“Coyote vs. Acme” is a Comedic Triumph (Movie Review)

If you’re reading this, you’re probably at least somewhat aware of the chaotic journey that brought Dave Green’s “Coyote vs. Acme” to the big screen. Honestly, the behind-the-scenes saga was every bit as ridiculous and turbulent as anything happening in the actual movie. What should’ve been an easy lay-up for Warner Bros. somehow became one of the strangest film cancellations in recent memory.

Then-new Warner Bros. chief David Zaslav (remember that name, he sucks) decided the movie was apparently more valuable to the company as a… tax write-off. Yes, really. That decision led to the film being canceled and, for a while, seemingly wiped from Warner Bros.’ servers.

Originally scheduled for release in 2023, “Coyote vs. Acme” spent years stuck in limbo while fans, creatives, and others pushed to get it released. After years of work behind the scenes and a grassroots campaign, Ketchup Entertainment eventually stepped in and gave the movie a second life.

Now, in 2026, “Coyote vs. Acme” is finally playing in theaters. Considering everything this movie had to endure just to exist, I walked into it with some pretty damn high expectations.

And somehow, Dave Green’s film doesn’t merely meet those expectations. It absolutely shatters them.

TOP FIVE THINGS ABOUT “COYOTE VS. ACME”

5. The Human Cast

Coyote vs. Acme is a live-action/animation hybrid, mixing 2D and 3D animation to bring the long-standing Looney Tunes characters into a live-action world. That approach isn’t exactly groundbreaking anymore, but the degree to which Coyote vs. Acme pulls it off, especially on the human side, is genuinely impressive.

Casting Will Forte, John Cena, and Lana Condor was an inspired choice because all three are willing to go all in. They bring a heightened energy to the movie that lets them exist naturally alongside literal cartoon characters. Everyone is operating on the same wavelength, which makes the world feel surprisingly believable.

Compare that to something like Michael Jordan in Space Jam (absolutely no disrespect, sir, but a thespian you are not), and the difference becomes pretty damn obvious. Jordan often felt like a normal person trapped inside a cartoon movie, whereas the cast here seems fully committed to the absurdity.

There are moments when John Cena is having a completely serious conversation with Foghorn Leghorn, and your brain almost forgets which one is supposed to be real. Cena sells the interaction so naturally that it somehow feels completely normal. That’s a huge reason why the movie’s ridiculous premise works as well as it does.

4. The Direction

Dave Green and cinematographer Brandon Trost, who has become an MVP when it comes to ambitious, visually audacious comedies, give Coyote vs. Acme a fantastically inventive visual language. Obviously, the gold standard for this kind of live-action/animation hybrid will always be Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and while Coyote vs. Acme doesn’t quite reach those heights, it’s clearly interested in pushing the combination of animation and live action in some really creative directions.

Several standout sequences show Green and his team combining practical effects with fully animated imagery to give the Looney Tunes characters a surprising sense of weight and physicality. The animated characters don’t simply feel pasted into the live-action world. There’s a real effort to make them feel like they occupy the same physical space.

I was especially impressed by the opening sequence, which pulls out a deep-cut Looney Tunes reference and uses it to fantastic effect, as well as a mid-film train tunnel sequence. Both showcase some seriously fluid and jaw-dropping combinations of animation and live action, and they reminded me of the best parts of Roger Rabbit.

This is clearly a movie that took a ridiculous amount of time, dedication, and passion to pull together. Thankfully, you can see that effort on screen.

3. The Jokes

The jokes are fantastic. This is very much a mile-a-minute joke machine of a film, and the vast majority of them hit. They run the gamut from smart to outright silly in the best ways, all while the film manages to feel coherent and cohesive.

Many of the iconic Chuck Jones-directed Looney Tunes short films from the ’30s and ’40s feature some of the most enduring jokes and visual gags from the past century of entertainment, and Coyote vs. Acme does a more-than-admirable job of not only carrying on that legacy but also engaging in direct conversation with it.

Some gags in this film do more than reference or recycle classic bits. They internalize the mechanics of what made those jokes so great and apply them in new ways. Much credit goes to everyone involved, from Green to the cast and beyond, but especially screenwriter Sammy Burch.

2. The Legal and Metatextual Heft

It’s difficult to articulate this without oversimplifying it, but the fact that David Zaslav attempted to bury this film and ultimately delete it from existence makes the themes of Coyote vs. Acme hit that much harder. For one thing, I think it’s fair to say that Green’s film was ahead of the curve. If it had been released in 2023, it would have resonated, but not quite the same way it does now.

Now, amidst a second Trump presidency and the AI boom, Coyote vs. Acme’s story about an entire subsection of the population being exploited and taken advantage of by larger-than-life corporations feels that much more potent. On top of that, the film somehow becomes a damning indictment of Zaslav himself without altering a single frame.

It’s incredibly funny to think about Zaslav screening this movie years ago and not seeing the value in its anti-capitalist message because, of course, he wouldn’t. He is capitalism. The dude literally tried to delete this movie for a tax reimbursement. He’s probably not going to enjoy watching a CEO get his just desserts, but now, thank God, the rest of us finally can.

1. The Heart of These Characters

What struck me most about Coyote vs. Acme was how effectively the film cuts through the noise, clutter, and legacy surrounding these Looney Tunes characters to get to their hearts in some genuinely striking ways.

The relationship between Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner, and their eternal game of cat and mouse, has become so deeply ingrained in popular culture over the decades that it’s easy to assume there isn’t much left to explore. You might think we’ve seen every possible version of their dynamic by now.

But you’d be seriously wrong. Coyote vs. Acme finds something meaningful underneath all of that history and familiarity, eventually building toward a finale that feels earned, immensely satisfying, and, surprisingly, genuinely moving.

RGM GRADE

(B+)

Coyote vs. Acme is a fantastic film packed with heart, thrills, gags, and even more gags. I’m genuinely delighted that the movie has finally been released after all these years, but even more so that, after everything it went through, it ended up being better than I could’ve hoped for.

If you’re reading this and haven’t seen the film yet, I strongly encourage you to go see it as soon as you can. The incredible creatives behind this movie, who persevered for years and continued standing their ground in the face of corporate bullshit, deserve to be rewarded for their efforts.

On top of that, this is simply a banger of a movie. It’s hilarious, heartfelt, visually inventive, and packed with the kind of energy that makes going to the theater feel worthwhile. You’re almost guaranteed to walk out with a smile on your face.

So go treat yourself, grab some popcorn, and catch the next showing of Coyote vs. Acme at your local theater. After everything this movie went through just to reach the screen, it deserves a damn good audience.

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