Rating: ***
Review Date: 9/5/26
Cast: Will Forte, Lana Condor, John Cena, Luis Guzman, Eric Bauza,
Candi Milo, Jim Cummings
"I'm here for the pantsless modeling job."
After a lifetime of chasing the elusive Roadrunner with faulty Acme gadgets, Wile E. Coyote sees an ad for a personal injury lawyer and decides to sue the Acme Corporation for damages. It turns out that they're very nasty and up to no good, but they can get away with breaking the law because they're so incredibly big and powerful (insert your favorite scumbag corporation or government agency here). Kevin Avery (Will Forte) is the small-time lawyer and big-time loser who ends up with Mr. Coyote's case, and he has no interest in challenging the almighty Acme. But Wile E. is an agent of chaos and brings the wrath of Acme down on both of them, and their case eventually goes before Congress in Washington DC. While justice may not be served and Wile E. is no closer to achieving his goals, they definitely stick it to The Man and bring Acme's dirty laundry into the light. The moral here is that the fight for justice is never over, and requires constant vigilance to keep evil and corruption at bay.
This film suffered the same fate as "The Day The Earth Blew Up" (2025), which Warner Brothers refused to release. A change in management at the time made it clear that the people in charge didn't actually like movies or any of the company's back catalog, and in their sick and backwards little minds it made more sense to bury their slate of completed films as a tax write-off rather than share them with the world. "The Day The Earth Blew Up" was sold to Ketchup Entertainment, but "Coyote Vs. Acme" was considered "unreleasable" for some reason. Fortunately, enough people complained and petitioned, and Warner Bros. finally sold it to Ketchup as well. Truly a case where making a stand and using your voice actually made a difference, and there's even a nice "fuck you, Warner Bros." note in the credits, giving thanks to all of the people whose voices finally brought the film to the big screen. Truly inspiring!
In many ways, this is the "America Vs. Donald Trump" film we all so desperately need right now. Maybe that's why Warner Bros. wanted to bury it. While the Sisyphean theme of try-and-fail that runs throughout the film is supremely depressing, Wile E. Coyote never gives up on his hopeless dream, and in the process inspires others to action. With enough people and support, the tide can turn even against a seemingly untouchable juggernaut like the Acme Corporation. Despite Mr. Coyote's innate character flaws and motivations, I found myself cheering and crying for the underdog throughout the film, and even ended up screaming, "FUCK YOU, DONALD TRUMP!!!" at the top of my lungs all the way home. And boy, did that feel good.
It's an enjoyable and well-made film that's equally funny, charming, and heartbreaking, but it's no "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" (1988). Will Forte gives a solid and moving performance as a burned out loser and a casualty of society, and the naïvely idealistic Lana Condor is charming throughout. John Cena hams it up to maximum effect as Acme's evil lawyer, whose despicably smug and cocky attitude is a perfect reflection of corrupt corporate America. The animation is fun and clever, and numerous WB characters get cameos including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Granny, Tweety, Sylvester, Witch Hazel, Tasmanian Devil, Beaky Buzzard, and Gossamer. What's interesting is that for such a 2-dimensional character, Wile E. Coyote is given a surprising amount of depth in the film. He represents our base instincts, our raw emotions, and the hopes, dreams, and ambitions that give meaning to our wretched and miserable lives. I always used to find him a pitiable and sympathetic character in the original Chuck Jones cartoons, but in this movie he was all over the place and I found my feelings towards him constantly changing. All at once he was the victim, the loser, the hero, the villain, the addict, the obsessed madman, the insane genius, and the endlessly suffering fool. I cried through nearly the entire film, which I wasn't expecting, but then again, I wasn't sure what to expect when I went into it. Apart from being a Looney Tunes fan, my main motivation for seeing it in the theater was to give Warner Brothers the middle finger for their incredibly stupid mismanagement of their greatest IP.