'Coyote Vs. Acme' review: Comedy gets its day in court
Ladies, fellas and theydies: if he's unkillable, he's a meeper. Corporations are shaking in their disgustingly expensive boots because Coyote Vs. Acme has arrived at the courthouse after a long, tumultuous journey. In this explosive legal comedy that mixes animation with live action, most of your favourite Looney Tunes characters are back for some hijinks. After decades of failed attempts at catching and killing Road Runner (Eric Bauza voices him in addition to many more characters) using Acme Corporation's various products, Wile E. Coyote decides to sue it for selling defective products and causing personal injuries. Wile E. hires low-level attorney Kevin Avery (Will Forte), intern Paige Avery (Lana Condor) and their firm down in Albuquerque, New Mexico for this Sisyphean task, clashing against Acme Corporation's lawyer Buddy Crane (John Cena). This lawsuit poses a threat to expose said company's secret, pernicious malpractices.
Let's just cut to the chase. You came for the heehees, haahaas and humour first and foremost, and you came to laugh and have the time of your life. In that regard, Coyote Vs. Acme is an outright triumph. Fully committed to silliness, slapstick and cartoonish violence, the movie lives and breathes its "you miss every shot you don't take" mentality, growing every possible seed into a tree of goofs and gaffs. Director Dave Green, the cast and the animators produce wonderful bits and physical comedy throughout as they satisfy audience members of all ages in the process. The film stumbles at times when it brings second- and third-string characters into the fold in awkward fashion, but thankfully it's not enough to stop the train.
As far as the cast goes, Forte has a character like Kevin down to a Twee, Condor is a very good scene partner, Bauza's voice acting has no false notes, whilst several character actors like Luis Guzmán (as Judge Troppogrosso), Martha Kelly (Dottie Jones) and P. J. Byrne (Bill Pelicanos) pop in and do their job deftly as well. Cena, however, is the stealth MVP as he's actually showing some acting muscles here in a role perfectly suited for him. His comedic sensibilities are very much on display. Most of all, the interplay between the human actors and animated characters is top-notch, which is a real feat.
On that note, the movie is fabulously designed and crafted. Sometimes it's hard to know if you're looking at fully animated images (Warner Animation Group is the animation studio) or if the VFX, different styles of animation and live action cinematography (Brandon Trost doing solid work) are perfectly in sync. The lighting, shading and compositing for the visual effects is stellar, too. Whatever the recipe was, it is undeniable that the crew cooked with gas. Add composer Steven Price's playful score with its orchestral meeps and percussive bops into the pot and the Road Runner stew is ready to go.
And while you may have come for the aforementioned elements, and stayed for them, you end up leaving with more than you bargained for. Samy Burch's script—which adapts Ian Frazier's New Yorker article 'Coyote v. Acme'—is much better and smarter than it needed to be. Yes, it devises a tightly plotted legal comedy with fun wordplay and scenarios, which alone is enough, but in the big picture, it also taps into animal abuse, corporate greed and capitalism before becoming a meta commentary on the film's own cancellation and comeback as an underdog (undercoyote?). There's something to break down with younger kids afterwards and some inspiration to inhale for your ongoing battle against corporate interests and politicians harnessing them, as well as in the battle for dignity, accountability and perhaps even affordable healthcare.
And what if I said that the ending manages to be rather touching on top of everything? You better believe it. Coyote Vs. Acme not only has the brain for clever jokes and buffoonery, it also has a heartbeat. The writing is clever in the sense that the courtroom stuff does not result in a cheap, feel-good outcome. Instead, that aspect plays out realistically and quietly while the relationship between Wile E. and Road Runner is the one that gets the heartfelt treatment. It is a lovely reintroduction for this franchise. So, play another Looney Tune while you're at it, why don't you?
Smileys: Humour, screenplay, VFX
Frowneys: None
Watch out, it's Pepé Le Eww.
4.0/5
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