Is there a more resolute, fictional lovable loser than Wile E. Coyote? Because I can’t think of one.
For over ¾ of a century, his quest to capture the Road Runner has been more memorable than any cartoon short of Tom and Jerry. His 0 percent success rate is one of the truly rare things that can make me laugh with the same delight I had as a kid watching reruns on Cartoon Network. Still, all this time I thought Wile was the bad guy (being a carnivore and all), but now, having seen Coyote vs. Acme, I’m not so sure.
The premise is in the title, as the film starts off with Wile returning to his cave, another failed day in the books. Only after seeing an ad does he realize that, maybe, it is the fault of the materials he has been using from the juggernaut that is the ACME corporation.
The ad is from a law firm headed by Kevin Avery (Will Forte), who only wants to settle. Unfortunately, both Wile and Kevin’s niece/intern Paige (Lara Condor) wish to take ACME, and the company’s lawyer, Buddy Crane (John Cena), is also in cahoots with Foghorn Leghorn.
The film follows in the tradition of live-action animation. The Looney Tunes have been doing this almost as long as those at Disney (both were in the best version of this, 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit). What makes these films work is when the story relies more on originality and not on the characters or past familiarities (the TV show is basically nonexistent in this film).
Acting with characters that are non-human is no picnic. It takes a special kind of talent and dedication, whether they are CGI, animated, or muppets (RIP Tim Curry). Arnett, Condor, Cena, and the rest of the cast are game and succeed on screen (especially when Cena goes toe to toe with Tweety…or beak to beak).
The film is riddled with easter eggs and background gags worth paying attention to. So many, in fact, I was only able to write down one, with Wile sitting at a desk, reading a book titled “How to Wait Menacingly”. Multiple viewings will need to suffice.
Parents, it is a PG movie with the Looney Tunes, so as long as you are okay with some mild swearing, this will be fine for kids (even if they don’t know who Peter Lorre is).
I have to admit, I would be lying if I said my perception of Wile E. Coyote was not changed by this film. Kevin soon realizes the respect he has for Wile, as he realizes he has no fear of failure. This is meaningful when you remember the film was not even supposed to be released since Warner Brothers originally wanted to write it off for tax purposes (similar to the still unseen Batgirl film), in the area of $30 million. As of this writing, Box Office Mojo has it at half that, and I would bet it will surpass $30 million soon enough.
For fans like yours truly, the film is somewhat of a solid blast.
Overall:
Nothing else to say 