‘Coyote vs. Acme’ proves big-screen worthiness through hilarity, clever cameos
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There are plenty of age-old rivalries that still stir up hostility today: the New York Yankees vs. the Boston Red Sox, Coke vs. Pepsi and Looney Tunes’ Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner, to name a few.
But in director Dave Green’s “Coyote vs. Acme,” Wile E. Coyote is pinned against another foe: the Acme Corporation.
Released on Friday, “Coyote vs. Acme” throws classic animated Looney Tunes characters into the real world as they interact with humans, reminiscent of “Space Jam” and Disney’s “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”
Since the characters first appeared in 1949’s “Fast and Furry-ous” cartoon, Acme has produced the many defective gadgets — like a faulty parachute and backfiring rocket skates — that Wile E. Coyote has used to hunt the elusive Road Runner time and time again. In “Coyote vs. Acme,” the coyote, with help from reluctant lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte), sues Acme for the misfortune its products have caused him.
Though “Coyote vs. Acme” was just released, the film endured hardships behind the scenes that are ironically similar to its storyline. In 2023, Warner Bros. shelved the finished film to take a $30 million tax write-off, resembling the cold-blooded Acme.
Thankfully, Ketchup Entertainment picked up the project, which has been favored by critics and fans alike.
Despite pacing issues, “Coyote vs. Acme” strikes a wonderful balance of cleverness and hilarity — a more-than-welcome theatrical experience.
The film opens with Acme scientist Dr. Lorre (Eric Bauza) being imprisoned after trying to leak information about Project Sisyphus, an Acme program that unethically tested products on cartoon characters to improve them for human use.
Decades later, the coyote is chasing Road Runner in the desert, continually failing as usual. A discouraged Wile E. Coyote — surrounded by a plethora of Acme gadgets in his cave — sees a television ad for Avery’s law firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which helps with cartoon cases.
Wile E. Coyote makes it to the firm and presents his defective rocket skates, but Avery suggests settling for a measly couple-hundred dollars. Disgusted, the coyote puts all of his faulty Acme equipment into the evidence box without Avery knowing, which leads to a United States congressional hearing between Coyote and Acme.
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From the beginning, “Coyote vs. Acme” contains humor, displaying a title card that reads “Based on a True Story.” This storyline could’ve existed before Warner Bros. panned the project. But either way, the joke serves as a tongue-in-cheek reference, comparing Acme’s corruption to Warner Bros. shelving its very own film.
After Lorre’s capture, Green showcases the movie’s highlight: the obligatory Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner chase scenes. From a magnetic glove inadvertently dragging the coyote toward an oncoming Acme semi-truck to an actual missile backfiring and hitting him, these sequences had me howling with laughter in the theater. I probably distracted the people sitting next to me, but the movie deserved my giggles.
Unfortunately, once Wile E. Coyote leaves his desert home, the movie’s entertainment slowly declines. Don’t get me wrong, there are still some great moments, like the coyote’s picket signs he uses throughout the movie to communicate — one reads: “it’s a limited number of signs.” But the jokes run stale, with nothing beating the classic chase sequences.
“Coyote vs. Acme” also doesn’t contain any super memorable performances. Even with Bauza voicing at least 10 different roles, no one particularly struck me. Wile E. Coyote, who doesn’t even have any voice lines, stood out the most, though.
Still, there are enough Looney Tunes cameos — like Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and a little-known bunny — to keep the picture fun.
I have to tip my hat to the “Coyote vs. Acme” writers, Samy Burch, James Gunn and Jeremy Slater, who based the story on the 1990 New Yorker article “Coyote v. Acme.” The film’s idea, a cartoon character suing a company, sounds ludicrous, but it’s so clever. And the Sisyphus motif — a man in Greek mythology forced to roll a boulder up a mountain for eternity — is a genius comparison to Wile E. Coyote’s endless pursuit of Road Runner.
Eventually, Road Runner comes within reach of Wile E. Coyote.
At the congressional hearing, Road Runner testifies to the detrimental effects Wile E. Coyote faced from Acme creations. But the court — which features Senator Elmer Fudd (Bauza) — rules against Avery and Wile E. Coyote. Still, it’s a wholesome moment when Road Runner supports his predator.
After the case, Avery’s office is flooded with cartoon-related cases. And because Bugs Bunny (Bauza) leaks information about Project Sisyphus, it leads to a federal investigation and the arrest of Acme executive Foghorn Leghorn (Bauza) and Acme’s top lawyer, Buddy Crane (John Cena).
While it’s satisfying to see Acme crash and burn, the film’s ending is too jam-packed. The result of the congressional hearing and its tension are completely upended by Foghorn and Buddy’s arrest. Green and his collaborators tie a bow on the movie, but the way they get there is sloppy.
“Coyote vs. Acme” fittingly ends with Road Runner back in the desert and the coyote on the chase. Their relationship reminds me of Batman and Joker, specifically in “The Dark Knight.” Like the caped crusader and clown prince of crime, Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote are two timeless characters destined to do this forever.
“Coyote vs. Acme” could’ve included an endless stream of fanfare, but Green and his crew didn’t take the easy way out. Instead of abusing nostalgia, they cleverly placed cameos and sparingly used vintage Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner footage.
From being shelved by Warner Bros. to receiving a 96% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, “Coyote vs. Acme” presented a timely story that proved its worth on the big screen — regardless of what Warner Bros. believes.
