******ACME ROCKET-SIZED SPOILERS!******
Written by Marvel/DC screenwriter/director James Gunn, Jeremy Slater and Samy Burch and directed by Dave Green (“Earth to Echo”), the animated-live action comedy “Coyote vs. Acme” (2026) certainly had an uphill struggle to the silver screen. Based on a parodic 1990 article from The New Yorker magazine and filmed in 2022, this mid-budget $70 million movie was inexplicably shelved by Warner Bros in favor of a tax write-off, before being rescued by the independent production company Ketchup Entertainment in 2025 and released this year, to enthusiastic critical and fan reception.
Quick-settling attorney Kevin Avery (Will Forte) advises his mute client, Wile E. Coyote (Eric Bauza), to take the money.
Ketchup Entertainment had some experience with Warner Bros animation properties, having released “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” in 2023 to almost nonexistent box office on a $15 million budget. Clearly Ketchup is okay with risk, and in this case it’s been really paying off for them. This nearly forgotten flick has so far raked in $22 million worldwide in its first few days, and is rapidly gaining momentum as of this writing.
Having seen the movie this week, I was curious if it was worth the word-of-mouth hype, and if I should see it cinematically instead of waiting for it to stream. Well, the answer is yes and yes.
“Coyote vs. Acme”
Opening in 1992, old Warner cartoon favorite Dr. Lorre (Eric Bauza) works in the depths of the Acme Corporation’s labs, where he leaks a video to an unseen ally before being nabbed by security and forced to fall inside of a hole made from Acme black paint.
Note: Right off, the movie floods viewers with classic Warner Bros cartoon references, including the evil scientist character “Dr. Lorre,” based on real-life character actor Peter Lorre (“M,” “Casablanca,” “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”), as well as the oft-used “portable hole” paint that various characters in those cartoons used to make portals into walls or mountains to escape, or to confound a pursuer.
Our re-introduction to the title character shows him in full Roadrunner Pursuit-mode; obsessively driven entirely by hunger… or is it something else?
Strapping on various malfunctioning Acme devices, including a pair of rocket skates and a magnetic glove, Wile E. Coyote fails to snag his quarry… again.
Note: The opening chase between Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner is essentially a classic Warner Bros. cartoon with a multimillion dollar budget and a few extra layers of gloss, yet the characters only do what they did best in the cartoons, and it’s a gas. The absurd slapstick antics of this sequence released many giggles from me, and it was delightful, I can’t lie.
The firm’s lawyers Dotti Jones (Martha Kelly), young intern Paige (Lana Condor), Kevin Avery (Will Forte) and Sal Maltese (Tone Bell) reluctantly agree to take on Wile E. Coyote as a client for his claim that defective Acme products have repeatedly thwarted his ability to make a living (i.e. catching and eating the Roadrunner).
Note: The quick-settlement firm of Avery, Jones and Maltese is clearly a nod to AMC’s hit series, “Better Call Saul,” a prequel/sidequel series to “Breaking Bad,” with Kevin (Will Forte) playing a variation of Bob Odenkirk’s sleazy Saul Goodman (aka Jimmy McGill). Both Kevin and Saul drive cheap cars, wear cheap suits, and are based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Both of their firms are located in strip malls, as well. “Better Call Saul” is one of my favorite TV shows of this century, as well.
Specializing in defective Acme cartoon products, Kevin and his niece Paige examine the box of evidence which, in cartoon-warping dimensions, holds hundreds of failed devices, some of which I recognized from actual Warners’ cartoons.
Note: The firm’s partners are, of course, named after famed Warner Bros. animators/directors Tex Avery, Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese, who animated and directed many of the classic cartoons of Warner’s “Merry Melodies” and “Looney Tunes.” These classic cartoons and their various characters (Wile E. Coyote, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Sylvester, Tweety Bird, etc) were staples of my childhood.
Seeking a quick monetary settlement, Kevin takes Wile E. to meet with his old law school nemesis Buddy Crane (John Cena), a corporate lawyer for Acme. Wile E. rejects the settlement offer, forcing the case to go to trial which Kevin is certain to lose.
Note: I’ve never been a wrestling fan, but I love seeing former professional wrestler-turned-actor John Cena (“The Suicide Squad” “Peacemaker”) once again send up his image as an arrogant, blustering “ugly American.” In this case, a shark for a mega-corporation too big to care.
After Kevin unsuccessfully tries to get the Roadrunner to testify, we see Acme CEO Foghorn Leghorn (Eric Bauza) warning his lawyer Buddy to prevent this trial from revealing any of their research & development secrets.
Note: Like the best of the Warner classic cartoons, there are layers of commentary to this movie for when the kids grow up, making this a great movie for kids on one level and another for parents. The insights into corporate greed and monopolies makes me understand why nervous Warner Bros. executives might’ve been keen on keeping this movie under lock and key.
