They didn’t want us to see Coyote vs. Acme. And for a time, it seemed like we really wouldn’t. Shelved by Warner Bros. in 2023, the resulting outpouring of rage filled the internet. Campaigns started, and hashtags trended. But for a time, it seemed hopeless: They shelved the animation/live-action hybrid comedy for tax purposes, doomed to never see the light of day.
Fans were undeterred. And now, three years later, we can finally see what a colossal mistake Warner Bros. made in the first place. Because Coyote vs. Acme isn’t just good. It isn’t just fun. No, it’s the kind of animation/live-action hybrid that we have not seen since Robert Zemeckis’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It’s smart, it’s witty. It’s going to make you laugh out loud more than once.
It is also cheeky enough about what happened to it that immediately after the Warner Bros logo appears onscreen, the words “A fully owned subsidiary of the Acme Corporation” appear in a card. Yes, the film says, we know, and you know, and we aren’t afraid to point it out.
Wile E. Coyote takes on the judicial system
Directed by Dave Green and written by Samy Burch, Coyote vs Acme has viewers wondering one thing. What if Wile E. Coyote was actually the victim all along? What if every explosion, every malfunction, wasn’t just for laughs? The evil Acme Corporation must be taken to task. And where else to do that but the courtroom, in front of Acme’s adoring public?
Inspired by Ian Frazier’s 1990 article in New Yorker magazine, Coyote vs Acme sets us square in the life of Wile E. as he hatches yet another plan to capture his fast-footed foe Road Runner. After yet another failed attempt, he heads back home. As he is plotting his next move, a commercial for Kevin Avery (Will Forte), the kind of lawyer who is better at chasing ambulances than he is at winning cases, comes on TV.
The commercial is catered to cartoon characters who have been wronged, blown up, cheated, or had various heavy items (such as pianos) dropped on them. Wile E. realizes that he could be one of those characters. As he looks around the room full of useless, malfunctioning Acme product, he knows what he needs to do. With the help of Kevin Avery, he plans to sue the Acme corporation for pain and suffering.
A court case with an ulterior motive
Like all big corporations, Acme has contingent plans in place, and Avery relies on quick settlement cases to get the job done. Acme’s slippery head counsel Buddy Crane (John Cena) is more than happy to offer $50,000. But for Wile E., that is not enough. He rips up the offer in front of them. What Wile E. wants is a trial, but unbeknownst to Avery, there is an ulterior motive. But what Wile E. wants more than a trial is the chance to finally best the Road Runner. And what better way to do that than to lure him to court and blow him up there?
The line that Coyote vs. Acme treads is one that is deeply entrenched in both humor and empathy. As the movie progresses, we begin to see more about Wile E. Coyote. He begins building a bond with Avery, realizing in the process that maybe he is more than his hi-jinks. Avery, likewise, discovers through Wile E.’s determination that perhaps settling isn’t the way to handle things after all. They are the kind of foils for each other that drive the empathy within this film.
The casting (both Looney and not) is part of what makes the film excel
Of course, the film would not be complete without a host of Looney Tunes characters. Foghorn Leghorn makes an appearance as Acme’s key witness. Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, and Tweety Bird all have their own moments. And Bugs Bunny, always a favorite, appears as a sly informant who is key to Avery and Wile E. making their case. Daffy Duck also gets a perfectly hilarious moment as a Looney bin patient who causes more chaos than he offers any help.
It is hard to imagine anybody but Forte at the helm of the human cast, especially as he deals with Wile E. Cena proves once again that he is a comedic force to be reckoned with. This is especially evident in a scene where he interrogates Tweety Bird in the desert a la Breaking Bad.
In fact, Coyote vs. Acme excels in such a way that it is almost baffling to try to understand why it was shelved in the first place. So if you were one of those who championed the film by protesting, writing emails, or following Wile E.’s lead and standing with signs, this film really is for you.
