Coyote vs. Acme (dir. Dave Green)

By: Dave Hughes & Nick Zednik

There’s something perfectly poetic about Coyote vs. Acme being unceremoniously dismissed as a tax write-off by Warner Bros., only to emerge years later as a genuinely charming reminder of why movies like this deserve to exist. Thanks to Ketchup Entertainment, Director Dave Green’s (TMNT: Out of the Shadows) long-shelved Looney Tunes adventure takes the classic premise of Wile E. Coyote’s endless, disastrous pursuit of the Road Runner and asks a wonderfully absurd question: what if he finally decided to sue Acme for all those defective products? 

Coyote vs. Acme opens with the familiar, never-ending pursuit of the Road Runner by Wile E. Coyote. It is the classic routine where Coyote comes close to catching his prey, only for his elaborate schemes to blow up in his face due to faulty Acme products or his own relentless bad luck. After yet another catastrophic failure, a bruised and battered Coyote is forced to reflect on where things went wrong. Playing in the background, a low-budget television commercial catches his attention as a down-on-his-luck attorney, played by Will Forte (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, The Lego Movie), claims he can help victims sue negligent corporations for damages. Sensing an opportunity for ultimate vindication, Coyote hatches a brand new plan, venturing into the human world to take Acme to court while keeping his dream of catching the Road Runner in the back of his mind.

Perhaps what is most charming about the film is how it gives the classic Looney Tunes roster a chance to shine through clever cameos and supporting roles alongside Wile E. Coyote. There is a deep well of nostalgia for older viewers who grew up watching icons like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. At the same time, the film functions as an introduction for a younger generation who might recognize these faces without fully knowing their history. Director Dave Green presents that built-in familiarity which creates immediate awareness and empathy, allowing audiences of all ages to invest in these characters and their journey.

The hybrid of live-action and 2D animation is also a major selling point. The tactile absurdity of classic Looney Tunes is fully embraced while placing the characters into a convincingly grounded live-action environment, and the integration is remarkably seamless. The animation doesn’t merely sit on top of the footage; it interacts with the physical world in ways that preserve the exaggerated logic of the cartoons while allowing the movie to function as a modern family comedy. The film doesn’t reinvent the wheel or change the game, but it demonstrates how much life remains in the IP when the filmmakers actually respect the source material. 

Beneath its silly premise, Coyote vs. Acme carries a surprisingly powerful emotional core. Viewers will likely find a renewed sense of empathy for Wile E. Coyote and his never-ending pursuit of the Road Runner. His refusal to give up transforms from a running gag into the emotional heartbeat of the story. That resilience takes on extra resonance for audiences who followed the real-world battle to rescue this film from the corporate vault and bring it to theaters which makes it feel like a personal success story as well as an entertaining piece of media. 

Target Score 8/10 At one point in time, Coyote vs. Acme was deemed cast aside in a vault forever, making the eventual resurrection a small victory for audiences. While not flawless, there’s enough wit and heart packed into a wonderfully sincere package that ultimately proves Wile E. Coyote isn’t the only one who deserves second chances.