Films for Breakfast

It’s hard to watch Coyote vs. Acme without thinking about the metatext surrounding it. The film was famously shelved by Warner Bros. and nearly erased as a tax write-off during one of the studio’s most turbulent periods. But after an enormous outcry from film lovers and Looney Tunes fans alike, it was ultimately rescued and found a home at Ketchup Entertainment – a genuine victory for creativity, and a reminder that art shouldn’t be discarded as a line item on a balance sheet.

Fittingly, the film mirrors much of its own real-world drama. It opens with Wile E. Coyote once again attempting to catch the Road Runner using an array of Acme gadgets. Surely this time it’ll work, right? After another spectacular failure involving rocket skates, enhanced gloves, and the usual cartoon chaos, Wile has a revelation: every disastrous invention he’s ever relied on came from Acme. At first, he shrugs it off, but before long he’s introduced to attorney Kevin Avery (Will Forte) and his idealistic colleague Paige (Lana Condor), who specialize in representing cartoon clients.

Wile is unwavering in his belief that he has a case, while Kevin has built his career on settling rather than risking a courtroom loss. Eventually, Wile pushes Kevin into taking on Acme (led by the hilariously smug John Cena) in a classic David versus Goliath legal battle that feels remarkably similar to the film’s own journey to the big screen.

On its own merits, this is simply a terrific Looney Tunes movie. It features nearly every fan-favorite character and somehow finds meaningful roles for most of them. It’s also consistently hilarious. The screenplay is packed with wonderfully tongue-in-cheek dialogue, while the endless visual gags and seamless interaction between the animated characters and the live-action world feel endlessly inventive. Director Dave Green and the animation team clearly understood that the Looney Tunes’ greatest strength has always been visual comedy, and they take full advantage of it.

The live-action cast is equally strong. Will Forte is fantastic as Kevin Avery, balancing slapstick comedy with genuine sincerity, while John Cena is an absolute blast as Acme’s bombastic lead attorney, chewing every scene he’s in. But this is ultimately Wile E. Coyote’s film, and he’s given far more to do than simply endure another string of slapstick failures.

What surprised me most is how deeply the film explores Wile as a character. It takes the absurd premise of a coyote chasing the same bird for over eighty years and turns it into something unexpectedly poignant. I have no problem calling this a legitimate character study. The film asks what a lifetime of failure does to someone, forcing Wile to confront questions about purpose, fulfillment, and identity. Is life about reaching the destination, or is there meaning in the pursuit itself? It’s a surprisingly thoughtful emotional core for a Looney Tunes film.

The pacing in the film simply never lets up. Coyote vs. Acme juggles an impressive number of ideas while remaining effortlessly entertaining. It’s simultaneously a courtroom drama, a satirical legal thriller, and a classic slapstick cartoon, all while wearing its cinematic influences proudly. You can spot shades of Chinatown, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, All the President’s Men, and even more, yet it never feels like a collection of references. It confidently molds those inspirations into something that feels distinctly its own.

By the end, I was genuinely moved. It’s gratifying simply because the film exists after everything it went through, but even if you strip away all of that real-world baggage, Coyote vs. Acme stands on its own as a wonderfully entertaining, inventive, and surprisingly heartfelt film. Every department, from the animation to the performances to the screenplay, radiates care and craftsmanship that can be felt in nearly every frame here. It’s an absolute delight, and one of the year’s most pleasant surprises. We are so lucky this delightful film exists.