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 malfunctioning Acme products that have prevented him from capturing and devouring his eternal nemesis, the Road Runner. So he finally decides to take legal action, hiring Saul Goodman-esque personal injury attorney Kevin Avery (Forte) to sue Acme for decades of his pain.

Wile E. finds Kevin because of Kevin’s TV commercials, unaware that Kevin has made a (not so lucrative) career out of settling all his cases for a measly few hundred bucks. Frustrated by his lawyer’s laziness and burnout, the coyote uses his innate wiles to blow up his case into one that attracts the attention of Acme bigwig lawyer Buddy Crane (Cena) — as well as the nation.

There’s more to the story, as writer Samy Burch’s script adds an additional layer of evil conspiracy on the part of Acme and its legendary products. It’s not quite as interesting as the meat of Wile E. Coyote’s journey, but it does fuel a lot of the plot, and also provides an easy angle to bring in so many beloved characters from the classic cartoons, many in unexpected ways. The vibe really is that of living in a world where these characters just live amongst us, and it’s fascinating to watch certain props shift from live-action to animated form, with a tremendous amount of the live-action utilizing practical elements to really keep things feeling grounded.

In addition to the big glorious slapstick gags, there are so many small details scattered throughout the movie for fans to pick up on during the first or perhaps the 10th viewing. Easily one of my favorite touches: One of the movie’s rare needle drops is the DJ Shadow/Run the Jewels song “Nobody Speak.” It’s a song that does contain lyrics which are not exactly PG rated. So the movie bleeps them. Or more accurately, it meeps them. That’s not the only Easter egg buried in the music: Pay attention to Steven Price’s score and you’ll get to enjoy the beauty of his Road Runner choir meeping through Tchaikovsky.

Had a lot of fun scoring Coyote Vs Acme. As no-one will be able to hear it now, due to bizarre anti-art studio financial shenanigans I will never understand, here is a bit of behind the scenes footage of our “Meep Meep” Roadrunner choir, with apologies to Tchaikovsky… pic.twitter.com/HL7h00rXpp

— Steven Price (@SteveBPrice) November 10, 2023

Additionally, the degree to which this movie pays tribute to the past can’t be understated. This includes surface-level touches like the name of Kevin’s law firm being Avery, Jones & Maltese, nodding to three of the most iconic Looney Tunes creators. Most importantly, the movie remains faithful as the Pope to maestro Chuck Jones’s rules for a Coyote-Road Runner cartoon, including the setting (the American southwest) and how the characters speak (not at all, except through signs).

The human cast is all fun — Cena really glories in the role of baddie, matching wits with the likes of Tweetie Bird, and Forte’s ramshackle energy does leave his character likable while also clearly indicating he has room to grow. Some supporting cast members, like Lana Condor, Martha Kelly, and Tone Bell as employees at Kevin’s law firm, could be utilized more. But the emphasis is on the animated cast more often than not. Which is of course exactly the right approach for a movie that has access to such a rich assortment of talent. The Looney Tunes have been stars for decades, and this movie, as much of a roller coaster as its path to the screen has been, offers up hope that they’ll be stars for decades more to come.

One rule that wasn’t originally published in Jones’ autobiography (but has since been included on the list) is perhaps the hardest to follow: “The audience’s sympathy must remain with the Coyote.” After all, the Coyote wants to eat the Road Runner, and the Road Runner’s so cute, right? However, that rule ends up being the rule the movie most successfully follows. We get to go home with Wile and see his sad cave full of past failures — yet still he perseveres. He really will never give up, and Coyote vs. Acme, above all else, reveals how beautiful that is.

Coyote vs. Acme fires up its Acme jetpack and blasts into theaters on August 28th, 2026. Check out the trailer below.