Coyote vs. Acme Is a True Triumph for the Underdog (or Eatius Birdius): Review

For a lighthearted yet heartfelt comedy, there has been so much melodrama around Coyote vs. Acme, a movie that for a few years seemed like it wouldn’t see the light of day. The hybrid live-action/animated adventure, starring Will Forte, John Cena, and a slew of classic Looney Tunes characters, was infamously shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery for tax break purposes, until public pressure and an attractive enough offer from Ketchup Entertainment freed it. It’s important to mention this backstory up top because Coyote vs. Acme is, at its core, a testament to the little guy and to never giving up. It was that way from the script phase, clearly. However, even though that messaging has taken on a whole new significance with its release, the movie doesn’t need that extra layer of narrative to stand out as a charming, laugh-out-loud funny tribute to decades of animated history, even as it reflects a world of harsh realities. Directed by Dave Green, the movie does as the title promises, and delivers an actual courtroom tale by way of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? While the human lead of the movie is Forte, it’s very much the story of Wile E. Coyote, who has finally hit his limit with the malfunc...