One Movie Later: Coyote vs. Acme Is the Must‑See Film Warner Bros. Tried to Bury
by James Coulter
Coyote vs. Acme arrives with a backstory almost as looney as its Looney Tunes protagonist. Warner Bros. famously shelved the finished film for a tax write‑off, sparking a wave of public outrage, including a protester in a full Coyote costume picketing outside the studio. After months of backlash, Ketchup Entertainment acquired the movie (as it did The Day the Earth Blew Up), and the “unprofitable” project earned $44 million worldwide, including a strong $15.4 million opening weekend.
But was that success earned? Was the movie actually good? Or did audiences show up purely out of spite?
The story follows Wile E. Coyote, still empty‑handed after 70 years of chasing the Road Runner. Fed up with Acme’s notoriously faulty gadgets, he hires small‑claims lawyer Kevin Avery (played by Will Forte) to sue the corporation. Naturally, the lawsuit uncovers a larger corporate conspiracy, because in 2024, even cartoon coyotes can’t escape corporate cronyism. Will the Coyote finally achieve victory once in his life? And what exactly is Acme trying to hide?
Both Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner are famously silent protagonists, so making either of them a starring role in a theatrical film seems untenable. However, the Coyote overcomes his speech impediment (or rather, lack-of-speech impediment) with plenty of signs and effective pantomime.
It also helps that the silent cartoon protagonist is paired with a not-so-silent live-action actor. Forte nails the weary straight‑man role, bouncing beautifully off the Coyote’s expressive pantomime. Lana Condor brings bright‑eyed optimism as Kevin’s fresh-out-of-law-school niece Paige, while John Cena chews scenery as Buddy Crane, a corporate shark who enjoys humiliating Kevin a little too much.
Visually, the film embraces the spirit of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, blending live‑action and cel‑shaded animation with surprising elegance. Looney Tunes icons pop in throughout…some in major roles, others in clever cameos, including a self‑aware Pepe Le Pew gag that winks at his complicated legacy.
Beneath the slapstick is a surprisingly heartfelt theme about failure and persistence. Wile E. keeps trying despite decades of disaster, and his persistence pushes Kevin to confront his own fear of taking risks. No spoilers, but while the legal drama doesn’t end with the tidy verdict audiences might expect, it offers a series of smaller, meaningful victories that align with the film’s emotional core.
Its social commentary is unexpectedly sharp. The narrative critiques corporate malpractice and the systems that protect it, and given the film’s real‑world history, the parallels between Acme and Warner Bros. are unmistakable. The movie becomes, unintentionally, a satire of the very studio that tried to erase it.
In the end, Coyote vs. Acme is a funny, charming, socially-aware family film that deserved far better than a tax write‑off grave. It may not be the best live-action animation hybrid (Roger Rabbit) or Looney Tunes movie (The Day the Earth Blew Up) or even Looney Tunes live-action movie (Space Jam), but it stands proudly as a film that succeeded, both artistically and commercially, despite the forces working against it.
