Movie Review – ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ is the best film you almost never saw

New live-action/animation film Coyote vs. Acme may go down in history as the best film almost never released. Why is that? Well, in 2023, Warner Bros. decided to take a $30 million tax write-off rather than release the film. What started as a scheduled release on HBO Max before moving to a theatrical release instead turned into the studio shelving the film completely. Unlike Batgirl, which Warner Bros. also shelved, the tax write-off for Coyote vs. Acme wasn’t because the comedy was a bad film. Quite the opposite, in fact. Early reviews were overwhelmingly positive, but the studio apparently thought the savings from not marketing the film, combined with the tax write-off, was the smarter move.

Enter Ketchup Entertainment, a little-known studio that previously released the Looney Tunes animated film The Day the Earth Blew Up. The studio came to the rescue, acquiring the film in 2025 for $50 million. Investing just $10 million in marketing the film — compared to the roughly $35 million Warner Bros. likely would have spent — Coyote vs. Acme is finally seeing the light of day, and theaters are better for it.

For those who have lived under a rock for the last 80 years, Wile E. Coyote has spent much of his life attempting to capture the Road Runner. Using countless Acme products to achieve his mission, Coyote always finds himself on the losing end of the chase, often getting hurt or blown up in the process. It’s those interactions that inspired a 1990 The New Yorker article that imagined Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation for selling him dangerous products. And it’s that article that Coyote vs. Acme uses as a jumping-off point to offer 103 minutes of pure laughs and fun.

Kevin Avery (Will Forte) spends his days going after the Acme Corporation for minimal damages to keep his small law office afloat. With billboards boasting his face and 1-800-LAWYER number, the attorney promotes his business by seeking potential clients with ads like, “Have you ever pulled the ripcord of a backpack? Have you ever set a big stack of TNT on the road hoping to blow up your nemesis, but when you press the detonator, the detonator itself blows up? It’s not your fault. There is probably someone to blame.”

But Avery is hesitant to ruffle corporate feathers, instead choosing to push for $300 settlements and remaining a “tiny item on a spreadsheet.” That is until Wile E. Coyote seeks him out, wanting to collect for the injuries he’s incurred while attempting to make the Road Runner his next meal.

Reluctantly taking on the case means also taking on his Harvard classmate and the “best lawyer” in the country, Acme’s Buddy Crane (John Cena). Smart, suave, and slick, Crane has Avery’s number and lives forever rent-free in the small-claims-court attorney’s head. Acme has the resources to bury Avery and his legal practice in paperwork, but when Wile E. Coyote turns down a settlement and the lives of Avery and his legal team are threatened, the lawyer sheds his meek persona to battle the massive corporation. It’s your typical David-vs.-Goliath story, but with absolutely hilarious results.

Whereas normally three screenwriters spell disaster, here the unique trio with diverse backgrounds — including Marvel-cum-DC head James Gunn — dig deep into the Looney Tunes vault to feature nearly every favorite character that Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and even older millennials grew up with. Foghorn Leghorn is the money behind Acme’s coffers. Daffy Duck is off his rocker. And, of course, there’s everyone’s favorite hare, Bugs Bunny.

Will Forte may not be a household name — more likely the guy who makes many stop and say, “Where do I know him from?” — but it’s hard to imagine a better actor for the part of Kevin Avery than Forte, thanks in large part to his likability factor being off the charts. After quitting his job as a stock analyst decades ago, Forte joined the famous improv group The Groundlings before turning that success into an eight-year run on Saturday Night Live, where he perfected popular characters like MacGruber. From there, the actor went on to appear in a number of films and TV series, including perhaps his quirkiest character yet in The Last Man on Earth. When it comes to being aloof, Forte truly is the best, and he does it here in spades.

Battling against him is Cena, who appears to be having the most fun yet in the role of the douchey Acme defense attorney looking to defend the company at any cost. Recommended by Gunn to consider the role, Cena knows his strengths and intelligently chooses comedic roles. His engagement in a “I tawt I taw a puddy tat” conversation is classic.

Warner Bros.’ loss is America’s gain. If you’re seeking an alternative to superheroes and mythological heroes, Coyote vs. Acme is the easy choice. Take your mom. Take your kids. This is a film the entire family will love.