Coyote vs. ACME

There’s always a clamour for the ‘next’ something.

So the fact that it’s taken this long for the ‘next’ Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, i.e. the ultimate cartoon/live-action hybrid, is surprising.

The fact that Coyote vs. ACME has gone through plenty of hurdles to even be released, and then has largely been stuck with daytime ‘kids’ screenings, mean it might have to earn its way to cult status like its predecessor.

Fortunately, considering just how good that eighties Bob Hoskins classic is, Coyote vs. ACME just about meets the bar.

Sure, that means it’s jostling for second place in the cartoon/live-action stakes with Space Jam and Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers but that’s not a bad place to be considering how this could have gone.

It’s a genius set up, a law firm for cartoons sues the ACME corporation on behalf of Wile E. Coyote for their malfunctioning products in his fruitless pursuit of the Road Runner.

There’s some classic corporate mystery, a subtle swipe at the American corporate culture, a heartfelt analogy using Sisyphus about hard work and plenty of laugh-out-loud visual humour.

There really are some brilliant jokes here from classic Looney Tunes slapstick to Easter Eggs and tiny background details lovingly placed.

The plot works itself out nicely and there’s a great human cast alongside almost all of the classic Looney Tunes you know and love but worth noting, in the vein of the other films of this type, that this may do more for the adults than the little ones.

Another marvellous and classic feeling cartoon/live-action hybrid finally putting the Looney Tunes back on the big screen. More cases please.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️