Shadows on the Wall | Coyote vs Acme

Coyote vs. Acme

dir Dave Green
scr Samy Burch
prd Chris DeFaria, James Gunn
with Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor, Luis Guzman, Tone Bell, Martha Kelly, PJ Byrne, Kenneth Choi
voices Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Jim Cummings
release US/UK 28.Aug.26
26/US Warners 1h41

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A riotously high-energy mix of live action and animation, this comedy is jam-packed with jokes and references that come from all sides, hilariously mixing cartoon chaos into the human world. The filmmakers pack witty gags into the corners of every scene, from smart wordplay to Looney Tunes bits designed specifically to delight long-time fans. It's such a barrage of clever humour that it deserves to become a perennial favourite.

Fed up with the failure of every Acme device he uses to capture Road Runner, Wile E Coyote answers a TV advert for injury lawyer Kevin (Forte) in Albuquerque. Kevin focusses on small cases, but his niece intern Paige (Condor) thinks this one could be huge. And Wile E insists on going to court, refusing to settle with Acme's ruthless attorney Buddy (Cena). But they need Road Runner to testify that Acme's products are faulty, and the judge (Guzman) won't put up with any silly stuff. Meanwhile, Paige suspects that there's a bigger conspiracy afoot.

To humans, Wile E begins looks like a ridiculously accident-prone obsessive psychopath with only one driving purpose for everything he does. But in the funniest way imaginable. And Kevin is wildly inexperienced at presenting a case in court. But he finds clues in encounters with Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and a seriously triggered Daffy Duck. Meanwhile, Buddy is pressured by CEO Foghorn Leghorn to close the case. And Tweety is working for Buddy behind the scenes. All of these classic characters are voiced by Bauza.

It helps that the live-action cast play their roles with straight-faces, even up against the most bonkers nuttiness imaginable. At the centre, Forte makes the bumbling Kevin surprisingly likeable, so we cheer him as he rises to the challenge. And Cena plays the swaggering Buddy with a superbly villainous deadpan charm. Most impressive is how well the cartoons and humans mix together, especially in the more maniacal action set-pieces.

Kevin struggles to see the point of this case, because cartoon clients are always fine after injuries. But Paige reminds him that doesn't make it right, refusing to sit by and let the rich guys get richer. There are other deeper ideas gurgling around, elevating the movie's ability to connect and keep us laughing. There's even a nice message relating to Wile E's tenacity. It's surprisingly cool to see Road Runner antics in a real-world setting. And the steady stream of cartoon action mayhem keeps us thrilled, entertained and unexpectedly engaged.

themes, language, violence 19.Aug.26

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