Anna Zuccarello: Student Writer
Coyote Vs. Acme released nearly a month ago at the time of writing. Of course, the film itself had actually been made years ago but was shelved for a write-off. Once the Lost Media community (which is a real thing, for those who don’t know) got word of this, they fought tirelessly to find the movie. Once Ketchup Entertainment announced that they were going to release another Looney Tunes film, people scrambled to ask them for Coyote Vs. Acme. They obliged, and announced the movie’s August 28th release with trailers leaning on the fact that the movie was missing for so long.
When I saw the film, the auditorium was completely empty aside from me, my brother, and my mom. Of course, the movie theater as a whole (we saw this in the AMC in Methuen) was almost deserted and there wasn’t even someone at the concession stand from what we saw (though, there was someone at the bar). This was on a Friday afternoon, so it made sense that nobody was going to be at the theater at that time. However, I’d like to think the reason the auditorium was empty was because everyone else had already gone to see it or were planning to do it some other time. I don’t blame them for it. That’s how good I thought the movie was, and how well I believe it did. After all, according to Box Office Mojo, it made over 15 million dollars in its domestic opening alone.
The story follows Looney Tunes’ Wile E. Coyote, who decides to contact a lawyer in order to sue ACME, who kept giving him faulty products. The lawyer normally settles rather than sues, and is rather down on his luck overall despite his niece’s encouragement, but Coyote insists on settling anyway. What follows is a series of trials, corporate espionage, hidden secrets, and emotional moments as what was meant to be a simple lawsuit turns into a plot to take down a massive corporation.
The movie was strong from start to finish. I’d say it was one impactful scene after another, but it was also paced well with some comedic moments. I don’t remember the full details of the movie, as I have watched it a couple weeks ago at the time of writing, but I will lay down my overall opinion of the film.
The writing was great. The characters were fleshed out, including the ones that couldn’t talk. The two main characters, Wile. E. Coyote and the lawyer Avery (I do not remember his full name) have a great dynamic, going from a service relationship to frenemies to close friends over the course of the movie. The niece was also great, acting as the optimist to her uncle’s pessimistic attitude. It also had some impactful messaging about corporate greed and exploitation that is very relevant today, as well as a theme of perseverance, but I won’t go into further details as that would require delving into spoiler territory. Lastly, it was emotionally deep and full of heart. The dynamics and messages
The animation and live action mix can be a hit-or-miss. However, it works well here. The toons and humans have a great dynamic, and the three-dimensional feel allows them to blend in even just a bit better. Though, I’d imagine it may have been even better with normal 2D. The cinematography was also great, however I wasn’t paying attention because I was too focused on what was going on; I would probably say that is a plus as well.
I have a gripe with this movie. Foghorn Leghorn works as a greedy CEO, but I wonder if he really was the best choice for a villain. Really, that is my biggest issue. Even then, it still works.
I do not have a rating system in place yet, unfortunately. However, overall, this movie was great from beginning to end. It didn’t overstay its welcome, and it was very impactful. I would recommend this even if you weren’t a fan of Looney Tunes, which I am not particularly; however, do not assume that this is normal Looney Tunes if you’re trying to get into the franchise. This is more complex than that. It is almost a whole different thing. If I had to give it something, It would be a 9/10 at least, if not a full 10/10.
