Coyote vs. ACME, rated PG
***
Coyote vs. ACME is an entertaining film that blends animation and live action, based on the lovable loser Wile E. Coyote. The film is directed by Dave Green, and written by Oscar nominee Samy Burch (May December), James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Jeremy Slater, adapted from a 1990 New Yorker article by Ian Frazier.
We are told that this film is “based on a true story”. After years of misery pursuing the speed demon known as the Road Runner – Wile E. Coyote, a longtime consumer of ACME products, is at home nursing his latest wounds, when he sees an ad for a law firm, and decides to sue the ACME Corporation, which is owned by Foghorn Leghorn.
Wile E. enlists the help of a law firm specializing in personal injury cases (called Avery, Jones & Maltese, a nod to three of the Looney Tunes’ chief architects, Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, and Michael Maltese), headed by Kevin Avery, played by Emmy nominee Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth, 30 Rock), whose specialty is getting small settlements for cartoon characters who have had limbs and such blown off by faulty products. Kevin’s niece Paige Avery, played by Lana Condor, is his intern who recently graduated from law school.
This won’t be easy for Coyote. ACME is a huge organization, with plenty of money and a corporate attorney named Buddy Crane, played by Emmy nominee John Cena (Heads of State, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?). Kevin doesn’t have any motivation for taking on ACME and his law school classmate Crane. Will Coyote be able to get justice for being the victim of faulty ACME products? Is there more to the story?
The enjoyable film has nostalgic cameos by Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Tasmanian Devil, and many more.
The film includes humor, some heartfelt moments, violence and some minor adult language.
Having grown up watching the Coyote’s fruitless pursuit of the Road Runner, we really enjoyed this film, which creatively uses cartoons along with the live action.