one of CvA’s best “blink and you’ll miss it” punchlines.)
The classic Looney Tunes shorts were never meant to merely play as children’s entertainment. Somewhere along the line in the almost 100 year history of those cartoons, prevailing attitudes saw animation as mostly the domain of sanitized entertainment; reducing the sly commentary, celebrity impressions, and borderline dark humor that characters like Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner usually engage in.
Coyote vs. Acme is another huge step towards bringing that sort of humor back to the table, and it succeeds with flying colors. It’s because of its love and honor towards this looney legacy that the more heartwarming angle works even better, as Wile E.’s struggle to succeed in the face of a corporate monolith is similar to the history of the Looney Tunes franchise’s struggles to be itself.
Blockbuster season is almost over, so it’s clearly time for audiences to end the run with a bang. But if you’re someone who likes to go out laughing, Coyote vs. Acme is exactly the movie you should be making time to see in the theater. It’s time that the Looney Tunes return to the big screen, and this picture is the perfect case for why we shouldn’t be saying “That’s all Folks” when it comes to that hallowed humor institution.
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