Film Review | Coyote vs Acme

Some may call Coyote VS ACME satire. Others, a love letter to the source material, or to cinema at large. Warner Brothers tried to call it a tax writeoff back in 2023 after it finished production by shelving it and subjecting the completed film to possible deletion.

Call it what you want, you can now call it a box office success with an opening that comes second only to Marvel’s latest Spider-Man release. Thanks to the controversy surrounding Coyote vs ACME, this surprisingly earnest comedy featuring a blend of live action and 2D animation was destined to do reasonably well, however the film is bolstered by more than a fascinating backstory. Utilizing techniques and storytelling that led Who Framed Roger Rabbit? to critical acclaim, as well as great topical commentary to enhance a traditional underdog story, Coyote vs ACME delivers a wonderful moviegoing experience on every single front.

Inspired by the classic New Yorker article originally written by Ian Frazier and published in 1990, Coyote vs ACME takes place in a world that could easily exist in the universe of the aforementioned Roger Rabbit, where cartoons and humans live side by side. Beginning with a glimpse into the mysterious work and untimely end of ACME scientist Dr. Lorre thirty years earlier, this movie tells the story of a worn down Wile E. Coyote deciding, at long last, to take ACME to court for their faulty products. Availing himself of the services of quintessential ambulance chasing personal injury attorney Kevin Avery of Avery, Jones, & Maltese, Wile E. Coyote tricks the small potatoes firm into suing ACME for every one of their defective products. In the process, a deeper and darker corporate conspiracy is unearthed that forces Kevin to face a personal reckoning with his inner demons and his sense of purpose.

While the film’s blend of 2D animation and live action film isn’t unknown these days, it is a rare treat to see on the silver screen. It is also unique in this instance as it is presented not as an incursion into our reality like the Space Jam movies, but an alternate reality where the fusion of the two worlds is pervasive. The logo of corporate juggernaut ACME is seen in every possible corner and even on the phones of the protagonists, and animated characters and humans interact freely. More importantly, small details like the bright squeaky gavel Judge Troppogrosso (Luis Guzmán) uses or the thick animated complaint placed on the desk of ACME defense attorney Buddy Crane (John Cena) are seen and handled with ease, giving unique depth to the world at large.

Wonderful little references and lore also pepper the film. The law firm of Avery, Jones, & Maltese honors legendary animator Tex Avery, as well as co-creators of Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner, Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese. Cena’s delightfully easy to hate character is also named after Buddy, one of the original Looney Tunes. Granny and Dr. Lorre even get some depth and redemption respectively, as Tweety Bird’s doting owner portrays the paranoid widow of Dr. Lorre. Dr. Lorre, based on classic actor Peter Lorre, is the Looney Tunes stand in for the mad scientist, amoral and isolated, but in this instance is Tweety Bird’s loving father figure and devoted husband of Granny, pledged to the betterment of all toons and disposed of for knowing too much about the ominous ACME corporation’s ‘Project Sisyphus.’

What was most surprising about the film is the heart it displays alongside biting social commentary, showcasing slapstick comedy and animation as a true art form, and a reflection of the human condition. It’s an irony that nearly turned tragic when this film’s corporate criticisim was nearly lost to a tax write off.

Production of Coyote vs ACME was a labor of love that left all who worked on it invested, reflected in very positive test screenings and high interest from buyers after it wrapped. Despite this, Coyote vs ACME became one of three major films to be shelved by Warner Brothers, with Coyote vs ACME ready for release while its fellows Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt never made it to post-production. When the announcement was made in November of 2023, it’s notable that staff of the film were not informed of this decision until the movie was fully completed.

What followed was a years long effort to sell the film’s rights to another studio for release, one that very nearly failed. However, with the public outcry from industry professionals and the public at large, a sale was finally made to Ketchup Studios in 2025 alongside those of The Day The Earth Blew Up for $50 million, and Coyote vs ACME finally had its theatrical release on August 21st to critical acclaim that is well-deserved. With great comedic turns from lead Will Forte as despair and sloth personified Kevin Avery and Cena’s reprehensible legal bully Buddy Crane, passionate speeches about Wile E. Coyote as a metaphor for dedication and relentless hope, and highly palatable depictions of capitalist abuses that still evoke the necessary outrage to mobilize a restless public, Coyote vs ACME is a unicorn of a film.

It’s a callback to the best moments in Hollywood history, a callout to the worst in corporate America and late stage capitalism, and a reminder to all of us that the journey may be long, but the good guys really do win in the end, every single time.

It’s in theaters everywhere.