Paige and Kevin, on the trail of the Acme whistleblower, visit Daffy Duck (Eric Bauza) in St. Looney’s hospital for the “Exceptionally Looney,” where daft Daffy initially mistakes them for his nude models. Daffy tells them that Dr. Lorre sent him a warning about “Project Sisyphus,” a mysterious lab deep in the Acme R&D section. When Kevin returns to his live-in motel, he finds Wile E. drafting a Rube-Goldberg plan to capture Roadrunner when he testifies–his sole reason for not settling.
Note: Voice actor extraordinaire Eric Bauza (“Star Trek: Prodigy,” “Lego Star Wars,” Looney Tunes movies/TV specials) does the heavy-lifting for most of the classic Warner characters heard in the film, including Daffy, Porky Pig, Tweety, Foghorn Leghorn, Dr. Lorre, Roadrunner, Pepé Le Pew, Gossamer, Elmer Fudd, Bugs Bunny and more, including a few voice cameos.
Acme hatches their own plot to capture material witness Roadrunner by placing a mountain of bird seed over glue. Needless to say, it doesn’t end well for them, as the clever bird sees through their trap, leaving Acme’s goons slathered in adhesive gunk.
Note: Is it just me, or does Roadrunner say “Meep Meep” instead of “Beep Beep”? All of those young years spent in front of the cathode ray tube TV’s warmth, and I could’ve sworn Roadrunner says “meep” instead of “beep”…
Kidnapped from his owners, Dr. Lorre and Granny (Candi Milo), Tweety Bird (Eric Bauza) is forced to work for Acme’s goons.
Note: Like Roadrunner, you’d think Tweety Bird, who’s made a career of outwitting Sylvester, would be too clever to be so easily kidnapped and coerced by Acme’s legal department goons.
Told to meet a mysterious informant, Paige and Kevin learn the Whistleblower is none other than Bugs Bunny (Eric Bauza), who reveals that the secret Project Sisyphus is a cartoon product testing program that uses cartoons (who can’t die but feel pain) as lab mice to refine their products for sale to human consumers.
Note: It’s not as if Bugs Bunny went to great lengths to disguise his voice on his anonymous call to Kevin. Bugs’ reveal is a parody of film noir reveals, as well as Hal Holbrook’s “Deep Throat” character (later revealed to be FBI agent Mark Felt) in “All the President’s Men” (1976). Once again, there is deeper political messaging and meanings to this movie than one might expect…
Using a can of Acme’s portable hole paint to open a inter-dimensional portal into the side of the firm’s offices, Wile E. Coyote attempts to repair the damage he caused with cartoon blocks. Needless to say, his masonry skills need work. Wile E. is still on the outs with Kevin for using him to get at the Roadrunner.
Note: You’d think creating a black paint capable of accessing portals into other dimensions and making deep wells capable of disappearing witnesses would be the apex of Acme’s research and development.
Judge Troppogrosso (Luiz Guzmán) uses his special cartoon trials-only gavel to begin the case of Coyote vs. Acme.
Note: While I wasn’t crazy about actor Luiz Guzmán‘s work in the recent “Wednesday” series, I truly loved his work in 1997’s “Boogie Nights,” which, despite its X-rated subject matter, is really a long, intertwined story of a found family who just happened to come together in the adult movie industry.
With accusations that Acme’s products drove Daffy and other cartoon test subjects insane, Kevin tries to get Acme’s PR head Tasmanian Devil (Jim Cummings) on the record, but Acme has Judge Troppogrosso in its deep pockets. The case is dismissed. Kevin reveals the conspiracy to the press, making him a target for Acme retribution. An unexpected windfall of online attention prompts a Senate investigatory panel in DC…
Note: Voice actor Jim Cummings is an animation legend, with voice roles in countless movies and TV shows, including “The Lion King” (1994), “The Princess and the Frog” (2009), “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” and “Winnie the Pooh.” I attended a panel featuring Cummings at this year’s WonderCon in Anaheim, and was blown away by his cartoonishly long list of voice credits.
In the capitol, Wile E. remains single-mindedly obsessed with trapping eyewitness Roadrunner for himself. Falling for an inflatable decoy of Roadrunner with the accompanying sound effect, Wile E. is led on a wild, dangerous chase through the streets of DC. Kevin tries to help his self-destructive client, but is knocked out, and the two are separated.
Tweety Bird was forced to set the trap for Wile E., but despite his best efforts, Acme’s plan to disappear the plaintiff failed.
Note: Government conspiracies, attempted kidnapping of witnesses, corporate greed/subterfuge and bribed judges. Um, did I mention this deceptively observant film was playing in the kiddie movie auditorium of the theater…?
After Kevin rejects a last-minute bribe from Buddy, he and Paige arrive in the Senate hearing room. A remorseful Wile E. arrives late, as Foghorn Leghorn admits that Project Sisyphus used cartoon characters as test subjects, because their elasticity and immortality prevent permanent physical harm. The Roadrunner finally arrives, and through a series of beeps, testifies to the mental harm caused by Acme’s products. However, Senator Elmer Fudd (Eric Bauza) declines charges against Acme with only one plaintiff. As the smug Acme legal team begin their back-patting, Wile E. springs his cage trap for the Roadrunner on the Acme lawyers instead. Kevin and Paige accept their loss and exit…
The loss turns into a victory, as Kevin’s firm is flooded with cartoons seeking damages against Acme, as the full scope of Sisyphus is exposed through the media. This leads to the arrests of Acme CEO Foghorn Leghorn, and his lawyer, Buddy. And after years spent disappeared into a portal-painted hole in the ground, Dr. Lorre is reunited with his wife Granny and Tweety Bird.
