COYOTE VS. ACME

Director
Dave Green

Starring
Will Forte
Lana Condor
John Cena

After suffering years of faulty products, Wile E Coyote recruits/tricks struggling personal injury attorney, Kevin Avery [Forte] to take on mega corporation Acme. Pitted against Kevin’s former school colleague, Buddy Crane [Cena], the pair quickly realise their legal battle isn’t going to be a fair one. Not to mention there’s a deeper conspiracy and forces are at work to ensure they fail.

It’s impossible to talk about this movie and not address the fact its general release almost didn’t come to pass. Starting as an article in the New Yorker in the 90s, before being optioned for a film by the early 2000s, Warner Bros had no intention of green lighting the concept. Then, in the mid 2010s, James Gunn pitched a version to WB, who again shut it down, until finally relenting in 2019. However, despite the novel premise, great script, positive early screenings, and established IP, Warner Bros were willing to shelve it as a tax write off. Corruption and terrible decision making aside, this generated online outrage and the film was shipped around before finally gaining a full international release.

But the very fact the core of this movie is about underdogs taking on the establishment and insurmountable odds, only for the real-world film to almost be taken down by the untouchable higher ups is painfully ironic. Meaning lines about cavalier decision making, disrespect for the end user, and contempt for the system like “the law’s completely on our side here, because we wrote the law” hit in a more nuanced, meta-commentary way.

In recent years, animation/live-action hybrids have felt a little stale and predictable. Frequently opting for photo-realistic CCI creations, their presence usually doesn’t gel with the human component in interesting or creative ways. Coyote Vs. Acme, however, gleefully employs Who Framed Roger Rabbit? levels of creativity. It’s clearly very important to the filmmakers that this isn’t a parallel story of disparate forces occupying uneventful mid-shots. There’s a sense of chaos and tactility to these individuals sharing screen-time. Which is a testament to fantastic practical filmmaking paired with wonderfully vibrant animated visuals. What’s more, none of this could be achieved without the principal actors wholly committing to the concept and execution.

Forte and Condor playing the straight-man roles to the Looney Tunes shenanigans, for example, is beyond credible and injects a sense of genuine lived-in truth. And this is partly due to the fact that while the problems of going up against a big company are very grounded, there’s still a cartoonish air to Forte as the cowardly lawyer, Condor as the eager upstart, and Cena expertly playing the role of menacing comedic villain.

Going beyond the practical elements, the animation feels like a love letter to classic Looney Tunes shorts – referencing them frequently. Similarly, the score work by Steven Price has a bold, triumphant sense of scale and adventure, laced with absurdity as the choir proudly blasts “Beep Beep.” And that’s before you get to the various needle drops that all feel self-aware – ‘Nobody Speak’ being censored with roadrunner beeps, as an example, is a nice touch.

In terms of faults, there’s really only one and it’s a very minor but fundamental criticism. See, the plot is incredibly simplistic. What’s more, if you have the remotest understanding of Wile E Coyote cartoons, or any legal drama story, you’ll know exactly what the gags will be and where they’re headed. That said, it almost doesn’t matter because it’s satisfying regardless. Deploying exceptional levels of charm and some surprising emotional hits, the story keeps you entertained throughout. The real revelation is the whip-smart script that not only understands the slapstick but injects so much relatable satire. From corporate corruption, animal testing, disposable consumerism, and the hopeless sense of no alternatives through monopolistic greed, this movie is inadvertently a champion for contemporary real-world pain points. In fact, the film, possibly unwittingly, pits its cartoon population as proxy for the working class; exploited for their resilience for the sake of commercial progress. And, knowing that, it’s no wonder a company like Warner Bros wasn’t keen to see this movie released.

But for all the talk of outraged citizens and mistreatment of the consumer class, Coyote Vs. Acme is also a really fun time with silly cartoon violence, buddy-cop energy, an amusing script, and pleasing visuals from start to finish. And for that reason alone it deserves to find an enthusiastic audience that it’s fought for so long and so hard to catch. Can’t imagine that will remind you of anyone.

Release Date:
21 August 2026

The Scene To Look Out For:
During their investigation, our leads uncover a clue about the mysterious Project Sisyphus. This revelation draws a plain and honest comparison between Coyote and Sisyphus. Which is nice in and of itself but then it leads straight into a heart-to-heart with Kevin about purpose and direction. Which then, in turn, becomes a further point about drive, determination and an indomitable spirit. For a movie about a wild dog chasing a bird, it’s unexpectedly poetic.

Notable Characters:
**spoilers within this paragraph**
To talk about the end of the movie for a moment, the fact our heroes don’t initially win their case is a magnificent close. Not only for the fact it subverts expectations but because it speaks to the actual moral of the story, as well as the character of Wile E Coyote. Not to mention, the importance of starting a legal conversation, standing up to unscrupulous enterprises, and being steadfast in your resolve.

Highlighted Quote:
“It’s a limited number of signs.”

In A Few Words:
“Silly slapstick fun that sneaks up on you with genuine emotional depth and poignancy.”

Total Score: 4/5