By Lynn Venhaus
Letting our inner child out for an adult Looney Tunes excursion is a splendid way to cap off summer. When it’s as clever and sharp as “Coyote vs. Acme,” the joys are many.

Perennial underdog Wile E. Coyote faces an even bigger challenge than that pesky speedy Road Runner when he lawyers up and sues corporate monopoly Acme over faulty products. After all, he’s experienced decades of explosive misfortunes, so why not a class-action lawsuit?

In the inventive style of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” and “Chip ‘n Dale’s Rescue Rangers,” this live-action animated hybrid comedy is remarkably on point as a satire, but the nostalgia is elevated, too, respecting those merry melodies.

Founded in 1930 and nurtured during the golden age of animation, Looney Tunes specialized in wild slapstick comedy, dandy wordplay, funny visual gags and topical humor. A staple of Warner Brothers, first as shorts before movies, then on television: “That’s all, folks!”

As a nod to the legacy, the film honors directors Chuck Jones and Tex Avery and writer Michael Maltese (co-creator of Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner) with the law firm Jones, Avery and Maltese. The lawyers include Kevin Avery (Will Forte), Dottie Jones (Martha Kelly), Sal Maltese (Tone Bell), and Kevin’s niece Paige Avery, a go-getter intern played by the spirited Lana Condor.

The gang’s all here too – hapless Porky Pig, high-strung Daffy Duck, sly Bugs Bunny, flustered Elmer Fudd, resourceful Tweety, impatient Sylvester, hot-tempered Yosemite Sam, fast-talking trickster Foghorn Leghorn, wild and ferocious Tasmanian Devil – and Granny.

Most anamorphic animal characters are voiced by the uncanny Eric Bauza, a voice actor considered the successor to Looney Tunes legend Mel Blanc. Bauza has won three Emmys for his cartoon performances.

The ingenious story pits blustery small-time attorney Will Forte against slick corporate counsel John Cena as Buddy Crane, who clash often about consumer rights. Wile E. seeks compensation for all those catastrophes. But the profit-obsessed conglomerate has things to hide and its victims more to say.

The original story, by St. Louisan James Gunn, Jeremy Slater and Samy Burch, with screenplay by Oscar nominee Burch (“May December”), tackles corporate greed and parodies philosopher Albert Camus on our self-destructive absurdities – “The Myth of Sisyphus.” Their courtroom concept was inspired by a 1990 New Yorker article by Ian Frazier.

You know that hungry, determined coyote is never going to stop rolling that boulder up a hill, no matter how many times it will mow him down. There is dignity in his futility, rather Shakespearean at times.

Director Dave Green maintains the cartoon’s chaotic wackiness, and the visuals are bright, fresh and funny. Coyote’s struggles mirror our lives – the fight we keep fighting, no matter if it’s detrimental for us. Because that’s how we roll.

The film is chock-full of Easter eggs and ingenious nods. The playful score by Steven Price includes a “Meep Meep Road Runner Choir” that enhances Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.

The never-say-die story has taken on special meaning because of the backstory involving Warner Brothers Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who decided to ditch the movie as a tax write-off after post-production in 2022. Folks found out at the 2023 San Diego Comic Con, and that fueled a vocal fan response. 

And unlike that coyote, persistence and resilience won the day here, for another distributor, Ketchup Entertainment, is now releasing the film. And it’s worth rallying around not just because it’s a cause célèbres, but because it’s a darn fine movie. And now Warner is in the process of a merger with Paramount Skydance.

At the end of the closing credits there is a dedication: “To everyone who posted, shared, held up signs, and spoke out when it counted. This film made it to the big screen because of you.”

“Coyote vs. Acme” is an entertaining triumph for the filmmakers and a testament to the little guy to never give up.

“Coyote vs. Acme” is a 2026 animated live action hybrid comedy directed by Dave Green and starring Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor, Martha Kelly, and Tone Bell. It is rated PG and runtime is 1 hour, 41 minutes. It opened in theatres Aug. 28. Lynn’s Grade: B+.