The Stream: Drags in the middle and is more sweet than funny.

The Big Screen: Animation and nostalgia give this premise a boost.

The Final Bill: Looney Tunes fans will get a kick of this clever blast from the past.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Dave Green
Writers: Samy Burch; story by Samy Burch, James Gunn & Jeremy Slater
Stars: Will Forte, Lana Condor, John Cena, Tone Bell, Eric Bauza
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
Production Companies: Keylight Pictures, Troll Court Entertainment, Two Moneys, A Goat and Another Dead Monkey, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Ketchup Entertainment
Platform: In theaters August 28, 2026
Notable Trailers: Jumanji: Open World, Wildwood, Forgotten Island, Hexed, The Cat in the Hat

Hey, Streamers! I know the kiddos are headed back to school, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still enjoy some fun times at the movies. Actually, Coyote vs. Acme is as much for the parents that grew up on the Looney Tunes as for the kids today. In this movie, after years of failing to catch the Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote retains a smalltime personal injury lawyer, Kevin Avery (Will Forte), who specializes in cartoon violence, in Albuquerque to sue the Acme Corporation for repeatedly selling him unreliable and faulty equipment. Kevin, who is accustomed to settling these cases for small sums, is out of his depth with such a big lawsuit against Acme. When a nefarious plot by Acme is uncovered, Kevin and Coyote fight against the Acme CEO Foghorn Leghorn and Acme’s lawyer, Buddy Crane (John Cena), to expose the company and get Coyote justice. Beep-beep and anvil-falling hijinks ensue.

Coyote vs. Acme has such a clever premise that it basically can coast on that for almost 90 minutes. Of course, Wile E. Coyote should sue Acme because their products are terrible, right!?!? And, there’s obviously corporate greed here, right!?!?! In fact, this movie has a lot of clever nuggets throughout. The sight gags are plenty, and so you must pay attention because there are little jokes in each frame. Additionally, many of your Looney Tunes favorites are peppered throughout the film in various roles and cameos. The animation is fun and varied and they fit into well into the real world. The mixed media of animation is eye-catching. Now, the problem with Coyote vs. Acme, in my opinion, is that the Looney Tunes shorts are usually only minutes long, and this story feels stretched in order to reach movie length and things can wear out their welcome. I don’t think the filmmakers figured out how to make this plot fill out 90 minutes. There are moments that drag, especially as the film nears its ending. The movie feels like it is grasping at straw in order to reach a resolution. Also, the movie is more humorous than laugh out loud funny. Yes, you will smile throughout, maybe even giggle a bit, but you probably won’t laugh a lot. Nevertheless, the characters are fun, including perfectly calibrated performances by Forte and Cena as the main human characters; and the ultimate message is timely even though it will go over most young viewers’ heads.

Ultimately, Coyote vs. Acme takes the humor and charm of the Looney Tunes originals and mixes them with a clever premise that speaks to present day issues. There are a lot of fun cameos that will stir up wistful, mostalgic memories. While there are funny moments, the laughs aren’t overwhelming and the story loses steam as it nears its resolution. Nevertheless, it is a pleasant time at the movies, so grab a bowl of popcorn and take your smartest child to a matinee.