written by: Samy Burch (screenplay) & James Gunn, Jeremy Slater, and Samy Burch (story)
produced by: Chris DeFaria and James Gunn
directed by: Dave Green
rated: PG
runtime: 103 min.
U.S. release date: August 28, 2026
It would be fitting if, by the time the live-action animated feature “Coyote vs. Acme” comes out on 4K Blu-ray, a documentary hosted by Porky Pig accompanied it, detailing all the legal red tape that tangled its theatrical release. After all, that’s what this movie will mostly be known for. Filmed in 2022 for roughly $70-72 million and shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery the following year as a tax write-off, as decided upon by CEO David Zaslav. It’s the same thing he did with the finished and in-post-production “Batgirl” and the nearly completed “Scoob: Holiday Haunt”, both of which were also filmed in 2022. All three are popular enough IPs that they could’ve made money – if not completely off of theatrical runs, but by streaming and physical media. Thankfully, Ketchup Entertainment came in and saved “Coyote vs. Acme” from obscurity.
They’re the American independent production and distribution company that scooped up the rights to release the hilarious animated feature “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” in 2024. That movie received great reviews and reminded us that these infectious Looney Tunes characters are evergreen. Some of us didn’t need the reminder, but whatever. So, from an entertainment perspective, it made no sense when it was rumored that “Coyote vs. Acme” would be shelved.
When you consider all the faulty Acme products Wile (pronounced While-Ee) has procured over the past eight decades in his endless attempts to capture and devour a certain “Meep-meep” character in the southwest desert, you know there’s a story to be told here. Wile E. Coyote debuted in the 1949 cartoon short “Fast and Furry-ous”, written by Michael Maltese and directed by Chuck Jones, along with the debut of his longstanding adversary, the Road Runner, and in all that time, the resilient wild canine (Canis latrans, to be specific) has yet to nab the cuckoo speedster.
In a February 2024 tweet, the movie’s editor Carsten Kurpanek described the story as “a ‘David vs Goliath story’ that tackles Wile E. Coyote’s persistence in the face of the Acme Corporation’s ‘cynical and casual cruelness of capitalism and corporate greed.’ “ If that doesn’t pique your curiosity, I don’t know what to tell ya. Corporate greed? Tax write-off? Coincidence or serendipitous timing?
Director Dave Green, whose credits include “Earth to Echo” (2014) and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secret of the Ooze” (2016), has made a sweet and smart movie, thanks to a screenplay from Samy Burch (writer of “May December” and the recently released “Late Fame”), who worked from a story she worked on with James Gunn and Jeremy Slater (the later of whom has been working on mapping out the DCU with Gunn). But wait, there’s more…the story that trio worked on was inspired by a satirical New Yorker article by Ian Frazier from 1990 called “Coyote vs. Acme”, which consisted of which imagines Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation for consistently selling him defective and inaccurately labeled products.
Sure enough, Wile E. concludes that he’s put all his time and energy into these shoddy products from Acme, which is now a global mega-corporation with its hands in everything. He learns of a billboard attorney named Kevin Avery (Will Forte) from a hilarious television ad, and heads to Albuquerque to become the shyster’s client. Avery works at Avery, Jones, and Maltese (if you know, you know), a personal injury firm that specializes in cartoon violence and only cares about settling cases. Kevin is assisted by his niece, Paige Avery (Lana Condor, last seen in “The Devil’s Mouth”), and shares the office with partners Dottie Jones (Martha Kelly) and Sal Maltese (Tone Bell). Kevin’s problem is that he’s giving up on fighting cases in court because he’s afraid to fail. Yet he ends up defending Wile E., who has only known failure but still keeps pursuing his one feathered goal. It’s a surprisingly interesting conundrum, and as Kevin goes up against Acme, he learns a thing or two from Wile E.
But that’s after Wile E. refuses the settlement Acme’s bigshot lawyer, Buddy Crane (John Cena, who fits effortlessly alongside his cartoon cohorts), which forces them into a trial. The small-time firm tries to subpoena the Road Runner by luring the elusive witness, but they fail just as much as Wile E. has all these years. While an Acme top executive, Foghorn Leghorn (one of many characters voiced by Eric Bauza), cautions Buddy from revealing any corporate secret, Kevin’s firm gets a tip from an anonymous tip from a whistleblower to meet up with former Acme employee Daffy Duck, who’s now a patient at the local asylum. Pretty soon, hangdog Kevin and his firm uncover a long-running conspiracy that Acme has been covering up involving Dr. Peter Lorre (yes, that Peter Lorre – if you know, you know), who was seen in the movie’s cold open that took place way back in 1992.
Yes, Wile E. doesn’t just want justice; his ulterior motives support the old adage: you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Burch and Green provide plenty of moments for viewers to empathize with the silent titular character, who comically speaks through a limited amount of handheld signs. It’s fun to have a movie centered on a character who has typically been considered “a bad guy” and is solely out to get his bird, while offering a reconsideration of the character. “Coyote vs. Acme” reaffirms that there’s more to Wile E. than his continuous failed efforts, just like no one should be known or remembered solely for their failed efforts.
As Wile E., Kevin, and the gang follow a handful of clues as they prepare to go up against no-nonsense Judge Troppogrosso (Luis Guzmán), they inevitably encounter an assortment of beloved Looney Tunes icons, such as Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester the Cat, Porky Pig, Gossamer, Granny, and more. However, it never feels overcrowded, much like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” balanced a plethora of characters while maintaining a whodunit focus; this courtroom comedy never loses sight of its aim to reassess the longstanding feud between dog and bird.
Speaking of that 1988 Robert Zemeckis classic, the integration of live-action and animation has come a long way since then. To be clear, it was good then, but there is a level of sophistication present (artfully speaking, that is – immaturity levels are still intact). It was impressive to learn that puppeteer Dave Barclay actually played Wile E. Coyote on set, acting alongside Forte and other human actors, in specially made costumes featuring interchangeable limbs and facial expressions, and that behind-the-scenes footage should also be included as extras on physical media. Other toon characters here are a mix of 2D and 3D animation, and these variations help sell this world of hybrid humans/cartoon unpredictability. That being said, the rules of our own world often (and understandably) don’t apply here, and that’s a wonderful thing.
RATING: ***