Note: The name used for Acme’s project, Sisyphus, was the name from Greek mythology; Sisyphus was a man condemned by the gods to roll a massive boulder uphill for eternity–a fitting metaphor for a project that delivers constant torment to virtually immortal cartoon characters, who are still capable of feeling pain. Also had no idea that Granny and Dr. Lorre were an item. Who knew? In real life, character actor Peter Lorre (1904-1964) was married to actress Celia Lovsky (1897-1979), who played the Vulcan matriarch ‘T’Pau’ in the 1967 Star Trek episode, “Amok Time,” as well as one of the ‘books’ from the 1973 dystopian cult classic “Soylent Green.”
In the desert, Wile E. says goodbye to Kevin and Paige (a full partner now). Wile E. and the Roadrunner resume their forever chase, which is no longer based on hunger–it’s how they express their friendship. The movie’s final text says the firm won their new cases, and Wile E. still visits Kevin when he’s lonely. And that he will catch the Roadrunner… someday.
Note: Sometimes you have the lose a bit to realize how much you’ve gained. A nice message.
The End.
Summing It Up
A high-octane mashup of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” and “Better Call Saul,” “Coyote vs. Acme” is ridiculously entertaining. Like the “Merry Melodies” and “Looney Tunes” cartoons I grew up with (a Saturday morning ritual), the movie is filled with sly social and political commentary that might fly over the heads of little ones. However, in the best tradition of those old Warner cartoons, kids seeing it today may discover that subtext as they get older. Meanwhile, there’s still plenty else going on to keep them absorbed until they age into the sly stuff.
Paige, Wile E. and Kevin meet a mysterious, Deep Throat-style whistleblower…
Like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” this is a universe where human characters coexist alongside cartoon characters (including sentient pigs, coyotes, ducks, roosters, et al), with each side abiding the physical laws and limitations of their existences. Humans can be killed by falling pianos, while cartoon characters take it a temporary inconvenience. However, cartoons can still feel pain, as well as emotions, such as outrage and loneliness. This is the crux of the story, as the roots of Wile E. Coyote’s obsession with catching the Roadrunner are explored in almost the same depth as Inspector Javert’s quest to nab reformed bread thief Valjean in Victor Hugo’s “Les Misérables.” All the while retaining the humor and wild energy of those classic Warner Bros’ cartoons I loved as a kid, and still do, even as an old coot.
The corporate-biased chyron reads like something from today’s legacy media.
Also surprising is the genuine humanity in the cast, including the lead trio Will Forte (“Saturday Night Live” “MacGruber”), Lana Condor (“Moonshot,” “Alita: Battle Angel”) and corporate villain John Cena (“The Suicide Squad,” “Peacemaker”) as well as an incredible well of voice talent, led by the new man-of-a-thousand-voices, Eric Bauza (“Looney Tunes”). Forte, playing a poorer-man’s Saul Goodman, delivers the right tone as sleazy, billboard lawyer Kevin Avery (named for classic animator-director Tex Avery), who’s prefers quick settlements over doing actual work. Condor, as Kevin’s wide-eyed idealistic niece Paige, helps her uncle find the few remaining scraps of his soul. Former professional wrestler John Cena, once-again sending up his blustery, ugly-American image, sinks his teeth into Acme’s corporate lawyer-villain, Buddy Crane.
Amid the cartoonish chaos, the movie throws lots of jabs at the casual recklessness of corporate America–and a few at its ex-distributor, Warner Bros (who threw this movie under a bus four years ago). The movie’s timely commentary on the dangers of deregulation and of using consumers as test dummies resonates more today than it might’ve back in 2022, so perhaps the movie’s delayed release was fortuitous. The many in-jokes and sight-gags fly so fast and furious that I’m sure it’ll take at least several more viewings before I catch most of them. I don’t mind. In fact, I look forward to it.
In an era of franchise-movie fatigue, it’s gobsmacking that this gem of a film was nearly scrapped. That Warner Bros passed on it in favor of a tax break is perhaps the most ironic in-joke of them all. Beyond the sight-gags, sly messaging, and in-jokes, the movie is consistently entertaining, nostalgic, and filled to the rim with high-energy wit. “Coyote vs. Acme” explodes onto the screen like so much Acme dynamite.
Where to Watch
As of this writing, “Coyote vs. Acme” is enjoying a healthy run in theatrical release. Under Warner Bros, the movie’s eventual, presumptive streaming release would’ve likely been on HBOMax; however, the purchase of the movie by independent Ketchup Entertainment makes that speculative–likewise any physical media release on DVD/Blu-Ray.
