MOVIE REVIEW: 'Coyote vs. Acme' wins big in courtroom of comedy

A wily lawyer and a Wile E. coyote's unlikely friendship fuels terrific, all-ages courtroom comedy that justifies the brave importance of never giving up The Snapshot: After years of delays and a public battle to be released at all, Coyote vs. Acme succeeds as a lively courtroom comedy that will excite and inspire underdogs of all ages. Coyote vs. Acme 8 out of 10 PG, 1hr 43mins. Comedy. Directed by Dave Green. Starring Will Forte, Wile E. Coyote, Lana Condor, Eric Bauza, Candi Milo and John Cena. The convoluted, dare I say it, looney history of the new comedy Coyote vs. Acme may very well be contested in future courtrooms. For now, one judgment should be proclaimed far and wide: after years of delays and controversy, the now released film is a genuine creative triumph. Who would've thought so many unusual elements would make for such a successful whole? Part legal drama, part crime caper, part Saturday morning cartoon, and part morality tale, this effective and entertaining story miraculous finds balance in all of the above. The star character of the sly and silent Wile E. Coyote takes the spotlight for the first time, where he teams up with discouraged, small-time lawyer Kevin (Will Forte, in his best performance since Nebraska) to file a lawsuit against the fictitious Acme corporation for years of malfunctioning Road Runner catching equipment. What may seem at first like the set up to a straightforward clever short film, however, is merely a guise for a much more profound and surprisingly optimistic story about finding the courage to try, try again - and how to confront the impossible. Led by director Dave Green, the entire team of writers, producers and on screen talent - both human and animated - haven't just made the single best Looney Tunes movie of all time, but also the best animation live action hybrid film in decades. There's a clear influence from the 1988 classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit? at play. It begins with the use of cartoon characters in the subject of a real-world mystery, all used as the vehicle to discuss human politics and ethics in the corporate world. But in 2026, the themes of standing up to the power of overtly greedy corporations strikes a powerful chord among audiences both young and old. In a sense, it's perfectly reasonable to call the real world politics and ever-growing threats of corporate greed a little..well, looney. All of these broad ideas are shaped into a brilliant screenplay Samy Burch, who's script is well-plotted, intelligent, inspiring and laugh-out-loud funny. In writing alone, this is miles ahead of the pandering and self-absorbed mess that was Space Jam 2 five years ago. Read more here: Space Jam's new legacy gets a technical foul (2021 review) There's a surprising amount of philosophy and heart in the rags to riches forged friendship of Wile E. and Kevin, and that kinship is what makes them so likeable in their fight against Acme's evil. One could argue it's ironic that Warner Bros., currently embroiled in a legal fight of their own with a contested business merger, tried to permanently block the release of a movie about a band of wily heroes trying to take down a corrupt, big business conglomerate. But I'll let you draw your own conclusions there. While the film was shot four years ago and initially shelved for good by a 2023 Warner Bros. tax write off, it was the passionate campaign and cries of movie fans worldwide that validated the sale of this very film to the little know, independent distributor Ketchup Entertainment. Now, years later, fans will be rewarded with this spunky little movie that could finally being released to the public. And what a reward it is: Coyote vs. Acme is great fun and a worthwhile cinematic event.