Coyote vs. Acme review (2026)

Unlike the shoddy product rolled out by the Acme Corp. in Looney Tunes continuity, Coyote vs Acme is a high-quality stellar comedy. It’s the rare non-Pixar production that should entertain audiences of all generations.

Wile E. Coyote has been the victim of one too many defective Acme products in his never-ending quest to make a meal out of the Roadrunner (Tucker Hawkey). It’s bad enough that the malfunctioning equipment keeps breaking down when he’s thisclose to catching the Roadrunner, Wile E. has endured some massive physical harm from explosions, burns and some light cartoonish dismemberments.

Inspired by an attorney’s commercial, Wile E. doesn’t consider the possibility of user error and recruits the lawyer, Kevin Avery (Will Forte) to represent him in his lawsuit against Acme. Samy Burch crafts the Coyote vs. Acme screenplay from a plot by Burch, James Gunn and Jeremy Slater based on Ian Frazier’s 1990 New Yorker article.

Unlike some installments with Wile E. where he’s voiced by Mel Blanc and Joe Alaskey, Coyote vs Acme opts to keep him silent largely communicating through signs. That feels like the smart choice here as Wile E. communicates just as effectively with the furrowing of his brow and his exaggerated style of movement.

Kevin is hardly the fighting attorney his commercials would lead clients to believe. As an equal opportunity representative of both humans and cartoons, Kevin is more of a nuisance attorney who will get his clients an easy payday via a quick settlement.

His niece, Paige (Lana Condor, Pretty Lethal), hopes the case will spark some fight back into him though that seems like a longer shot than Wile E. winning the case.

Acme’s attorney Buddy Crane (John Cena, Peacemaker), Kevin’s old law school peer, is used to his old rival disappearing with a “go away” payoff. Cena is fully committed to the bit dripping with phony sincerity and smug overconfidence. Buddy is propped up by his assistant, Bill (P.J. Byrne), while trying to keep the Acme PR head Foghorn Leghorn (Eric Bauza) happy. Coyote vs. Acme wisely casts Foghorn in the ideal role for the chatty windbag.

Wile E. wants no part of an easy settlement and he’s intent on taking the case as far as needed for justice. Director Dave Green (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows) is locked in on how to merge the animated Looney Tunes world and bring it to a real-world setting.

Much like the fantastic Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers from 2022, Coyote vs. Acme makes the animated and live-action interaction seamless. The actors look like they’re playing off animated coyotes, roosters, rabbits and ducks instead of prop stand-ins.

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Despite the title, Coyote vs Acme features most of the Looney Tunes luminaries. Some have key supporting roles while others get quick cameos, but that helps establish the film’s events as a connective thread throughout the Looney Tunes universe.

Still, this is very much Wile E. Coyote’s movie, and he gets most of the biggest laughs thanks to his ridiculously complex schemes and overly complicated means to get things done. Whether it’s setting up a contraption to knock on Kevin’s door or strapping an ice machine on his back so he can ski in the streets, the visual gags with Wile E. are appropriately over the top and hilarious.

Forte was an inspired casting choice. He’s a master at facial contortions and offers enough animated expressions to match his cartoon counterpart. Condor is always a welcome presence in her films, and she gives Paige an encouraging energy to help motivate Kevin and Wile E. Coyote vs. Acme naturally has plenty of fun animated supporting performances, but Tone Bell, Martha Kelly and Byrne do solid work with their scenes.

Maybe the biggest surprise with Coyote vs Acme is how it takes the predatory “villain” Wile E. and some makes him not just a sympathetic figure, but also an inspiring one. It does take a special person…or animal to so consistently fail, pick themselves back up again and keep trying to get the job done. Ironically, that became the story of the film, which was shelved as a tax write-off in late 2023.

Ketchup Entertainment finally got Coyote vs. Acme out to fans, who should truly appreciate this charming, funny and heartfelt labor of love.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Photo Credit: Ketchup Entertainment

After watching Coyote vs. Acme, check out The Day the Earth Blew Up – A Looney Tunes Movie on Blu-Ray at Amazon.

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